Eisele Vineyard, Calistoga (Napa Valley, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

 Eisele Vineyard has yielded some of California’s most revered wines since its first vintage and is rightly referred to by many as an American "First Growth."  The modern history of the Eisele Vineyard began when Milton and Barbara Eisele purchased it in 1969.  The Eisele’s supplied fruit to some of California’s benchmark wineries, including Ridge and Joseph Phelps.  Then, in 1990, the Araujos purchased the Eisele estate and invested in the property’s first winery.  Their efforts were noticed, as the owners of France’s First Growth Château Latour purchased this iconic California estate in 2012, beginning a new chapter in this storied property’s history.  Today, the Eisele wines are quickly becoming "cult" wines with escalating prices to match, but you can snag Eisele Vineyard’s "third" label, Pickett, without paying "cult" prices.  The nose on the Pickett Cabernet Sauvignon is incredibly vibrant with freshly crushed blackcurrants, red and black cherries with hints of thyme.  The palate is full of crunchy black fruits, cassis, and chocolate tones.  This has effortless poise, precision, and texture with old-world elegance.