2019 Accendo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

“I find winemaking truly fascinating because, at its highest level, it requires a combination of technical and scientific expertise plus a level of artistic interpretation and instinct. It is humbling that, no matter how much you do, or how much you invest, you can only ever really control 50% of the variables that impact you.” ~ Bart Araujo, owner and winemaker of Accendo Cellars.

Accendo Cellars is an iconic winery located in Napa Valley. Owners, Bart and Daphne Araujo founded Accendo Cellars in 2013, and since then their goal has been to “produce and promote classically styled wines that express their terroir with balance, purity, and nobility; revisit the iconic Napa Valley Cabernets of the 1950s – 1970s, sourced from multiple vineyards and showing perfectly 50 – 70 years later.”

The mastermind behind these wines is Françoise Peschon, a passionate winemaker that started working with the Araujo family in 1993 in Eisele Vineyard, (the family’s former estate). She graduated from UC Davis and started working in no other than Chateau Haut Brion. Her long experience in wine includes top estates in California like Stag’s Leap, Viader Vineyards, and Vine Hill Ranch. In 2019, she was named The San Francisco Chronicle’s “Winemaker of the Year”.

Michel Rolland is Françoise’s mentor and Accendo Cellar’s consultant for over 20 years. His deep understanding of winegrowing and winemaking has contributed to the acclaim of Araujo Estate Wines and now Accendo Cellars. Since its inception, the winery has won several accolades and 95+ scores. The previous vintage of this Cabernet was awarded a 100pt review by Vinous Media.