1981 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (9) Avg Score: 92.9 points

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  9/5/2017 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points

  Just a lovely old school Napa Cab. The nose is full of plum fruit, mint and eucalyptus. The palate is remarkable -- vibrant fruit is still sweet and bright. Loads of mint, and then more mint. Structurally the acids are still lively and the tannins nearly resolved but still providing a touch of grip.

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  9/5/2017 - acyso wrote: 93 Points

  Dinner at Table, Donkey and Stick (Chicago, IL): I'll say it: Eisele Vineyard is probably some of the best dirt in Napa Valley, and Phelps did amazing work with it. This bottle is a clear example of that: everything is just so... Napa cabernet about it. And I'm not referring to the modern jokes that come from the area; this is the sort of wine that made Napa great. It can easily stand up to any Bordeaux of the era. Everything about this in balance; there's green pepper, but not too much; there's ripe fruit, but it's held in check. Acidity, tannins, everything is well-integrated and nothing sticks out.

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  6/15/2013 - BradKNYC wrote:

  The supper club eats and drinks well in Connecticut. (Bill's.): From magnum and mildly controversial. Most seemed to greatly enjoy it, but Sugarman and I weren't all that impressed with the wine. I found it much more enjoyable and generous on the nose than on the palate, where it exhibited complex aromas of cherry fruit, dried herbs a hint of mint and dusty earth. Rather lean, with high acidity and austere tannins. Earthy with dried herbs and the fruit more in the background. The steak helped the wine, but it's certainly on the back end of its life. B+/B.

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  4/10/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points

  Aged meat and Aged Cabs (Mister Fister's, Chicago IL): Nose: Well balanced and aromatic nose with tones of dark red cherries, cedar, autumn leaves, and some currants. There is very good depth to this with a sense of refinement as well.
  
  Taste: Medium/full bodied with good medium acidity and nice supporting tannins. The feel is very polished with tones of dark red cherries, cedar, currants, and some soy tones.
  
  Overall: This was drinking well for a bit. We came back to it later on in the night and it had faded, but it still held up very well for several hours.

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  11/14/2008 - DUSTOFF wrote: 93 Points

  Stunning complexity and life for a 1981 Cali Cab. 93 points is being conservative and I will most certainly be seeking more bottles of this fine Cabernet.

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