Leisure ♦ Domestic Red Wines

Araujo Estate 2008 A mineral-rich masterpiece.

lthough calistoga is home to what is perhaps Napa best possible stewards of the land that Valley’s most fabled and historic vineyard, the region was we could,” explains Bart. “We knew that Aonly very recently approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco we hadn’t acquired just another Napa Tax and Trade Bureau as an American Viticultural Area, or AVA. Valley property.” First planted with and in the 1880s, the “Eisele is really a unique little cor- Eisele Vineyard is one of the rockiest sites on the valley floor, ner that’s completely protected,” says with a microclimate that for many decades has yielded some of Araujo Estate’s director of winemak- the most precise and balanced vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon ing, Françoise Peschon, who believes ever to come out of California. The vineyard’s name has graced that the site’s distinctive characteris- some rather impressive labels, including Joseph Phelps, Ridge, tics enabled her and winemaker Nigel and Conn Creek; but today, it is associated with only one: Kinsman to produce such extraordinary Araujo Estate. results in 2008, a vintage fraught with Having tasted many of the superb vineyard-designated Cabernets challenges that included drought, frost, from this particular tract of land, Daphne and Bart Araujo rec- and heat waves. “One of the marks of ognized this soil’s unique influence on the vines, and in 1989, a great vineyard is that it goes through when the Eisele family placed the vineyard on the market, the all that,” she says. “So while in 2008 the Araujos set out to acquire it. “Our concern was to try to be the production was way down, we kept the quality up.” Indeed, the Araujo Estate 2008

raham G raham allpaper: Cabernet Sauvignon ($290) is a master- piece of minerality, its immense struc- than for these blockbuster red blends ture softened by its all-enveloping, from Napa Valley. Not that there is any- velvety texture and fine filigree of thing delicate about the Aubert 2009 essences of brambleberry, black cherry, Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma Coast

ableart los angeles; W and smoky piñon. —brett anderson (www.aubertwines.com, $80), a powerfully constructed red wine that balances its Araujo Estate Wines, www.araujoestate.com ripe, fragrant, and intense cherry and red-plum fruit with the earthiness of ark aubert’s career has cocoa, mushrooms, and clay. —b.a. been a peripatetic one. After ♦ Msucceeding celebrated wine- master sommelier Greg Harrington is maker Helen Turley at Peter Michael among those pioneering members of his Best of the Winery, where for nine years he pro- profession who, in the past decade, have Best duced magnificent Chardonnays and transitioned from buying and pouring ethereally beautiful Bordeaux-style reds, fine wine to making it themselves. The he later replaced his former mentor as wine director for the Wolfgang Puck Araujo Estate 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon winemaker at Colgin Cellars. He also Fine Dining Group and, later, beverage Aubert 2009 Pinot Noir UV-SL Vineyard Sonoma reinforced his reputation as one of Napa director for a national restaurant and Coast ♦ Gramercy Cellars 2009 Walla Valley’s top talents with his consulting hotel group, Harrington developed a Walla ♦ Justin 2009 Focus Paso Robles ♦ Quilceda Creek work for such esteemed labels as Bryant taste for the restrained, earthy red wines 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley ♦ Robert Family, Futo Wines, and Sloan, but he being grown in Washington State’s Walla Foley Vineyards 2008 Merlot Napa Valley has since become better known for the Walla region, where a stint harvesting stylish Chardonnay and Pinot Noir he the 2004 vintage convinced him to produces from vineyards in Sonoma produce his first wine the following

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- offersThis dense red up aro beauty. and Dutch cocoa, cherry, mas of black the and washes toasted marshmallow, cherry, luscious of profusion a in palate and coffee flavors. blackberry, plum, refined texture and layered flavors of flavors and layered texture refined —b.a. and lavender. cocoa, plum, upon embarking before - pro Robert Foley vinous enterprise, duced some 15 vintages for Pride one of the Vineyards, Mountain He has most alluring labels. region’s also lent his gifts preeminent to such as Hourglass and Switchback producers his primary but passion is cur- Ridge, for which he label, his own rently Cabernet magnificent only not makes blends Bordeaux-style and Sauvignon vari- outré of more also a number but including Charbono and Pinot etals, the releases, of his recent Yet Blanc. Robert Vineyards Foley 2008 Merlot (www.robertfoleyvineyards.com, Napa Valley $52) stands out for its deftly articulated

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♦ 2008 vintage. Brimming with blueberry, Brimming with blueberry, 2008 vintage. fla- and roasted-coffee cinnamon, sage, available is mélange stunning this vors, only to an allocation list. the modern California wine industry. the modern Californiaindustry. wine own Alex on his Tchelistcheff advised Quilceda Creek, oenological venture, Given in 1978. founded which was it should come as this background, label no surprise that the Golitzins’ in collectible most the of one as ranks The Washington State. Cabernet2008 Valley Columbia Sauvignon $130) offers (www.quilcedacreek.com, viticultural their to sensory testimony notes exhibiting perfume-like prowess, as a as well of wild cherryand sage, father-and-son among count Golitzin Paul and Alex ancestorstheir Prince Sergeyevich Lev Russia’s of one of member Golitsyn—a houses and most distinguished noble oldest win- the founder of Crimea’s Massandra—and winemaking leg- ery, the of father Tchelistcheff, André end e Leisur june 2012 ♦

first wines of note to first to of note wines , a blend a blend $95), (www.justinwine.com, robb report Justin 2009 Focus Paso Robles; Quilceda Creek 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley; Robert Foley Vineyards 2008 Merlot Napa Valley 2008 Merlot Vineyards Robert Foley Quilceda Creek 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley; Robles; Paso 2009 Focus Justin releases to come from the area in recent in recent the area to come from releases Paso Focus 2009 is the Justin years Robles region and this particular winery have Bordeaux- for producing gained renown One of the most spectacular style wines. vignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc Merlot, vignon, Justin founded by Vineyards, Justin from the time, that Since 1981. in Baldwin Robles region on California’s Central region California’s on Robles a called Isosceles, a wine Coast was of Cabernet blend Sau­ Pauillac-style one of the Paso now-bustling the from emerge (www.gramercycellars.com, (www.gramercycellars.com, Walla Walla of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that the evocative surpasses in quality even —b.a. —b.a. and pepper. nutmeg, plum, black concentrated fruit. Scents of smoked Scents of smoked concentrated fruit. prepare tar and tobacco, sweet bacon, the senses for a spicy palate of anise, , like his Tempranillo and Grenache, and Grenache, Tempranillo his like $45), and aromas savory subtle, emphasizes brash over ripeness and heavily flavors Gramercy Cellars 2009 Syrah Cellars Syrah His Gramercy 2009 year.

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