Araujo Estate Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Description

Araujo Estate Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 is a 750ml, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley’s Calistoga appellation, produced from Demeter-certified biodynamic vines. Awarded 94 points by Jeff Leve of The Wine Cellar Insider, this vintage showcases one of California’s most storied vineyard sites at a compelling stage of development.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~14.5% | Origin: Calistoga, Napa Valley, California | Vintage: 2009 | Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon | Estate: Araujo Estate Wines

Production & Heritage

The Eisele Vineyard sits on the eastern bench of the Calistoga appellation, a site whose winemaking pedigree stretches back decades Joseph Phelps famously produced vineyard-designated wines from these vines from 1975 until Bart and Daphne Araujo purchased the property in 1991. The Araujos transitioned the vineyard to organic farming in 1998 and achieved full Demeter biodynamic certification in 2002, making the estate one of Napa Valley’s earliest adopters of biodynamic viticulture. All chemical inputs are eschewed, and farming practices are timed to the lunar and astronomical calendar, a philosophy reflected in the purity and site-specificity of each vintage.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with oak and earth before unfolding into layers of tobacco, truffle, licorice, and coffee. These secondary and tertiary aromas suggest the wine is entering an expressive phase of maturity while retaining deep primary fruit.

Taste: On entry, opulent dark fruit black cherry and cassis fills the palate with notable density. The mid-palate is polished and round, with silky, well-resolved tannins providing structure without grip. There is a juicy expressiveness to the red and black fruit core that several tasters have noted shows no overt signs of age.

Finish: The finish is long and sweet-toned, trailing off with cassis, black cherry, and a faint echo of leather. A one-to-two-hour decant can further open the wine’s aromatic complexity and soften any remaining structural firmness.

How to Drink Araujo Eisele 2009

Serve at 6265F in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass; decanting for at least one to two hours allows the bouquet to fully unfold. This is a wine built for thoughtful, unhurried sipping rather than cocktail use. It pairs exceptionally with grilled lamb chops, where the wine’s earthy depth complements charred meat; braised short ribs, whose richness matches the wine’s mid-palate density; and aged hard cheeses like 24-month Comt, which mirror the wine’s savory, umami undertones.

Best For

• Celebrating a milestone anniversary or significant personal achievement
• Gifting a serious Napa Valley Cabernet collector
• Anchoring a comparative tasting of iconic Calistoga Cabernets
• A special-occasion dinner featuring prime red meat or game

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Araujo Eisele 2009 taste like? The dominant profile centers on opulent black cherry and cassis supported by earthy undertones of tobacco, truffle, and leather. Tannins are silky and well-resolved, finishing long with sweet dark fruit.

How does Araujo Eisele 2009 compare to Joseph Phelps Insignia? Joseph Phelps famously produced vineyard-designated Cabernet from the Eisele Vineyard from 1975 to 1991, making Insignia a natural reference point. While Insignia is a multi-vineyard Bordeaux blend emphasizing consistency across vintages, the Araujo bottling is a single-vineyard, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that channels the specific terroir and biodynamic farming of the Eisele site.

Is Araujo Eisele 2009 good for cellaring? Multiple tasters describe the 2009 as “still young” with opulent fruit showing no signs of fading, suggesting it has further development ahead. That said, the resolved tannins and expressive aromatics make it thoroughly enjoyable now with proper decanting.

Where is Araujo Eisele 2009 made? It is produced at Araujo Estate Wines from the Eisele Vineyard, located on the eastern bench of the Calistoga appellation in Napa Valley, California. The vineyard has been farmed biodynamically since receiving Demeter certification in 2002.

What foods pair well with Araujo Eisele 2009? Grilled lamb chops complement the wine’s earthy, truffle-laced complexity. Braised short ribs match its opulent weight and dark fruit. Dry-aged ribeye steak highlights the cassis and tobacco notes. Mushroom risotto echoes the truffle and forest-floor aromatics. Aged Gouda or Comt offer a savory counterpoint to the wine’s sweet fruit finish.

What sizes does Araujo Eisele 2009 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle; availability of large-format bottles such as magnums varies by vintage and market allocation.

Is Araujo Eisele 2009 worth the price? This bottling positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, reflecting the Eisele Vineyard’s status as one of California’s grand cru-caliber sites, its biodynamic certification, and extremely limited production.

Why Araujo Eisele 2009?

The Eisele Vineyard is among a small handful of Napa Valley sites whose reputation transcends any single owner or winemaker a pedigree underscored by the fact that Franois Pinault, proprietor of Chteau Latour, later acquired the estate. The 2009 vintage captures the vineyard under fully mature biodynamic stewardship, more than six years after Demeter certification, a period during which soil health and vine balance had reached a refined equilibrium. Jeff Leve’s 94-point score and multiple independent tasters noting the wine’s youthful opulence confirm this as a vintage with both immediate pleasure and long-term relevance. For collectors of site-driven California Cabernet, the 2009 represents a benchmark expression of one of the state’s most distinguished terroirs.