Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia 2017
$140.00
Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Altagracia is closer to its brother the Eisele Vineyard Cabernet than ever. The nose is floral and delicate at first, opening with a whiff of laurel, musk and patchouli. The mouthfeel is generous and ample with spicy notes of cumin and turmeric. The tannins are fine and chiseled, revealed by a gentle hand on extraction in the cellar. Notes of mocha, espresso and graphite linger on the palate while the fruit breaks out in the finish with fresh fig and black currant, reminding us of the tiny berries that were the signature of the 2017 vintage.
Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot
Critical Acclaim
Blackberry and tile aromas with tobacco and spice. Some chocolate, too. Medium to full body and firm, velvety tannins that show a juicy finish. Fine yet dusty tannins. Rich for the vintage.
This vintage has a bit less Petit Verdot than usual, but basically remains about 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with splashes of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia leaps from the glass, offering bold, expressive notes of blackberry pie, Black Forest cake and warm cassis with hints of garrigue, mossy tree bark, dusty soil and black pepper plus a fragrant waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers a great core of rich, spicy black fruit preserves, framed with firm, chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing earthy.
Clear black pepper, forest floor and liquorice spice with a lovely ripeness to the rich berry fruits and where the concentration is tempered by slivers of juicy-fresh redcurrant and cedar. A vintage that was complicated by fires, although the vast majority of Eisele plots were picked before they broke out.
Features a solid core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit, backed by warm tar and earth notes. A tobacco leaf frame surrounds all the elements, gilding them rather than intruding. The grippy back end shows a slight burliness, but this has ample stuffing to get past that. Best from 2022 through 2032.
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