Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard Calistoga 1984 750ml

Before the Araujo family acquired the Eisele Vineyard, Joseph Phelps bottled a celebrated vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon from this storied Calistoga site, from the mid-1970s into the early 1990s. The 1984 comes from a warm, early Napa vintage that yielded ripe, generous wines. Four decades on, John Gilman found it still improving, with sweet dark berries, cassis, mint, dark soil tones and well-integrated oak, followed by a full-bodied, focused palate with ripe tannins and great depth. He called the finish "impeccably balanced and very classy." Decant well ahead of serving; this rare library Cabernet should continue to drink beautifully for another decade or more.