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The Araujo estate is an amazing place on earth. The vineyard – the Eisele Vineyard – has wonderful pedigree for Napa Valley since it was the source of many great Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignons in the 1970s and 1980s. It was first planted in the 1880s with Zinfandel and then in the 1960s went to Cab. It’s now tended biodynamically and may be the best wine of that sort in the world.
The Araujo family bought the property in 1990s and turned it into one of the jewels of the region – however, the estate was just recently acquired by Latour.
I visited the vineyard and winery in fall 2010 with Bart and Daphine Araujo, who were the owners at the time. I tasted the wines with them as well as winemaker Francoise Pechon, who is an excellent hands-on enologist and agronimist. The wines have style and class with a unique character. I am a huge fan of the white too.
Click here for tasting notes.
Video originally posted February 15, 2011.