By: Simon Roberts
It was a pleasure to see Bart Araujo yesterday here at Graileys. I have been a long time fan of his wines, the attention to detail runs thru the whole operation culminating in wines of power and finesse. We tasted the 07 Araujo Eisele Estate first and it was the epitome of what great Napa cab can taste like. The 07 is a wine that is superbly concentrated, layer upon layer hit the mid palate resonating in blue fruits , hints of cassis and cedar. This wine is so very well balanced yet has power at the same time.
It was very interesting to hear how the Bio Dynamic farming at the estate is transforming the vines. Bart commented on the color of the leaves and healthy looking vines, you need an lot of components to make wines like the Araujo Family have over the years. I think they have it all right, from the farming to the facility , the winemaking team and the Bio dynamic approach, it all works together.
Next up was the 07 Araujo Syrah, again it was all about power, balance and finesse. I think this wine will need laying down a while. It is loaded with deep black fruits, hints of subtle spices all leading to a meaty finish. Bravo on both 07’s.
After the tasting one of our members popped a 91 Guigal La Landonne, a generous and much appreciated gesture. Guigal is a favorite wine of Barts and it was fitting end to a nice Monday afternoon at Graileys.