Decanted for half an hour. Dark translucent ruby color. Nose of hawthorn, pine forest, black raspberry, plum blossom, wafting violets, hints of marine air. Layers of tart red and black raspberry, black cherry, grounding iodine, meaty sauvage, iron granules, and effortless gravitas on the palate. Bright acidity and fine-grained tannin. Long finish of coppery red fruit, brier, and satiny earth. Deepening as it ages, with years to go.
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-- decanted 15 min. before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours --
NOSE: "cool" red fruits --- red currant, red licorice rope, and perhaps a hint of raspberry; nice savory bent, with a light hit of Pinot funk (not brett); medium+ expressiveness.
BODY: garnet color of medium-light depth w/o obvious bricking; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: high acidity; no tannin; tart red fruits (cranberry; red currant); some red licorice here, too, as on the Nose; medium-light oak; alc. not noticeable; *fantastic* pairing with pork tenderloin and wild rice; some cherry. Well, here we are -- 15 years post-vintage -- and this wine has *finally* let go and relaxed. To be clear, this is still youthful, but it's finally giving of itself; it's been five years since my previous bottle, and the transformation that has taken place in that time is somewhat mind-blowing. This wine has been closed-in on itself for years -- possibly a decade -- and it's finally emerging. This still has a bit of a green/leafy edge to it, which is in line with previous showings, and is perhaps a reason to be cautious going too far out with it in the cellar, but still --- the progress this has made shouldn't be discounted. Drink or Hold.
50, 5, 13, 16, 8 = 92
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Dark, barely translucent ruby. Slowly-releasing nose of pine forest, anise, violets, acrid raspberry, hints of beef blood. Dense, deep-set layers of raspberry, black cherry, iodine, iron, and compacted earth building on the palate with seemingly effortless persistence over several hours. Steely acidity and firm tannin leading to a long finish of sharp red fruit, iron particles, and slow, brooding grip. Young yet brimming with excellence.
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This is good with a nice nose showing pretty much full maturity now with dried red/blue fruits, sous bois, mushrooms, damp earth, hints of spice. The palate is good, but a touch thin with not as much depth as I've experienced from the Arcadian wines in the past. Good, but not great.
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Medium ruby. Funky bouquet. Needs air - opened after an hour and a half. Deep cherry fruit but with quite a bit of acidity. Should get better with more time.
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-- opened one hour before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind --
NOSE: cherry; touch of damp earth; expressive.
BODY: ruby color of medium-light depth; medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: smooth; intense cherry licorice flavor; high acidity; 13.7% alc. well-hidden; it's been a bit more than six years since I've checked in on this wine, and it's developing slowly, but well --- not as tight as it used to be, but it still requires some coaxing at this point in time; excellent wine that will surely continue to improve in the cellar.
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I had this over a few nights. The nose was a bit off with slight touch of VA or something volatile. Not too bothersome but it is there. On the palate there was terrific berry fruit but on the palate there seemed to be something off as well. Maybe a touch of brett. Still a lot of structure and will need time. If drinking now, give lots of air as this was improved on the second day (left with cork out). But the potential "off" elements did not change.
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This needed a little time to open up, but when it did, it really showed well. Has the bright red Sta. Rita Hills fruit, but not as ripe or concentrated as some. Somewhat Burgundian in character. Has great notes of earth, forest floor, and maybe a bit of mushrooms. Good structure and acid backbone. Should have time left.
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Tom & Tami's French and California Extravaganza: Bingo! Love it. Beautiful garnet color and brilliant clarity, I see that in a number of arcadian wines. Raspberry, cherry, spice, and medium toast oak.
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Chardonnay Blind--CA and France @ Tom Moore's Place (Tom's House): This was opened on the fly, following about a 15 wine lineup of bubbly and mostly chardonnay. I tell you what, this drank damn good. I bet it saw 30 mins of total air before the bottle was nearly empty, as was my glass. Herby, stony, red and blue fruit. Would have liked to sample this today with a fresh palate.
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Wonderful wine, restrained as usual, relative to other Santa Rita Hills wines. Nice nose of cherry, with earthiness that I like, a small amount of oak, some minerality, and spices. Flavors of tart black cherry, well integrated tannins and excellent acidity. Lingering cherry and minerality on the finish. Tasted with salmon with melted brown sugar and pepper, grilled on a plank. Others enjoyed it with a grilled steak. Excellent food wine! Joe Davis (winemaker/owner) does a great job making ageable pinot's using fruit from some of the best vineyards.
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Thanksgiving dinner, 2012, low to med color density, ruby, moderate nose on opening ; a touch thin, perhaps a bit too cool still, classic Arcadian tart finish, med length finish, red fruit. Strawberry, on the nose and palate, after approximately 1 hr. , body became more dense, palate richer, a well made wine, harmonious, balanced, less than extraordinary, but delicious , it is this good because of Joe Davis, IMHO
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PnP. Nose features red fruit with a good dose of Asian spice (mainly cinnamon) and some floral notes. Palate starts with medium plus fruit intensity that leads you to believe the texture will be soft, but then the acidity builds and finishes a bit tart. Fine tannins as well. With food the tartness subsides, but I think this could use some more cellar time to develop and integrate.
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Having just returned home after a trip to the Central Coast including a lovely tasting with Joe Davis, we had to pop this bottle and watch Sideways to commemorate our trip. Served chilled straight from the cellar. Darker ruby color. Refreshing nose of raspberry, cherry pits, anise, iodine, violets. Pure, beautifully-rendered black raspberry and bing cherry flavors draped over a steely spine of structure and tannins, with tart acidity in spades. Long, ringing finish of red fruit and grip. Trademark concentration and depth of flavor. Such a thoroughbred, early in its course.
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Opened and poured, this showed well on the palate but contained some elements on the bouquet that detracted from the overall impression of the wine. The aromatics show a volatile acidity element that overpowers the underlying fruit. The wine shows wonderful balance on the palate with understated fruit and a lengthy finish. A bottle of this wine not showing the volatile acidity aromatic would most likely provide and outstanding experience.
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First taste of this wine. Popped and poured to accompany grilled salmon. Dark ruby color. Nose of iodine, licorice, black cherry, violets. Rich, concentrated black raspberry fruit on the palate with layers of thyme, anise, earth. Realistic degrees of sweet tartness indicating the youth of this wine. Moderate acidity and strong tannins. Long, grippy finish with mostly primary fruit vying with hints of iron and earth. Definitely a wine for the long haul with lots of promise on this striking early showing.
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Lovely nose of cranberry, strawberry and cool forest floor. Still very, very youthful and tight on the palate, much bigger and more masculine on the palate - still needs several years to settle down.
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Followed over 11 hours with amazing consistency during the entire time. Gorgeous translucent ruby/red rose color. The nose erupts with red apple skin, crancherry and pine sap, such that you can smell it from a few feet away from the glass. A lazer beam of a palate full of juicy, sour and acidic fruit tones that echo the nose. So pure and fresh, so young and delightful, so glad I have more. A benchmark wine.
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Rich aromatics of black cherry, cedary spice, and manchego funk. Medium bodied, and very tight, on the palate: red fruits, a bit spicy, great tannic grip on the finish; needs time – serious time ... hands off!; a bit green on the finish; 13.7% alc..
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We drank this, but it was slightly corked or otherwise off... still.. the fruit was there, and one could imagine what this would be like if not for the TCA. Having said that, this still was about an 85 or so.
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1/28/2022 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for half an hour. Dark translucent ruby color. Nose of hawthorn, pine forest, black raspberry, plum blossom, wafting violets, hints of marine air. Layers of tart red and black raspberry, black cherry, grounding iodine, meaty sauvage, iron granules, and effortless gravitas on the palate. Bright acidity and fine-grained tannin. Long finish of coppery red fruit, brier, and satiny earth. Deepening as it ages, with years to go.
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3/24/2021 - grafstrb wrote: 92 Points
-- decanted 15 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 2 to 3 hours --
NOSE: "cool" red fruits --- red currant, red licorice rope, and perhaps a hint of raspberry; nice savory bent, with a light hit of Pinot funk (not brett); medium+ expressiveness.
BODY: garnet color of medium-light depth w/o obvious bricking; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: high acidity; no tannin; tart red fruits (cranberry; red currant); some red licorice here, too, as on the Nose; medium-light oak; alc. not noticeable; *fantastic* pairing with pork tenderloin and wild rice; some cherry. Well, here we are -- 15 years post-vintage -- and this wine has *finally* let go and relaxed. To be clear, this is still youthful, but it's finally giving of itself; it's been five years since my previous bottle, and the transformation that has taken place in that time is somewhat mind-blowing. This wine has been closed-in on itself for years -- possibly a decade -- and it's finally emerging. This still has a bit of a green/leafy edge to it, which is in line with previous showings, and is perhaps a reason to be cautious going too far out with it in the cellar, but still --- the progress this has made shouldn't be discounted. Drink or Hold.
50, 5, 13, 16, 8 = 92
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1/29/2021 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Dark, barely translucent ruby. Slowly-releasing nose of pine forest, anise, violets, acrid raspberry, hints of beef blood. Dense, deep-set layers of raspberry, black cherry, iodine, iron, and compacted earth building on the palate with seemingly effortless persistence over several hours. Steely acidity and firm tannin leading to a long finish of sharp red fruit, iron particles, and slow, brooding grip. Young yet brimming with excellence.
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4/29/2020 - RiddlingRack wrote:
Really good! Best Clos Pepe I've ever had.
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12/18/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
As delicious as the last bottle!
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12/13/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vibrant red cherry, mushroom, and spice on the nose and lively palate with moderate acidity on the finish. Approachable, but still quite young.
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8/8/2017 - decaturwinedude wrote:
Big Arcadian Tasting in ATL (1997-2008) (Antico Posta): From our Arcadian tasting. Honestly, I got nothing on this one.
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11/25/2016 - jnewman77 wrote:
This is good with a nice nose showing pretty much full maturity now with dried red/blue fruits, sous bois, mushrooms, damp earth, hints of spice. The palate is good, but a touch thin with not as much depth as I've experienced from the Arcadian wines in the past. Good, but not great.
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9/26/2016 - ronte bello wrote:
Medium ruby. Funky bouquet. Needs air - opened after an hour and a half. Deep cherry fruit but with quite a bit of acidity. Should get better with more time.
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3/5/2016 - grafstrb wrote:
-- opened one hour before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind --
NOSE: cherry; touch of damp earth; expressive.
BODY: ruby color of medium-light depth; medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: smooth; intense cherry licorice flavor; high acidity; 13.7% alc. well-hidden; it's been a bit more than six years since I've checked in on this wine, and it's developing slowly, but well --- not as tight as it used to be, but it still requires some coaxing at this point in time; excellent wine that will surely continue to improve in the cellar.
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4/2/2015 - jasonh wrote:
I had this over a few nights. The nose was a bit off with slight touch of VA or something volatile. Not too bothersome but it is there. On the palate there was terrific berry fruit but on the palate there seemed to be something off as well. Maybe a touch of brett. Still a lot of structure and will need time. If drinking now, give lots of air as this was improved on the second day (left with cork out). But the potential "off" elements did not change.
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6/19/2014 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
This needed a little time to open up, but when it did, it really showed well. Has the bright red Sta. Rita Hills fruit, but not as ripe or concentrated as some. Somewhat Burgundian in character. Has great notes of earth, forest floor, and maybe a bit of mushrooms. Good structure and acid backbone. Should have time left.
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6/16/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:
Tom & Tami's French and California Extravaganza: Bingo! Love it. Beautiful garnet color and brilliant clarity, I see that in a number of arcadian wines. Raspberry, cherry, spice, and medium toast oak.
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6/14/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Chardonnay Blind--CA and France @ Tom Moore's Place (Tom's House): This was opened on the fly, following about a 15 wine lineup of bubbly and mostly chardonnay. I tell you what, this drank damn good. I bet it saw 30 mins of total air before the bottle was nearly empty, as was my glass. Herby, stony, red and blue fruit. Would have liked to sample this today with a fresh palate.
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4/14/2014 - Bubbleheads Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful wine, restrained as usual, relative to other Santa Rita Hills wines. Nice nose of cherry, with earthiness that I like, a small amount of oak, some minerality, and spices. Flavors of tart black cherry, well integrated tannins and excellent acidity. Lingering cherry and minerality on the finish. Tasted with salmon with melted brown sugar and pepper, grilled on a plank. Others enjoyed it with a grilled steak. Excellent food wine! Joe Davis (winemaker/owner) does a great job making ageable pinot's using fruit from some of the best vineyards.
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5/5/2013 - jwsmith wrote: 93 Points
Really nice balanced wine reminds me of a wine form the Cote De Nuits.
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11/22/2012 - Giacomo wrote: 91 Points
Thanksgiving dinner, 2012, low to med color density, ruby, moderate nose on opening ; a touch thin, perhaps a bit too cool still, classic Arcadian tart finish, med length finish, red fruit. Strawberry, on the nose and palate, after approximately 1 hr. , body became more dense, palate richer, a well made wine, harmonious, balanced, less than extraordinary, but delicious , it is this good because of Joe Davis, IMHO
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11/13/2012 - thomaskeil wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Nose features red fruit with a good dose of Asian spice (mainly cinnamon) and some floral notes. Palate starts with medium plus fruit intensity that leads you to believe the texture will be soft, but then the acidity builds and finishes a bit tart. Fine tannins as well. With food the tartness subsides, but I think this could use some more cellar time to develop and integrate.
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4/16/2012 - Weston3220 Likes this wine:
Arcadian Winery Visit (Lompoc, Wine Ghetto): Rich Nose, Dark Pinot Profile, Tart, Floral, needs time slightly Powdery
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2/12/2012 - SanFranSoxFan04 wrote: 90 Points
PWTG California Pinot Noir Tasting (Wine Bank, Menlo Park): Blind flight of 5 2005/2006 CA Pinots and 1 Burg. Group's #3 wine, My #5
Wet basement, cigar. Light body, oak, comes off as well aged BDX.
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10/24/2011 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Having just returned home after a trip to the Central Coast including a lovely tasting with Joe Davis, we had to pop this bottle and watch Sideways to commemorate our trip. Served chilled straight from the cellar. Darker ruby color. Refreshing nose of raspberry, cherry pits, anise, iodine, violets. Pure, beautifully-rendered black raspberry and bing cherry flavors draped over a steely spine of structure and tannins, with tart acidity in spades. Long, ringing finish of red fruit and grip. Trademark concentration and depth of flavor. Such a thoroughbred, early in its course.
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9/3/2011 - sehill wrote: 88 Points
Opened and poured, this showed well on the palate but contained some elements on the bouquet that detracted from the overall impression of the wine. The aromatics show a volatile acidity element that overpowers the underlying fruit. The wine shows wonderful balance on the palate with understated fruit and a lengthy finish. A bottle of this wine not showing the volatile acidity aromatic would most likely provide and outstanding experience.
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7/3/2011 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
First taste of this wine. Popped and poured to accompany grilled salmon. Dark ruby color. Nose of iodine, licorice, black cherry, violets. Rich, concentrated black raspberry fruit on the palate with layers of thyme, anise, earth. Realistic degrees of sweet tartness indicating the youth of this wine. Moderate acidity and strong tannins. Long, grippy finish with mostly primary fruit vying with hints of iron and earth. Definitely a wine for the long haul with lots of promise on this striking early showing.
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5/10/2011 - jreis wrote:
Lovely nose of cranberry, strawberry and cool forest floor. Still very, very youthful and tight on the palate, much bigger and more masculine on the palate - still needs several years to settle down.
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10/24/2010 - tbone wrote:
P & P'ed. Enjoyable but a little heat distracted ever so slightly.
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3/28/2010 - tbone wrote:
Nice sweet cherry and baking spices, smooth as silk. Serious wine that is built to last.
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11/22/2009 - tbone wrote: flawed
Corked. Bummer!
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10/17/2009 - rjoyer wrote: 94 Points
Followed over 11 hours with amazing consistency during the entire time. Gorgeous translucent ruby/red rose color.
The nose erupts with red apple skin, crancherry and pine sap, such that you can smell it from a few feet away from the glass.
A lazer beam of a palate full of juicy, sour and acidic fruit tones that echo the nose. So pure and fresh, so young and delightful, so glad I have more. A benchmark wine.
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10/11/2009 - grafstrb wrote:
Arcadian 2009 Fall Open House: -- tasted non-blind at Arcadian's 2009 Fall Open House –
Rich aromatics of black cherry, cedary spice, and manchego funk. Medium bodied, and very tight, on the palate: red fruits, a bit spicy, great tannic grip on the finish; needs time – serious time ... hands off!; a bit green on the finish; 13.7% alc..
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8/28/2009 - etherscreen wrote:
primary and pretty closed, but the potential is there. hold.
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4/7/2009 - Colima74 wrote: flawed
We drank this, but it was slightly corked or otherwise off... still.. the fruit was there, and one could imagine what this would be like if not for the TCA. Having said that, this still was about an 85 or so.
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11/15/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
Pinot Days Grand Tasting (Navy Pier - Chicago, IL): Pinot Days 2008 at Navy Pier - Chicago, IL
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10/3/2008 - jwsmith wrote: 93 Points
This is a knockout wine a wow wine... good work Joe.
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2/24/2008 - jwsmith wrote: 92 Points
This is an amazing wine.
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