2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

I have to admit, this is a highly perplexing showing from Araujo Estate in its first vintages under new ownership. François Pinault's Groupe Artemis purchased the property in 2013 and owns several other prominent estates, including Chateau Latour. Hélène Mingot, who previously worked on Stéphane Derenoncourt's Napa project, is in charge of both the vineyards and winemaking. New General Manager Winston Chang and CFO Antoine Donnedieu both have longstanding relationships with the Latour group. Former winemaker Nigel Kinsman has been retained in a consultant role, although I don’t see much of his influence in these wines.

One of the immediate developments is a reduction in acreage devoted to Syrah, some of which has already been regrafted with Cabernet Sauvignon. The winemaking team is taking a more open, flexible approach to the flagship Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon, which may or may not include other varieties, depending on the vintage.

Sadly, the 2012s I tasted came across as stripped, diluted and lacking in energy, while the 2013s fared only marginally better. Over the years I have had the privilege of tasting and drinking many wines from this historic property, including the great Cabernets of the 1970s, when the Eisele family owned the vineyard. These new releases from Araujo Estate don't match anything in my previous experience. There are times when, as a wine critic, I wouldn't mind being wrong. This is one of those times. My only hope is that I caught Araujo Estate on an off day, and that, for whatever reasons, the wines I tasted were not representative of the final products.