Inaugural vintage of Accendo's Proprietary Red "Laurea" from the former owners of Napa's Araujo Estate.  Limited

94 Points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The  Cabernet Sauvignon Laurea is a new wine in this range. It is a very serious second wine, if that term can even be used here. Red cherry, plum, cedar, gravel tobacco and dried flowers are some of the many aromas and flavors that build in the glass. Next to the flagship Cabernet, Laurea has a slightly redder fruit profile and naturally a bit less intensity. Vineyard sources are Sleeping Lady, Upper Range and Diamond Mountain."

...Accendo Cellars is Bart and Daphne Araujo’s new project, following the incredible success and eventual sale of Araujo Estate—now known as Eisele Vineyard—named for its jewel vineyard dating back to the 1800s, which was purchased by Francois Pinault of Chateau Latour fame in 2013. With their deep roots in the world of California cult wines, the Araujo’s next chapter had to be equally ambitious. So, what could they possibly do for a follow-up act to reestablishing one of Napa Valley’s most historic, iconic single vineyards? They decided to take inspiration from another era in Napa’s rich history—that of the mid-twentieth century, when blending wines from vineyards throughout the valley was the norm. The Araujos explained that Accendo Cellars is about getting back to “old style Napa,” somewhat in spite of global warming. They wanted to achieve wines of restraint and elegance by being able to bring in fruit earlier, but they also wanted to achieve all the layers and complexity possessed by the greatest wines of the world. They have thus far selected to work with several vineyards, including Sleeping Lady, Vine Hill Ranch and Oakville Ranch, to produce their first efforts. The blending process is overseen by none other than master-blender Michel Rolland. Bravo to the Araujos and Rolland for, in particular, superbly capturing the best of the Cabernet Sauvignon vintage attributes so singularly and poignantly!"

2018 is the inaugural vintage of Accendo Laurea, a red table wine with supple tannins and vibrant red fruit flavors that is delicious and ready to drink when young but will age gracefully. While we vinify all the grapes from our vineyard sources in a similar manner, the blend we create for the Cabernet Sauvignon is a strict selection to produce what we consider the most age worthy wine of the vintage. After creating that blend, we begin a new blend for Laurea, choosing from high quality lots that when blended together, produce a wine with a unique personality. The resulting wine is immediately pleasurable, drinkable and enjoyable with many styles of cuisine.