The wines of Volker Eisele Family Estate are the best kind of “old school.” It’s not that they’re old-fashioned, or rustic, or otherwise unfashionable. They are models of consistency and authenticity in a region that never lacks for newness, flashiness, and, in some instances, excess.
Volker Eisele, the man, was against excess—excess commercial development of the Napa Valley in particular—and was one of the first Napa vintners to farm organically, starting way back in 1974. Volker Eisele, the wine, is as timelessly stylish as a well-cut blue blazer, combining the elegant poise of Bordeaux with the clarity and purity of Napa Valley fruit. We recently acquired some magnums of their estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the exceptional 2010 vintage, and if you are looking for something truly special to add to your cellar, this is it. While it is at a stunning point in its evolution right now, it will go for a few more decades with ease.
I look at it like buying a Rolex to someday pass down to a loved one. The craftsmanship and heritage are there, and in this case, the price remains approachable. The vintage, it bears repeating, was perhaps my favorite of the past decade: the weather during the 2010 growing season was quite consistent, never too extreme, lending Cabernets like this one a balance of freshness (i.e. acidity) and power that bodes well for long aging.
It’s not enough to say that Volker Eisele, who passed away in 2015, was a true ‘vigneron.’ He was a staunch anti-development activist in the Napa Valley, and, as noted above, he was a pioneer in farming his vineyards organically. He and his landscape-architect wife, Liesel, purchased 400 acres in Napa’s Chiles Valley in 1974, placing them squarely among that ‘first wave’ of back-to-the-landers and other wine luminaries who put Napa on the map in the early seventies. Chiles Valley, nestled beneath a dreamy layer of fog in the Vaca Mountains, rests in the northeastern stretch of the Napa Valley. It takes its name from Joseph Ballinger Chiles, who in 1843 received a large land grant from the last Mexican governor of California. The cooler climate, higher elevations and fogs off the Pacific make for one of the cooler microclimates in the region, which results in longer hang time for the grapes and a more balanced, fresh expression of Bordeaux varietals.
At 900 to 1,100 feet in altitude, with clay-loam as well as shale soils, this special site is represented at its best thanks to the Eisele family’s dedication to organic viticulture. This bottling is traditionally crafted blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot aged for 24 months in 50% new French oak. When I taste this wine, I do not experience a product that has been manipulated—it doesn’t try to be something it is not. It is an expression of Bordeaux varietals with absolute purity that transcends any old world/new world label; it is simply a joy to experience and an authentic expression of the land at a price-to-quality that’s about as good as you’re going to get in Napa.
The 2010 exhibits a concentrated dark garnet core with light purple reflections throughout. The intense and floral nose reveals aromatics of damp violets, blackcurrant, blueberry, boysenberry and concentrated black plum woven into a hint of red tobacco, damp clay, turned earth, wild herbs, a touch of pencil lead, and exotic baking spices. Medium-plus in body, the tannins glide across the palate amidst a seamless integration of fruit and earth that lingers on the finish indefinitely. Pull the cork 30-45 minutes before or decant for 10-15 minutes before serving. This wine awakens quickly with air. Serve at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux stems and prepare yourself for something extraordinary. Although it’s a beauty to behold now, I’m anxious to see what it becomes between 2025 and 2030—especially since it’s in the slower-aging magnum format. My expectation is that it’ll be a showstopper, so grab one before they’re gone!
