2013 Gemini
Composition: 80% Semillon 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Harvest: The grapes were harvested September 2, 2013 with 21.7 degrees average brix, 0.50 total acidity, and 3.39pH
Fermentation: 100% stainless steel.
Oak Aging: 5 months in French oak, 20% new / 80% 1 to 2 year old Ailler from Treuil.
Organic: All fruit is organically grown in our estate vineyard.
The grapes were whole-cluster pressed, and the juice was co-fermented in a stainless steel tank at 45 degrees F for two weeks, then sent to barrel and aged sur-lie for five months with monthly lees stirring. 20% new French oak barrels help frame the wine’s prominent floral and citrus notes, while adding to its structure and age ability.
This vintage of Gemini showcases aromas of jasmine and citrus blossom, subtle wet stone and mandarin orange. Flavors of Asian pear and lemon curd are entwined with well-integrated oak, and the mouth is weighty while remaining crisp and clean.
Semillon-based wines are a rare treat in their capacity to shine with age. While delicious now, its complexity will grow over the next several years, even while it retains a youthful freshness. This is a singular and very special white wine from the Napa Valley.
~Molly Lippett, Winemaker
A blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, both grown in Chiles Valley, this wine was 100% stainless-steel fermented. Jasmine and a sweetness of fresh-picked corn show off on the nose, while a wet stone minerality peeks through on the palate. Light and velvety the wine offers body and complexity, and should age interestingly. Drink now through 2018. Cellar Selection.
90 – Wine Enthusiast
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
Composition: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot
Harvest: The grapes were harvested early October with 25 degrees average brix, 0.7 total acidity, and 3.68pH
Oak Aging: 24 months in 50% new French oak barrels from Treuil cooperage (i.e. Aillier and Troncais).
Organic: All fruit is organically grown in our estate vineyard.
The 2012 Volker Eisele Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon shines a deep burgundy in the glass, with youthful red undertones. The nose is layered with candied cherry, cassis, pipe smoke, and rich leather, with a subtle wet stone minerality. In the mouth, the wine has a dark cherry core, with blueberry, spicy plum, and Chinese 5-spice powder woven together in a complex matrix with supple and mouth-filling tannins. The finish is long, with a sustained brown sugar, toasted oak sweetness.
~Molly Lippett, Winemaker
The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate exhibits an attractive deep ruby/purple color as well as sweet notes of crème de cassis, a creamy, medium to full-bodied texture, and good elegance, purity and depth. This attractive, delicious effort tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol. Drink it over the next decade.
91 –Robert Parker Jr., Wine Advocate
2010 Terzetto
Composition: 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/3 Cabernet Franc, 1/3 Merlot
Harvest: The grapes were harvested September 30th with 24.5 degrees average brix, 0.69 total acidity, and 3.55pH
Oak Aging: 24 months in 70% new French oak barrels from Treuil cooperage (i.e. Aillier and Troncais).
Organic: All fruit is organically grown in our estate vineyard.
The goal is to make a wine from the classic Bordeaux varietals that express the classic flavors and aromas of these wines with a soft and round mouth-feel. This vintage’s result is a wine of elegance and finesse that fulfills our intentions; to reflect the style of wine that typifies Bordeaux varietals without any one dominating. The wine is deep red in color with a tinge of purple. Deeper red fruits are evident in the aromas and flavors backed by vibrant toasty oak, sweet vanilla, moderate alcohol, and soft tannins all contribute to the sensation of a wine that fulfills its namesake of being a wine in harmony. Drinkable now but will age gracefully due to its heritage.
The 2010 Proprietary Red Terzetto, a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, is a fruit-forward, hedonistic red offering lots of strawberry and black cherry fruit, a forest floor-like character, sweet tannin and round, medium to full-bodied flavors. No doubt the Cabernet Franc provides uplift and ethereal complexity to the wine’s interesting aromatics. With beautiful sweet tannin, some sucrosity and plenty of appeal, it will drink well for 8-12 years. One does not see many wines from Chiles Valley, especially Cabernets, at this level of quality.
93 –Robert Parker Jr., Wine Advocate
2012 Terzetto February 2016 release
Volker Eisele Family Estate creates enticing wines from the Chiles Valley District of the Napa Valley. Organically farmed since 1974, the Estate produces wines of uncommon balance and finesse. Long, cool growing seasons, rigorous thinning and harvesting of mature grape clusters yields fruit of robust acidity and wines of great complexity.
“…unmistakable elegance and impeccable balance.” — Robert Parker Jr.
2012 Syrah
Composition: 100% Syrah
Harvest: The grapes were harvested September 22, 2012 with 25.2 degrees average brix, 0.53 total acidity, and 3.64pH
Oak Aging: 20 months in 50% new French oak barrels from Treuil cooperage (i.e. Ailler and Troncais).
Organic: All fruit is organically grown in our estate vineyard.
The grapes fermented with twice daily punch downs for gentle flavor and tannin extraction. The wine was pressed off the skins after 10 days of fermentation, and sent to barrel to age for 20 months. 50% new French oak barrels were used, adding spice and structure to the wine.
The flavor profile is dark and brooding, with aromas and flavors of black plum, mission fig, and brown sugar blending with bacon and pipe smoke, and a lingering spicy finish; reminiscent of Chinese five spice powder and vanilla. The mouth is dense and round with supple tannins that linger smoothly throughout the finish.
~Molly Lippett, Winemaker
2012 Las Flores, Cabernet Sauvignon
The fruit for the Las Flores, Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a section of our vineyard called the Las Flores block, named by the Nevarez family, which has been farming the land with us since 1974. The mustard that grows in the Las Flores block every spring, blooms a more brilliant yellow in this field than anywhere else within our vineyard.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Harvest: The grapes were harvested October 8, 2012 with 25.4 degrees average brix, 0.64 total acidity, and 3.52pH
Oak Aging: 20 months in 50% new French oak barrels from Treuil cooperage (i.e. Ailler and Troncais).
Organic: All fruit is organically grown in our estate vineyard.
In the glass, the wine is deeply burgundy in color, hinting at its depth of flavor. Aromas of blueberry, black currant, spicy black plum present on the nose, with a touch of oaky smokiness and subtle star anise. In the mouth, the wine immediately reveals its expressive breadth, with bold, yet creamy, tannins layering well with flavors of espresso, black plum, cassis, and sweetly charred oak. The length of the finish is pronounced, with a lovely sweet smoke and light vanilla persisting long after the wine is gone.
~Molly Lippett, Winemaker
Darker forest floor notes and a richer, broader style are found in the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Las Flores. Its inky, opaque ruby/purple color is followed by a wine with good acidity, sweet tannin and a broader, richer, fuller style than its siblings. However, it still retains good elegance. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
94 – Robert Parker Jr., Wine Advocate
2012 Alexander, Cabernet Sauvignon
On the slopes of Volker Eisele Family Estate, Alexander, the second generation Eisele to tend the vineyard, has developed his passion for perfection. He understands that quality begins with each individual vine. It is with a unique two acre hillside block, planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1976 that he has reached the ultimate, producing the spectacular fruit which goes into the Alexander wine. While yields are low due to precise cluster selection, the quality is extraordinarily high.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Harvest: The grapes were harvested October 3, 2012 with 25.1 degrees average brix, 0.59 total acidity, and 3.58pH
Oak Aging: 21 months in 70% new and 30% one year old French
oak barrels; Never, Aillier, and Troncais from Treuil.
Organic: All fruit is organically grown in our estate vineyard.
The grapes fermented with twice daily punch downs for gentle flavor and tannin extraction. The wine was pressed off the skins after 10 days of fermentation, and sent to barrel to age for 20 months. 50% new French oak barrels were used, adding spice and structure to the wine.
In the glass, the Alexander is a deep hue of burgundy, with subtle red undertones. Fresh aromas of blueberries, cassis, and black cherry compliment the saddle leather and sweet pipe smoke that give this wine its characteristic distinction. In the mouth, the wine quickly shows its unparalleled elegance, with broad, smooth, creamy tannins that support a dense and finessed matrix of blackberry, cassis, and smoky barrel spice. The lightly smoky finish is lengthy and soft. This is a wine not to be missed.
~Molly Lippett, Winemaker
I enjoyed the mulberry, blueberry and black cherry fruit found in the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander. Sweet tannin, an opulent, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and impressive purity make for a classy, finesse-styled but substantial Cabernet Sauvignon to drink over the next 10-15 years.
92 –Robert Parker Jr., Wine Advocate, Issue 215
2012 Sievers Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon – February 2016