Exclusive new Cabernet from the former owners of Napa's Araujo WInery.  One of Napa's best new cabs.

98+ Points Robert Parker: "Sourced from six different Napa Valley vineyards and a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Accendo is a dark, cassis-laden effort tinged with violets and black tea. Full-bodied, rich, velvety and tannic, it shows lovely harmony and structure, ample but not overdone concentration and tremendous length and elegance....For those who might not know, Accendo Cellars is the latest venture from Bart and Daphne Araujo. After selling their namesake winery and its Eisele Vineyard in 2013, the couple purchased the Wheeler Farms property in Yountville in 2015, with the first crush at the winery there taking place in 2016. "It's a zero-compromise facility," says Nigel Kinsman, who makes the Accendo wines there."...

98 Points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "Accendo's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is every bit as alluring as it was from barrel. Plush and sensual, with no hard edges, the 2019 possesses magnificent balance from start to finish. Dark-fleshed fruit, spice, leather, tobacco and menthol build as this sumptuous, racy Cabernet shows off its tremendous charm. Best of all, the 2019 offers quite a bit of immediacy. I would choose to drink it ahead of some of the more structured recent vintages. As always, the Accendo Cabernet is a blend of several top sites in Napa Valley."

98 Points Decanter: "Tasted with Bart Araujo at Wheeler Farms, the 'Rolls Royce of custom crush facilities', as described by Accendo winemaker Nigel Kinsman. Bart and wife Daphne established Wheeler Farms after selling their Araujo Estate (now Eisele Vineyard) to the Artemis Group. Grapes are sourced from Vine Hill Ranch, Sleeping Lady in Rutherford, Eco Tone (a former Abreu property), and a site on Diamond Mountain formerly known as Reverie. Generous blackberry fruit aromas are tinged with wild herbs and heady cedar spices. Broad and expansive on the palate with saturated dark fruit, cassis, graphite and wild herbs. Rustic, elongated tannins glide to a savoury finish."

96 Points Wine Spectator: "Delivers a lush yet focused wave of gorgeous loganberry and black currant fruit laced subtly with warm loam, alder smoke and dried bay leaf details. Delivers a long cast-iron spine that drives underneath from start to finish, with the fruit taking an encore alongside a violet note at the very end. A touch more grip than your typical '19 as well. Impressive. Best from 2026 through 2040."

As a reminder to readers, 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, in 2013. 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.” They are aiming to achieve wines of restraint and elegance and have this year selected to work with several vineyards, including Sleeping Lady, Vine Hill Ranch and Ecotone (formerly known as Abreu's Thorevilos vineyard). The 2018 vintage is beautifully captured in this lineup, revealing the freshness, subtle nuances and natural poise this vintage wants to give." READ LESS