Cult Cabernet Producer Araujo Hires Famed Bordeaux Enologist

Napa Valley's Araujo Wine Estate, whose Cabernet Sauvignon from the famed Eisele Vineyard ranks as one of California's cult wines, has hired renowned Bordeaux winemaker Michel Rolland as a consultant.

"Michel is a genius [when it comes to] tannin maturity, and that's one thing we're interested in," said Bart Araujo, co-owner of the Calistoga-based estate with his wife, Daphne.

Françoise Peschon, who has been at Araujo since 1993, will continue to direct day-to-day winemaking operations.

The Eisele Vineyard established its reputation in the 1970s, when Joseph Phelps Vineyards used the grapes to produce wines of extraordinary intensity and balance. The Araujos purchased the estate in 1990; they currently have 30 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 acres apiece of Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.

Rolland first garnered international recognition in the 1980s as winemaker for Château Le Bon-Pasteur in the Pomerol region of Bordeaux. Rolland works with several Napa Valley producers, including Harlan Estate in Oakville and Newton Vineyard in St. Helena. He also has clients from countries around the world, including Argentina, Chile, France, Greece, Italy, South Africa and Spain.