USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Off the bat this features a good whack of oak, which probably still needs a bit of time to integrate. Nose is of cashew, pear, wood lacquer, toast, white peach, lemon curd and kiwi. The palate is very tart with elevated acid. Medium plus finish with hints of vanilla and tart orchard and stone fruit. Evidently lean on the ripeness but a fair bit of oak. A high quality, restrained style.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Another wine in the lean style, which I do appreciate. Nothing tropical at all in the flavour spectrum. Nose of kiwi, apple, pear, perfume, soapy florals and hints of caramel and butter scotch. Palate is again very tart with high acid. The barrel notes do poke though, though slightly less so than the previous.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Another wine that follows this "house style" which is tart and lower ripeness, though it does pour a bit darker than the previous two. Nose of kiwi, lemon curd, underripe peach, florals, green grapeskins and green plum. Acid is high, with a medium plus finish of perfume, tart stonefruit and some mineral notes. Oak is heading toward a nice level of integration and is becoming a part of the complete package.
A strong, singular, high-toned note of cinnamon immediately leaps from the glass. Backing that up is earth, soil, decomposing leaves, red plum, red hots candy, red cherry, twizzlers, and licorice. This borders on just a touch too candied for me, but rides that side of the line better than the 2006 IMO. There is a pleasant brightness to the aromatics. Despite using a high proportion of whole clusters this doesn't have the usual descriptors that I would associate with WC (grapefruit, ash, incense, smoke). On the plus side the mouthfeel is quite silky with soft dusty tannin, decent acid and a long finish built on cinnamon, potting soil and licorice. A little more time couldn't hurt to round this out a bit more. Admittedly this could just be in a difficult spot for my palate.
The high-toned nose on this wine shows vanilla, nutmeg, dusty road, purple licorice, cassis, grape candy, and purple flowers. Colour is just a bit on the darker side. Still quite young and dense, but there's something just a bit modern feeling about this wine. Not the aromatics I usually associate with Pinot Noir. The palate is quite primary with firm tannin and a purple licorice edge to it. Some pleasant mineral notes repeat on the palate post-consumption which is pleasant. Finish is medium in length. Overall, not particularly a style I typically favour but well constructed nonetheless.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
This wine really demonstrates the glorious aromatics that Whole Cluster can produce. The nose is loaded with all kinds of spice: blood orange, grapefruit, exotic spice, baking spice, mixed florals, crunchy cranberry and raspberry. Still quite a bit of tannin on this young wine. The wonderful red fruit plays off well against the refreshing high acid. Medium plus finish. I really like this. All I expect from great, restrained, California Pinot Noir and scary good for $40.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
I found this wine to be absolutely spectacular. The intoxicating nose is wildly complex of baking spice, ash, tar, blood orange, strawberry, soil, sawdust, nutmeg, soy sauce, beef broth, undergrowth, anise and incense. At a beautiful stage of maturity today, the elements of whole cluster have almost completely integrated. Palate is pure silk, very low tannin, with wonderful red fruit. Finish is long. A wine that you can smell and taste for hours, and is burned into your brain for months. I figured I would be way out in left field with this score, but I always strive to call them like I see them. While not many are quite as high as me, it is comforting to see Keith Levenberg even higher at 97. Looks like we're on the same page here. A stunning wine and my highest rating ever for a California Pinot Noir. A wonderfully savoury, old world styled Pinot Noir.
This wine pours still quite inky and dark considering the age. The nose is ripe, dense and licorice laden with hints of green peppercorn, soil, dark chocolate, meat, tar and crushed dark berry seeds. The palate shows loads of dark dense fruit. Still quite a lot of tannin. Finishes on tar and dense dark berry/licorice fruit. While some secondary notes were just poking through this was still quite dark and primary considering the age. While I found Arcadian's Chards and Pinots very restrained this Syrah is quite full bore. May round out and resolve with further age.
This is a bit more complex though still super dark, dense and predominantly primary. The nose is of blackberry, dark macerated berry seeds, blueberry, licorice, tar, paraffin wax and machine oil. Palate is very tannic and tart. Finish is medium in length carried on berries and tar. Another one that lacks some elegance and charm for me, at least today, though I suppose age could and should help. Alcohol is noted on the nose and palate (14.5% listed on the bottle).
2009 Arcadian Chardonnay Sierra Madre Sierra Madre Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
Off the bat this features a good whack of oak, which probably still needs a bit of time to integrate. Nose is of cashew, pear, wood lacquer, toast, white peach, lemon curd and kiwi. The palate is very tart with elevated acid. Medium plus finish with hints of vanilla and tart orchard and stone fruit. Evidently lean on the ripeness but a fair bit of oak. A high quality, restrained style.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2008 Arcadian Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Another wine in the lean style, which I do appreciate. Nothing tropical at all in the flavour spectrum. Nose of kiwi, apple, pear, perfume, soapy florals and hints of caramel and butter scotch. Palate is again very tart with high acid. The barrel notes do poke though, though slightly less so than the previous.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2007 Arcadian Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Another wine that follows this "house style" which is tart and lower ripeness, though it does pour a bit darker than the previous two. Nose of kiwi, lemon curd, underripe peach, florals, green grapeskins and green plum. Acid is high, with a medium plus finish of perfume, tart stonefruit and some mineral notes. Oak is heading toward a nice level of integration and is becoming a part of the complete package.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2005 Arcadian Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
A strong, singular, high-toned note of cinnamon immediately leaps from the glass. Backing that up is earth, soil, decomposing leaves, red plum, red hots candy, red cherry, twizzlers, and licorice. This borders on just a touch too candied for me, but rides that side of the line better than the 2006 IMO. There is a pleasant brightness to the aromatics. Despite using a high proportion of whole clusters this doesn't have the usual descriptors that I would associate with WC (grapefruit, ash, incense, smoke). On the plus side the mouthfeel is quite silky with soft dusty tannin, decent acid and a long finish built on cinnamon, potting soil and licorice. A little more time couldn't hurt to round this out a bit more. Admittedly this could just be in a difficult spot for my palate.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Arcadian Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard 89 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
The high-toned nose on this wine shows vanilla, nutmeg, dusty road, purple licorice, cassis, grape candy, and purple flowers. Colour is just a bit on the darker side. Still quite young and dense, but there's something just a bit modern feeling about this wine. Not the aromatics I usually associate with Pinot Noir. The palate is quite primary with firm tannin and a purple licorice edge to it. Some pleasant mineral notes repeat on the palate post-consumption which is pleasant. Finish is medium in length. Overall, not particularly a style I typically favour but well constructed nonetheless.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2008 Arcadian Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 92 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
This wine really demonstrates the glorious aromatics that Whole Cluster can produce. The nose is loaded with all kinds of spice: blood orange, grapefruit, exotic spice, baking spice, mixed florals, crunchy cranberry and raspberry. Still quite a bit of tannin on this young wine. The wonderful red fruit plays off well against the refreshing high acid. Medium plus finish. I really like this. All I expect from great, restrained, California Pinot Noir and scary good for $40.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Arcadian Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard 95 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
I found this wine to be absolutely spectacular. The intoxicating nose is wildly complex of baking spice, ash, tar, blood orange, strawberry, soil, sawdust, nutmeg, soy sauce, beef broth, undergrowth, anise and incense. At a beautiful stage of maturity today, the elements of whole cluster have almost completely integrated. Palate is pure silk, very low tannin, with wonderful red fruit. Finish is long. A wine that you can smell and taste for hours, and is burned into your brain for months. I figured I would be way out in left field with this score, but I always strive to call them like I see them. While not many are quite as high as me, it is comforting to see Keith Levenberg even higher at 97. Looks like we're on the same page here. A stunning wine and my highest rating ever for a California Pinot Noir. A wonderfully savoury, old world styled Pinot Noir.
Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Arcadian Syrah Robert O. Fleming Cuvée Garys' Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey
This wine pours still quite inky and dark considering the age. The nose is ripe, dense and licorice laden with hints of green peppercorn, soil, dark chocolate, meat, tar and crushed dark berry seeds. The palate shows loads of dark dense fruit. Still quite a lot of tannin. Finishes on tar and dense dark berry/licorice fruit. While some secondary notes were just poking through this was still quite dark and primary considering the age. While I found Arcadian's Chards and Pinots very restrained this Syrah is quite full bore. May round out and resolve with further age.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Arcadian Syrah Hommage à Max 91 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
This is a bit more complex though still super dark, dense and predominantly primary. The nose is of blackberry, dark macerated berry seeds, blueberry, licorice, tar, paraffin wax and machine oil. Palate is very tannic and tart. Finish is medium in length carried on berries and tar. Another one that lacks some elegance and charm for me, at least today, though I suppose age could and should help. Alcohol is noted on the nose and palate (14.5% listed on the bottle).
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue