Araujo Estate Wines

"One of California’s and the world’s great wine estates, Araujo continues to exhibit remarkable consistency and impeccably high quality... The team of Bart and Daphne Araujo, their talented longtime winemaker, Francoise Peschon, and the globe-trotting oenologist, Michel Rolland, are to be commended on the extraordinary elegance of these wines." — Robert Parker

At the dawn of the Napa cult wine movement, Bart and Daphne Araujo purchased the famed Eisele Vineyard, beginning Araujo Estate wines from one of the region's most historic lands. From 1990 to 2013 the couple crafted a top Napa Valley cabernet with the help of legendary winemakers like David Abreu, Michel Rolland, and more. While the estate was later sold to Francois Pinault of the powerful Artemis Group, Araujo Estate wines continue to hold a special place in the heart of Napa wine enthusiasts.

Araujo Estate: Napa Upstarts

After regularly visiting Napa Valley throughout the 1980s, Bart and Daphne Araujo were keen on purchasing a vineyard in the region. While neither had any winemaking experience (Bart operated a successful construction company and Daphne was a landscape architect), the Araujos shared a love of wine and knew they needed to be near Napa Valley. After attending the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 1989, the Araujos intended on buying a vineyard but not opening a winery, as they felt it was too much work for their already busy schedules. Then, a year later, Eisele Vineyard was up for sale and the pair capitalized. The vineyard was originally offered to Joe Phelps, a top proprietor of the land, and other Napa winemakers, however, the land ended up in the hands of the Araujos. 

With the help of local real estate agent Jean Phillips of Screaming Eagle, Bart and Daphne Araujo acquired prime real estate to build the estate. Understanding the gold mine they had, top winemakers were brought in — Michel Rolland, David Abreu, and Mia Klein all had a helping hand in creating top Araujo cabernet. And, by the end of the decade, critics like Robert Parker and Wine Spectator lauded the estate, the latter of which referred to as "a five-star winery."

Araujo Estate Eisele Vineyard

Based in Calistoga, Eisele Vineyard is easily one of Napa Valley's most legendary vineyards. The 162-acre property has produced spectacular fruit since the late 19th century, with cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, and riesling used for top estates like Ridge Vineyards, Jospeh Phelps Insignia, and Robert Mondavi Winery. Its exceptional terroir was tended to by Milt and Barbara Eisele for 20 years prior to the Araujo sale.

The land is famous for its location at the foot of Palisade Mountain and contains incredible cobbly soils, perfect for cabernet vines. After a decade of ownership, the Araujos understood the importance of biodynamic and organic farming to maintain the health of the land. Additionally, they did extensive restructuring and replanting to extract the best blends from the terroir. The results were fantastic, boosting Araujo Estate to Napa Cult wine status and garnering intense praise and fervor from Napa drinkers.

After 23 years of top wines produced, the Araujos sold the estate to the Artemis Group, owners of Chateau Latour, Kering, Stade Rennais F.C., and other top global brands. While the pair were sad to see the family business go, they understood ownership was transferred to knowledgeable hands and quickly began a new project- Accendo Cellars. Shortly after the sale, Araujo Estate was renamed to Eisele Vineyards and has continued to produce some of Napa's top cabernet.

Standout Araujo Wines

With 23 vintages of Araujo cabernet, there are multiple releases of Araujo wines that have captivated wine enthusiasts. 

2003 Araujo Eisele

Only 1,600 cases of the 2003 Araujo Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon were made, released to rave reviews from critics. Robert Parker argued the bottle was "wine of the vintage," while William Kelley of Decanter Magazine argued it was "a real success in this vintage." Overall, the wine was celebrated for its mineral aromas, firm tannins, and expressive palate, which exploded with juicy fruit flavors without being excessively ripe.

1997 Araujo Eisele Cabernet

The 1997 Araujo Eisele Cabernet was a standout from the estate in a stacked Napa vintage, with multiple cult wineries crafting their greatest wines. Araujo Estate was no exception, releasing "a classic wine" per Robert Parker. The dried currant, cedar, and berry notes illustrated the estate's signature profile, and thanks to the help of winemaking legend David Abreu, bottles are expected to stay in their prime drinking window until the mid-2020s. 

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