The 2014 vintage is classic Eisele, displaying a more forward character than 2013. The nose opens on notes of white flowers, wild berries, blackcurrant, blackberries and dried rose petals, characteristic of the Eisele fruit, with subtle undertones of vanilla, cinnamon and grilled almonds. With aeration, it progressively gives way to freshly-cut ripe cherries. The ample mouthfeel is very silky with tight-knit, chiseled tannins that support this vintage’s aristocratic figure. The fruit is pure, sustained by deliciously ripe and savory undertones. The delicately saline finish of the 2014 lingers with pepper, turmeric and licorice. In this great vintage, the wine combines outstanding brightness and aromatic complexity with the Eisele hallmarks of elegance and finesse.
The Eisele Vineyard has historically produced some of California's most legendary wines—the first Cabernet was produced by Ridge Vineyards in 1971, and the 1974 Conn Creek remains one of my favorite Cabernets in my lifetime. The 2014 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is in a class by itself and could very well be, after all, has been said and done, one of the decade's heroic efforts. TASTING NOTES: The word complexity doesn’t even begin to do justice in describing this wine. Its aromas and flavors of juicy ripe fruits, aromatic violets and flowers, minerality and chalkiness are evocative and expansive. The completeness here is magical.