Arnot-Roberts Fall 2024 open house

…so many wines; so little time!

it was quite manageable, actually. but as my smell and taste were degraded by a cold, i figured that getting quick impressions of the new wines would be the best i could do. thus, there's not a lot of detail to these notes.

for this reason, please take them with a grain of salt… particularly when it comes to the more subtle wines in the lineup.

• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Sauvignon Blanc Randle Hill Vineyard

  USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands

  light body and mostly citric nose and flavours with smooth texture and moderate varietal typicity. very good to excellent. drinkable now… but save it for the summer heat.
  
  13% AbV; fermented in stainless; aged in neutral oak (75%) and stainless (25%); 9 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Sauvignon Blanc Ascona Vineyard

  USA, California

  medium body with shy aromas and flavours of green apple and hints of gooseberry. good typicity and smooth texture. needs a year or two to integrate and likely to end up in the excellent range.
  
  13% AbV; fermented in stainless; aged in neutral oak; 8 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Chardonnay Watson Ranch

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  smooth texture to soften the bright citric and green apple fruit that has a decidedly saline edge the puts it somewhere between Oregon and Chablis in style. very good to excellent, and one that i would give a bit of time… at least until next summer.
  
  12.5% AbV; fermented in stainless; aged in neutral oak; 20 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Chardonnay 1971 Block Sanford & Benedict

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  a bit richer than the typical A-R style, it is a bit more tropical and riper on the nose than on the creamy palate, where the fruit is very fresh and underlined by a pithy vein. likely to land on the upper excellent or higher range after a handful of years – with the caveat that its "neither fish nor fowl" may not gain it many fans among A-R style purists or lovers of S&B generally rounder styles.
  
  12% AbV; from a 1971 block in the historic Sanford & Benedict vineyard; fermented in stainless; aged in neutral oak; 11 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Chardonnay Trout Gulch Vineyard

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  rather expressive but very bright and citric on release. long finish that hints at the depth to be revealed with a handful of years of bottle age. should land on the excellent range.
  
  13% AbV; fermented in stainless; aged in neutral oak; 11 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Gamay Noir El Dorado

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado

  very pale beautiful ruby colour with clean and fresh flavours of cranberry and red currant underlined by subtle bitter accents. not particularly expressive and with lighter body than its AbV would suggest, i almost think of it as a fuller-bodied gastronomic rosé for early drinking… but take that with a grain of salt.
  
  13% AbV; 75% fruit from Barsotti/ 25% from Witters (both high-elevation vineyards); 75% carbonic maceration; aged in neutral oak (45%), concrete tank (40%) and foudre (15%); 47 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Trousseau

  USA, California, North Coast

  very pale ruby tending to garnet colour. complex nose and palate with crisp red fruit laced with orange peel and earthy notes. smooth, chalky tannins enhance the structure. very good to excellent and lovely summertime gastronomic wine that is accessible now and likely for a handful of years.
  
  12.5% AbV; fruit is 75% from Luchsinger (Clear Lake) and 25% from Las Cimas (Russian River Valley); fermented separately with 100% whole clusters; aged in neutral oak barels for 9 months prior to blending and bottling; 47 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Pinot Noir Fox Creek Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Carmel Valley

  light- to medium-bodied Pinot that seems more readily accessible at release than previous vintages. lovely bright cherry fruit with lots of spice accents and medium tannins. very good to excellent and likely the earliest-drinking Pinot of the release.
  
  12.5% AbV; 100% whole cluster basket pressed; aged in neutral oak; 14 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Pinot Noir Heaven and Earth

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  gorgeous showing from Heaven & Earth. aromatic nose with distinctive and pure red fruits infused by spices and earth that carry on elegantly on the palate. light in body but weightier in flavour with tannins that are smooth but notable and will require a handful or so of years to soften up and enhance the tertiaries. clearly an excellent (or better) Pinot.
  
  12% AbV; 100% whole cluster basket pressed; aged in neutral oak; 6 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Pinot Noir Peter Martin Ray Vineyard

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  boldest Pinot of the release in colour, aromas, flavour and tannins. spice, herbal, and earthy notes lace the red and dark cherry and plum flavours. rather tight at release and with a somewhat clipped finish, give this (likely excellent Pinot) a bit a of time in the cellar or the decanter if drinking early.
  
  12% AbV; 100% whole cluster basket pressed; aged in neutral oak; 9 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Cabernet Franc Watson Ranch

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  deep ruby colour and a bit of funk on the nose of blueberry and red fruit. light-bodied, fresh and more readily accessible at release than previous vintages, it is not overly expressive at the moment. very good Cab Franc that i suspect can fill in some with a wee bit of bottle age…
  
  11% AbV; 100% whole cluster basket pressed; aged in neutral oak; 9 barrels produced.

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• 2023 Arnot-Roberts Syrah

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  deep coloured, very aromatic, and with good concentration of red and black fruit streaked with black pepper. firm tannic backbone that needs good aeration for early drinking. very good to excellent cool-climate Syrah that should hit its stride with short-term cellaring.
  
  12.5% AbV; from Solas (71%), Baker Lane (16%) and Que Syrah (13%) Vineyards, all in the Sonoma Coast; 100% whole cluster; aged in neutral oak barrels and foudre; 26 barrels produced.

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