Red cherry and berry start-to-finish with bright textures. Good weight, better length and balance. So charming now. Fresher/ better than my previous bottle opened last year.
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-- decanted 45 minutes before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over a few hours --
NOSE: earthy/woodsy/old wood/aged cherry mix; little bit of "aged funk."
BODY: fine sediment present; garnet color with bricking throughout; color is of medium depth; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: clearly showing aged character; woodsy spice; nice tertiary/primary blend; light-but-noticeable oak; cherry is the predominant fruit flavor; powdery perfume -- a powdery rose scent, perhaps; medium+ acidity; no tannins of note; alc. not noticeable; fan-tas-tic! One could keep holding this, out of curiosity, but I have a hard time imagining it will improve. Drink Now and over the next few years.
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Translucent rusty ruby color. Nose of sea air, truly voluminous violets, raspberry, cherry, meaty red soil, brier, stone. Layers of deeply concentrated ripe black cherry fruit drilling down on the palate accompanied by raspberry, brambles, beef blood, and iron particles. Enticing and energetic acidity balanced by still-firm tannin leading to a long finish of mulberry, rocky soil, and satisfying grip. What a beautiful showing for our last bottle, #20 per CT. Way to go, Joe.
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Not sure exactly why, compared to other recent reviews, but this particular bottle was singing tonight. Upon pop n pour, it had all the wonderful red fruit you'd expect, but the almost 20 years of age on this bottle gave it layers and complexity that honestly surprised me. It was rich, lush even. Paired beautifully with roasted duck and a Pinot reduction sauce. ... That said, after about 45 minutes in the glass, it started to go downhill, but the glass didn't last long enough to see where it went from there.... 94 PnP / 92 after 45 mins in the glass
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Opened 30 minutes before serving. Still showing powerful and sweet red fruit throughout, but clearly on the mature side. Good weight and complexity, but best when first poured, then slowly losing steam after an hour+ in glass.
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Still going strong 17 years after the crush. This wine's been a roller-coaster for me, big and sweet on release and then a few years later it settled into an awesome zone where it could have passed for a Dujac - this bottle was somewhere in between the two. It still has a primary (!) sweetness and gloss that gives it away as Californian, but not in an unctuous way because it also has a solid, robust structure. The fruit is blue/black in tone, tastes much younger than its age, and held on to its sweet veneer even after a lot of decanting time that I thought would mellow it out a bit more. There is a tarry quality to it that adds more bass tones and depth as well as a sticky grip.
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-- popped and poured – -- tasted non-blind over approx. 30 min. --
NOSE: red-fruited, and floral; hint of pepperoni.
TASTE: good acidity; fine tannin ; hints of leather and spice; this was a fantastic bottle of this wine – perhaps the best I've had – and seemed to be at the beginning of its prime window; has this wine found another gear?! Straddles the line between primary and tertiary. Drink or continue holding. Gut impression score: mid 90's.
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2001 ARCADIAN SLEEPY HOLLOW VINEYARD SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS PINOT NOIR- a bit of browning on the edge; a long time fav, this had the requisite cinnamon, spice laden red fruit notes, this bottle had more tertiary dried red cherry and plum fruit.
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Really nice CA pinot. Very ripe black fruit, but not cloyingly sweet. Shows a lot of interesting woodsy/spicey elements -- did they use stems here? There's also some nice mushroomy development. Rich with silky tannins but good acidity. Shows just a hint of backend alcoholic warmth. A little riper than my preferred taste in Pinot but very good.
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This is pinnacle California Pinot Noir for me. Have had 6 or so bottles over the last 10 years. This wine will not quit. Tonight it's slightly more one-dimensional, with a really rich, creamy fruit profile. It has a stemmy quality, some green on the nose and a rich, blueberry cream and cranberry-spiked palate. Long, long, long, it finishes with a dry extract. There's sweet fruit and bright acidity and a bunch of stuff in the right place. Terrific wine. Just terrific.
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Must have had this wine at least a dozen times by now. It's been quite the roller coaster. I haven't been able to match the performance it offered a few years ago and am still wondering if it will find another gear. Bizarrely it seems to have gotten more primary over the last few years, although much more streamlined than it was on release. The fruit is red-toned and rich, sappy, and grippy. Maybe just slightly too much gloss to pass for a Burgundy at the moment but it's not all that far off. There used to be a lot going on here besides the fruit though, and today it's more monolithic.
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Have had more experiences with this wine than most wines in my cellar. It's prob an all-time fave. Dark, spicy, perfumed nose that is elegant and beguiling. I feel like I say this every year, but the red fruit is big and seemingly primary. It's really rich tonight. Leaves a lasting impression of tart fruit and earth on the a palate. Really long finish.
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Year 3 - Super Tasting 3 of 5 - Chris does Blind Pinot Noir (Dundas, Ontario): This is almost classic... Nose just jumps out of the glass. Tonnes of stem notes augmented by spice, coriander, pickled ginger and soil. Palate shows bright red fruit, red flowers, spice, clove, pickled ginger and grapefruit. Finish is long and spicy with gorgeous red fruit.
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Year 3 - Super Tasting 3 of 5 - Chris Does Blind Pinot Noir: First bottle was corked. Pulled a back-up from cellar temp and from the initial pour the nose was just singing: light roast coffee, grapefruit, blood orange, smoke, gravel, baking spice, herbs, forest undergrowth, varnish, tart strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. I find the fruit profile to be squarely in the red spectrum, which is where I like my Arcadians. the palate is equally great: awesome acidity, low tannins, and a long finish, replaying the wonderfully tart red fruit, smoke, and light roast coffee.
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Ruby color. Nose of iodine, cinnamon, earthy tones, floral notes, stone. Waves of burnished but still ripe red plum and raspberry fruit on the tongue laced with iron flecks and earth. Acidity is moderate now, with still stern tannins and stony structure. Moderately long finish of iron-fisted mulberry fruit. Evolving nicely.
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Roses, cranberries and spices jump out of the glass of the 2001 Sleepy Hollow. Medium-bodied in the mouth, with serious acidity, an interesting earthy component and good complexity of flavors. This youthful bottle will no doubt improve over the next several years. That said, it is certainly no crime to drink it now. Very impressive potential here. 94+.
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Really lovely pinot; nose is filled with red berry fruits, violets, and a crunchy stemmy note that is delightful. There is a hint of spice and earth with air. The palate is beautifully balanced, filled with red fruits, spice, earth, and floral notes. Outstanding and will continue to improve with age.
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In a beautiful spot right now as a teenager. Understated, sappy pinot fruit and lots of bottle development. This is the wine they would make in Burgundy if they had California fruit.
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Translucent red, with orange rim. A bit funky after opening, blowing off after about an hour of air. Red cherries, earth and a citric note are dominant here, wrapped up in an elegant, medium-bodied package. Quite good on its own, yet doesn't quite reach the heights of previous bottles that merited scores in the mid-nineties by exhibiting greater purity and by being more expressive in general. The wine is at peak now, and I would opt for drinking over the next five years or so.
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Excellent, but not at the level of my last bottle, as it seems to have dumbed down a little bit aromatically and has gotten a bit softer. Past peak or just in a lulling period? Dunno. It's most notable for its refinement--tannins are pretty much totally resolved but the texture still feels like a gentle touch of silk. Poured in a lineup with a bunch of Burgundies and not spotted by anyone as a ringer, and was better than at least some of them but it was definitely evident this didn't have quite the same sense of dimension and layers.
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Mostly Blind dinner - 88 Krug, 02 Boillot Monty, 02 Laurent CdB, 89 Palmer, 96 Yquem and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Very sweet bright red fruits, red cherries and strawberry jam, a hint of stem, mineral, black pepper, flowers and earth. Very good concentration, sweet candied red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and good clean finish. This is very earthy and highly toned wine and my guess is 1er cru NSG from a very ripe year. Very good showing but didn’t expect a ringer.
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A bit sweet on the pop and pour, mellows out the sweetness of the fruit after 3 hours of being opened (slow ox) and it picks up tannins and texture about 5 hours in.
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Showing some bricking, secondary notes. Clearly a SLH pinot, though much brighter than most of its peers. Interesting wine, though nothing I'd seek out again.
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Very effusive nose -- the piney, funky notes had me guessing Oregon. Seems much younger than 2001, with rich fruit notes accompanying earthier elements. Some heat on the finish. A tell tale sweetness on the finish which signals California to me. Fruit gained more sweetness yet and the wine lost a little complexity with a couple hours of air. Not a ringer for Burgundy but an enjoyable wine.
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The aromatics on the 2001 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow were to die for. Dark red berry fruit was joined by notes of smoke, savory herbs, roasted nuts, raw meat and gunpowder. If this doesn’t sound attractive, believe me—it is. On the palate, it was silky-smooth yet vibrant, as it expanded across the senses with soothing dark berry fruit and spice. Haunting and long on the finish with focused fruit and floral tones which seemed to last forever.
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Ruby hue. Nose is pungent and full of mulberry, bramble, earth, leather. Red, iron-laden fruit on the tongue with less sweetness and more medicinal notes than before (as befits a wine this age). Serious tannins still and moderate acidity. Medium length finish of red stony fruit and underbrush.
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Tasted at the Lompoc tasting room with Joe. My favorite of the bunch. A Cali-Burgundy crossover piece of magic. Well balanced and near perfection in every aspect. A real treat.
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Popped and poured. Dark ruby with lightening at the edges. Nose was dense and vigorous, revealing lots of cinnamon, licorice, black raspberry, mountain floral notes, earth. Layers of dark red raspberry fruit, briar, anise, iron filings, and stone on the palate. Moderate acidity and still-structured tannins. Finish of medium length, consisting mainly of underbrush and iron with a dollop of cranberry fruit. Lots to like here but a slightly less vivacious showing than the last time.
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Brilliant Cali Pinot that says Burgundy as much as it does Cali. Dark, spicy, perfumed nose that is elegant and beguiling. The red fruit is big and seemingly primary, yet it's weightless and delicate and dances with agility on the palate. So freaking good and seemingly poised to go for still more years...amazing. Thanks Joe.
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if you like your pinot big, this would get 94 pts, it had all the elements of Arcadian (one of the only Cali pinots i drink), good acid to balance huge red fruits and huge spice… while there was copious fruit no one could call this one dimensional as the spices were in your face -- cinnamon, cloves, pepper (?)… it pleased the crowd but was a bit large for me… hence the 92… serve this at a party any day and you will be happy
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Popped and poured. Deep ruby hue. Full, beautiful nose of anise, berry, fecund soil, acrid stone, violets. On the palate a rapid unfurling of intense red raspberry, black cherry, licorice, and earth notes underpinned by iron and stone. Very fresh acidity still with fine-grained but active tannins leading to a long, tensile finish of red berry fruit, mineral, soil, and lovely grip. Continues to integrate and improve. An energetic, muscular, elegant, complicated wine and a joy to drink.
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A Visit to Arcadian Winery (Lompoc, CA): 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.
13.8% alcohol. Showing beautifully. Cherry red color with substantial bricking. Gorgeous nose of red cherry, mushroom, flowers, and earthy spice. In the mouth, elegant and refined, with impeccable balance and still-vibrant cherry notes. The back end of the palate is smooth and soft, with light acidity and a real emphasis on the mushroom and floral notes. Very pretty. A-
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This bottle tasted much younger and fresher than my last. I had to do a double take to make sure it was the 2001. The nose was explosive with anise, florals, and red fruit, and I couldn't take my nose out of the glass. When I finally did, I was rewarded with the same delicious flavors along with a wonderful earthiness. The finish was long and beautiful. My last bottle.
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Quick note. Shared with Orlando and crew. Nose of anise, raspberry, violets. Palate showed iron, rich black raspberry fruit, moderate acidity, still-stern tannins, sturdy structure. Lots of complexity and concentration. Still very much alive and kicking.
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Cooked cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli started it off on this blind tasting, leading to ripe but beautifully balance wine. Was in the middle of blind tasting six red burgundies so I had to guess morey-st-denis 1er cru in a ripe vintage such as 2009 or 2005 but pleasantly shocked to hear it was 2001 california pinot noir. What a treat it was!
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A surprisingly deep color and full body Pinot Noir. Dark tones and earthy, leather in the mouth with some spice. Not your classic fruity Pinot Noir, but more dark and brooding. Hints of raspberry and some other fruits with a long finish. A very special wine that needs decanting and should be enjoyed slowly.
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Opened and slow ox'd for 3+ hours, drank over two.
A very tasty wine, with strong clear note of pinot sour cherry on the nose, with soft red fruit, and some stony acidity on the mid-palate. Not very long, but some peppery bite on the back of the palate.
Drank with an Italian dinner, nice complement to the acidity of fresh tomato sauce, and the meatiness of sausages.
A moderately aged California pinot noir. Doesn't have have the complexity of flavor profile or length of taste to merit a higher rating. Perfectly enjoyable though.
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Have to note that I won this bottle by defeating Joe Davis in a group challenge of rock, paper, scissors. Lucky, indeed. This was showing far better than even the excellent bottle I had at an Arcadian tasting. Less advanced and showing no ash or sharp notes. This was pure pinot red cherry fruit in a weightless package that picked up earthy notes of wood and funk in an elegant and long finish where the texture became silky and coating. To make it even better it became outstanding with our acidic salad dish, showcasing a beautiful savory note, and stood up to any food thrown at it. One of the greatest pinots I have had the pleasure, a complete triumph.
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no notes but i remember both fruit and spice and this didn't appear to be fading at all, one of only two american pinots i drink (other is old calera) this wine did the trick again and can be enjoyed but burg-hounds and also allow cali pinot drinkers to see the light a bit
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Red ruby. Nose of fresh berry, anise, cinnamon, sea air. Lovely palate of briar, bing cherry, raspberry, tea, earth, and iron. Moderate acidity and smoothed but arched tannins. Long finish of stone and sweet grip. A most impressive pinot noir and a true favorite. Our thirteenth sampling of this wine!
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Still a very young wine, but one which gradually opened over several hours. Bright red and black cherry and roses at the outset, but the wine pulls back considerably in the middle, with a clean transparency to the fruit that lets mineral, cinnamon and clove take center stage. The wine put on weight and the secondary characteristics become more obvious as the evening went on. A beautiful wine, and one that should probably continue to improve over the next 5+ years and last far longer than that.
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Nose- tart, rhubarb green, ash, decomposing log. Similar palate, ash, red cherry, spice, twangy, very long. It's a fair bit sharp, but as open knit as it is, makes up for it. Textured and open. Lots of expression, just coming in to it's own. WOTN.
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The aromatics on this are cool--reminds me of burgundy with rose petal and rustic/cracked spice that reflect from the whole cluster. The flavors are also reflective of an old world feel, with soily, red fruit and what I put in my notes as a muddled red apple. Fantastic.
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Very subtle "green-ness" on the nose and a little oak, clove, and cardamon. "Mouthfeel" is not a quality that makes a big impression on me, usually, but this is an exception. Light and silky. Very pure cherry flavor and good acidity. Would go well with food, but doesn't need it to show well. I'm glad I finally broke down and joined the club.
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Brought to Death by Lobster III and finished next night. Very Burgundian and very beautiful. Dried cherry, five spice, light soil, sweet smoke wisps. Silky and suave. 91+
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-- popped and poured -- -- tasted non-blind over approx. 45 minutes --
Nice acidity. Red fruits, with a slight leather/funk note. Medium-light bodied. Not as evolved as a bottle I had three years ago. This bottle was stupendous, and I'll happily track this wine over the next few years.
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Joe Davis has found his way to Burgundy. Earthy aromas dominated by pine. The palate is similar with the tingling sensation from the acidity and the finish is nice and long. The fruit has moved to the background. This wine has been enjoyable at every stage of its evolution.
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Decanted 2 hours with benefit. Garnet with slight orange. Briary, pinot funk alongside cherry fruit and, Asian spice and some pine floor on nose. Palate is silky, refined, lengthy, and still cut with balancing acidity and soft tannins. Depth of flavor and complexity of texture. The 5 years since my last bottle seem to have done this wine well and it seems like it's heading into its prime. Wish I had more. Paired wonderfully with seared scallops.
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Popped and poured, medium ruby color. Immediate perception of the most amazing nose: dusty earth, cinnamon, forest floor, red raspberry, dried cherry blossom, violets. Our dinner guest (studying for 2nd tier sommelier exam next week) smelled it for 10 minutes before tasting. Layers of briary red and black raspberry on the palate complicated by fecund soil elements, iron flecks, soy, and sweet grip at the end. Nicely freshened by acidity balanced by smoothed off tannins. Long, complex finish with echoes of burnished red fruit and rock. This is such a compelling wine.
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Ruby color. Nose of anise, fecund soil, raspberry, mountain florals. Mineral and leather supporting layers of raspberry and plum on the palate. Fine-grained and still somewhat stern tannins balanced by moderate acidity. Shades of NSG. Still doing just fine and evolving nicely.
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Popped and poured. Medium ruby hue. Nose of black raspberry and bing cherry, plus lilac. Layers of raspberry, anise, earth, briar, and black cherry on the palate, leaving an indelible image on the beautiful long finish. Interesting notes of leather and soy also. Still marked by moderate acidity and firm but smoothed tannins. Extraordinary wine, with seeminglymore upside to go.
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Popped and poured. Still a dark ruby. Full nose of briars, blackberry, raspberry, anise, intense florals, earth - whoa! Fresh, tart and complex on the tongue with smoky plum notes, dark raspberry, thyme, licorice, and satisfying sweet grip at the end. Subtle hints of tobacco and mineral intrude. Nicely driven by acidity with enough tannic structure to lend some gravitas. Long finish marked by red fruit and iron flecks. Can't say how long this wine will age but it seems to just get better.
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inviting nose of cinnamon spice, coffee, pepper and wild cranberry all joined at the mid palate with wonderful raspberry, sassafras, cola, vanilla and a touch of strawberry; it has pleasant mouthfeel and the marriage of flavors continue on through the back end; if there is one aspect that stands out above and beyond all others, it`s the magnificent balance this wine has achieved.
In a blind tasting, I might get this as a Whitcraft Bien Nacido Q Block as it is very similar in all respects especially the peppery, spiciness; I`ve had a lot of each wine and find this is close as it gets to my favorite New World Pinot.
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Well well well, look what's happened to the '01 Sleepy Hollow! This might be the first Arcadian I've had that's really entered its primetime drinking zone - not only resolved in texture but overflowing with tertiary character, with the earthy aromas practically billowing out of the glass combining deep, sappy savory stuff with a more verdant pine-needly thing. You don't have to swirl and sniff this thing. It comes to you. It's a powerful wine but most of its power now feels like sheer torque and not just dense fruit. Dujac-like.
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Dark fruited, earthy, spicy nose - very complex and layered. Enjoyably lean with plenty of fruit - but not really either ripe or rich. A lot of acidity and a bit of bitterness on the medium finish. The fruit in this bottle had less ripeness than some prior bottles I have enjoyed. Not sure if it is starting to fade or if this is just bottle variation.
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– popped and poured – – tasted non-blind over 30 minutes on Day 1, again on Day 2, and again on Day 3 –
NOSE: Day 1: expressive and a bit stinky, with pine, orange juice, underbrush and a gentle note of leather. Day 2: red apples; background vegetal aspect; moderately expressive. Day 3: some gentle tertiary characteristics -- red fruit leather: I still get the odd stewed/vegetal aspect of the previous days (call it canned wax beans).
BODY: orange-tinged ruby color of moderate depth; medium-light body.
TASTE: Day 1: elegant and smooth; the tannins are completely integrated and are non-existent on the palate; lots of red berry fruits showing a slightly-aged character; slightly on the acidic side of well-balanced between acid and tannin, but there’s enough concentration of fruit to prevent this from coming across as acidic ----- call it well-balanced; nice overall structure; drinking well now, but will probably ride for another few years in the cellar – not sure if it’s going to get much better, though. Day 2: kirschy palate with leather in the background; spice on the finish; not spoofy; non-existent tannin with noticeable acidity; no alcohol presence; medium length finish of moderate intensity. Day 3: tastes slightly to moderately aged; plum; prune; background oak; smooth, with good depth of fruit; tannin is non-existent, and the juicy acidity is noticeable; medium to medium-long finish of moderate to moderate-great intensity (approx. 45 sec.); alcohol is not noticeable. This was at its best on Day 1.
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Darker ruby hue. Nose of blackberry liqueur, briars, iodine, earth. Dense but finely-delineated fruit on the palate, mostly mulberry and black raspberry, plus elements of licorice and forest floor. Moderate acidity and more pliant tannins keep this bottle wonderfully balanced, leading to a long, grippy finish with mineral, tobacco, and dark fruit notes echoing nicely. Probably the most complexity yet shown in a long run of 01 Sleepy Hollow, but alas our last bottle. A most satisfying wine.
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This is the wine they would make in Burgundy if they had CA fruit. Earth, mushroom, and spice mingle with clean pure dark cherry, blackberry and raspberry fruit. Silky tannin and plenty of acidity keep this rich wine from feeling full bodied or heavy. Hard to imagine that you would drink this without food (Asian spiced pork tenderloin in this case). Fantastic, and carries the Arcadian signature with pride.
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Fabulous nose of funky underbrush, spicy black cherry, rose petals and lavender. Fantastic balance between sweet and spicy on the palate. Nice tangy black cherry fruit with woodsy, peppery spice. Excellent texture and grip – really shows what Cali Pinot can aspire to!
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Terrific, complex nose of red and blue berries, earth, florals and with a freshness about it that is striking. Lean, but full flavored with tingly acidity, some spice, lots of complexity and a nice long finish. The whole is much greater than the simple sum of the individual parts - a very enticing wine.
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Once again, an extremely striking wine. Dark ruby hue. Nose of cherry, raspberry, sea air, mountain meadow florals. Black raspberry and plum flavors on the lively palate, complete with energetic acidity, tactile tannins, and complexity in spades. Has that extra dimension of pop and intensity that keeps one coming back for another sip. Long, interesting finish. Continues to mature and improve. A favorite.
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– decanted for one hour before tasting – – tasted non-blind over 45 minutes –
NOSE: Effusive nose features cherries and rose petals; smells like cool climate Oregon pinot (blueberries, perhaps?); hint of oak; very pretty.
BODY: cool cherry color with the slightest hint of bricking at the edges; color is of medium-light depth; some fine particulate matter. medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: clean; smooth; no alcohol taste; baked red apples; pure Pinot fruit; open and welcoming. Not much in the way of tertiary flavors, so perhaps this is somewhere between mature and fully mature. Its flavors actually came across rather “young,” but the wine’s smoothness and seamlessness give a nod to its bottle age. I’m guessing a drink window of now or over the next ten years for this one. Gut impression score: 91-93.
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Funky nose on opening - but in a good way, with complex aromas of red & dark berries, wet earth & wet stones. I can tell I am going to like this wine. Very rich flavors that matched the nose along with addition of some cherry, spice and oak. Medium body with a very smooth mouthfeel and a pleasant grip. Nice balance and a long finish. Seamless integration of all the components with very good depth and complexity. A lot of burgundy in this wine (OK, I said it!), but with California fruits and texture. Flawless and totally delicious!
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A beguiling nose of raspberries, earth, and nutmeg. When first opened and tasted, some reduction was present, but it seemed to evaporate after about 15 min. The wine continued to improve over the course of dinner with good acidity, some spiciness and a satisfying finish. I think the best is yet to come with this wine.
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Dark ruby. Nice smells of musk and lavender floating from the glass. Continues to be powerful and ringing on the palate, showing layers of black raspberry, iodine, caramel, blackberry, and earth. Plenty of structure with less acidity this time. Long, flavorful finish accompanied by lots of grip. These wines are full of presence.
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Ruby color. Nose was just pumping, with iodine, raspberry, black plum, and earth. Took about 90 minutes to open, finally revealing layers of plum, blackberry, raspberry, mineral, and licorice. Not as fruit forward as previous bottles and a bit more austere. Elegant finish and some grip at the end. The last glass was the best. Needs aeration time to show its best, but still a wonderful bottle.
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Bricky ruby color. Nose of mulberry, earth, black raspberry, plum. Precision-etched layers of beautifully-presented, almost piercing black cherry and raspberry fruit with bracing acidity and a lovely mineral quality lending an added dimension. Tannins are sweet and grippy, and the finish chimes in for a very long time. Wonderful, effortless wine.
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What a great bottle of California Pinot. This is why I am such a big California Pinot geek. Popped and poured to see how it would come around. A little funk initially. It has taken about 2 hours to open up. Fantastic delicate nose of stony, mineral laiden sweet cherry and raspberry. Fantastic weight and texture, while maintaining grace and dexterity. Dark cherry, strawberry and brown sugar flavors that have good depth. Finishes with warm baking spices. Fruit is well balanced with bright acidity and soft, round tannins. Seems to me like this is still a young puppy with lots of room to get even better. I am a true believer and a fan for life.
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Much different in taste and expression than the 2002, of course. Light in color, nicely balanced, spicy with plenty of acidity and a touch of oak. Seems to be integrating all the parts very well and complete.
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Bright ruby-garnet in the glass. Absolutely wonderful aromas of strawberry, earth, mushroom, and oak. A little less complexity in the mouth with tart red berries and more pronounced, but well integrated, oak. Refreshing acidity keeps you coming back for more, and light velvety tannins extend the finish for over half a minute. The overall skill in winemaking is readily apparent. Very well balanced and just a joy to drink. Excellent pairing with tonight's meal of duck confit and braised red cabbage. I'll try to wait another year or two before drinking my last bottle just to see if the palate develops more, but no longer than that.
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This didn't show corked initially. With more air, the tell-tale signs of musty cardboard came out. It was less prevalent on the nose, but it was more clear on the palate. A shame because this is one of the finest Arcadians.
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CA PINOT IN ATL: Wonderful sleepy hollow funk on the nose. Smoky, loamy, floral. Soft red fruit that is quite delcious and understated. A wine to savor with a god meal. Nice showing.WOTF. My co-WOTN.
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Pale ruby color. Nose of blackberry, camphor, iodine, tea, and cinnamon. Strong presence on the palate with laser-like beams of red berries, plums, leather, and earth balanced with plenty of refreshing acidity. Structured tannins still quite present. Long, evocative finish. Another terrific showing for this wine.
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Light colored. Decanted 2 hours and needed a bit more. Bright young nose of strawberry, pine, smoke, minerals and a touch of earth. Lively palate with bright fruit and focused acidity. The 2002 was a bit more developed than the 2001, but this has a good future I think.
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Arcadian with Joe Davis (AOC Bedford): Another seamless performance from the 2001 Sleepy Hollow. This was opened and double-decanted in the morning. At that time it was strongly scented with mesquite and pine-sap, most of which quieted down by the time we drank it with dinner, but I think the wine benefited from the air it got. This is just so elegant and polished, nary a blemish or rough spot on it, all its components amalgamated into one seamless whole.
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Arcadian Tasting In Nashville. (Ombi): Ahhh... the wine that made me think differently about SLH. A beauty. One of my favorite Cali pinots ever and still improving. What I love about this wine is I don't get tired of it. I could drink one glass after another. It is so tasty and in some ways hedonistic but it doesn't wear you out with heavy textures and sweetness. I bought my bottles for around $35 ... I really wish I had bought more.
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Vastly more mellow and integrated than the bottle I had a few months ago; also more evolved and in fact it tasted closer to maturity than the 2000 Pisoni beside it. An initial whiff of leather quickly segued to a more savory, mushroomy bouquet and the wine proceeded to distinguish itself with its seamless composition. None of the structural supports are visible, but everything is held together exactly where you want it to be.
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Light to medium ruby color. Intense, complex nose that gave a sort of autumnal impression of damp earth and leaves, with smoky herb as well as bright raspberry and strawberry elements. On the palate it has fine tannins, smooth, with some coffee and cinnamon flavors. Quite nice, with good acid grip.
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Light ruby color and a more assertive nose this time with a nod to tart black cherry and still that earthy componet in the background. A little restrained on the entry, but it catches up quick on the mid palate with an elegant, but firm grip of fruit with a nice lingering finish. I am growing to like this very much.
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Great purity of red fruit with backbone of acidity. Spice and Pine needle. Starting to come around, but still needs more time. Try again in another year.
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I picked up a few bottles of this after stumbling on a section of Arcadian's web page that totally buried a very interesting lede, which is that the vines for this wine are planted on their own roots. The few Arcadians I've had so far didn't prepare me for this bottle. I've definitely never smelled a wine quite like this one: picture effusive scents of a verdant forest with pine needles all around, combined with an intense woodiness like an antique desk turned to sawdust. This is definitely a woody wine to taste as well, with a sense of spicy oak and surely some stem influence as well. The palate is almost syrupy and intensely fruited with cherry and zingy wild berry flavors. 5 years old but tastes like it was born yesterday. It is mind-boggling to me how anyone can taste a wine like this and characterize Arcadian as a maker of "lighter style" wines. And in fact ultimately it really is just too big a wine for me, at least at this age. It just wouldn't cooperate with dinner, which accentuated just how sweet the fruit was, and after a few hours the taste reminded me of Syrah. I left a third in the open bottle, and the next day the fruit is definitely mellower than the fierce concentration of before, and the graceful tannins are finally getting the opportunity to show off. On the other hand, most of the interesting aromatics are gone, with a light fruit-candy scent in their place. Clearly this is a wine that needs more time in the bottle.
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Light to medium red clear color and after decanting an endearing, but wandering nose of cherry and some red berries with some spice and subtle earthy components. An easy and soft entry that had a firm mid palate and a lingering grip...with the fruit laser clear and good acidity.
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My second experience with Arcadian. Man, these are serious wines. Decanted for at least 2 hours. Ruby hue, which was not that dark. Nose was extremely impressive, with lots of lift, packed with mountain flowers and spice infusion, like a smoky Indian tea. Palate steeped in blackberry, raspberry, minerals, cream, and iodine. Very long, evocative finish. Powerful, complex wine which has years to go.
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My very first Arcadian. With all the "controversy" surrounding recent GrapeRadio podcast segments, I decided to drink one and form my own opinion.
Had it with grilled pork steak marinated overnight in soy, lemon and garlic. I decanted half a bottle for 30 minutes. Ruby in color with a medium body. Wonderful aromas of red fruits (raspberry and strawberry) and black pepper was jumping out of the decanter -- I could not help it and took a little sip soon after I poured it in the decanter. This is some wine! Great balance of fruit and acidity with flavors of cherry coke and raspberries. It was very enjoyable. This wine is indeed formed differently than say a Loring or Siduri. The Arcadian was mellower and softer.
Day 2 - I put the remaining half bottle of wine in the ref last night. I decanted what's left for 1.5 hours before taking my first sip and proceeded to drink it in the course of the next 2 hours. The wine evolved as it had more air. I picked up some aromas of vanilla, earth and pepper. It continued to be wonderful to drink.
In my eyes (and taste), both styles of Pinot offer something different. That's what I love about wine.
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Having read (including Tanzer) and heard many times that Arcadian Pinots need...no require...decanting, I set out on a whole evening with a bottle of this wine. Opened and poured into a decanter at 6PM. A very small sample at that time revealed a beautiful aromatic and spicy wine, but one with a very disjointed palate. It had interesting components, but was in an initial state of chaos. Tasted every hour thereafter, the wine steadily improved through hour 5 open (11 PM...when the bottle was drained). By 11PM, the wine showed a very Burgundian nose. Lovely cool cherry, menthol, spice and sous bois on the nose. On the palate, a freshly tart vein of acid supports ripe, lovely, crunchy red fruits. This is Pinot with a backbone. Excellent with food - really strutted with a grilled porterhouse and with some pain grille avec fromage. For my palate, one of the best California Pinots I've tasted. Could be taken as a good Burgundy in a blind tasting (which I convey as a compliment to the wine). I think this wine should age very well, though this is a guess on my part and I've not tasted Arcadian wines before 2000 vintage. This showing was even better than a tasting sample I enjoyed last month.
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I was very surprised by this wine. I have limited experience with Arcadian wines, and was expecting an elegant burgundian style of wine to be appreciated for its secondary nuances (or so the hype goes...) What i got instead was a rich sweet ripe wine more in the style of Kistler circa 2000. Perfumed nose of cherry menthol cough syrup...with some floral elements emerging over time. Similar flavors on the palate with lots of sweetness, and a long finish. Terrific wine, just not what I was expecting....
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Hedonistic pinot tasting - Arcadian with Joe Davis: Medium in color. Open nose - chocolate, sour cherries, cola - lots of fruit. On the palate, lots of fruit, lots of spice. Nose filling finish - tannins just a little bitter.
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10/27/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Red cherry and berry start-to-finish with bright textures. Good weight, better length and balance. So charming now. Fresher/ better than my previous bottle opened last year.
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5/31/2020 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted 45 minutes before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours --
NOSE: earthy/woodsy/old wood/aged cherry mix; little bit of "aged funk."
BODY: fine sediment present; garnet color with bricking throughout; color is of medium depth; medium-light bodied.
TASTE: clearly showing aged character; woodsy spice; nice tertiary/primary blend; light-but-noticeable oak; cherry is the predominant fruit flavor; powdery perfume -- a powdery rose scent, perhaps; medium+ acidity; no tannins of note; alc. not noticeable; fan-tas-tic! One could keep holding this, out of curiosity, but I have a hard time imagining it will improve. Drink Now and over the next few years.
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5/29/2020 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Translucent rusty ruby color. Nose of sea air, truly voluminous violets, raspberry, cherry, meaty red soil, brier, stone. Layers of deeply concentrated ripe black cherry fruit drilling down on the palate accompanied by raspberry, brambles, beef blood, and iron particles. Enticing and energetic acidity balanced by still-firm tannin leading to a long finish of mulberry, rocky soil, and satisfying grip. What a beautiful showing for our last bottle, #20 per CT. Way to go, Joe.
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3/28/2020 - tcarter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not sure exactly why, compared to other recent reviews, but this particular bottle was singing tonight. Upon pop n pour, it had all the wonderful red fruit you'd expect, but the almost 20 years of age on this bottle gave it layers and complexity that honestly surprised me. It was rich, lush even. Paired beautifully with roasted duck and a Pinot reduction sauce. ... That said, after about 45 minutes in the glass, it started to go downhill, but the glass didn't last long enough to see where it went from there.... 94 PnP / 92 after 45 mins in the glass
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1/26/2020 - scorrea wrote: 86 Points
Just ok. Some red fruit still there, good acidity.
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1/12/2020 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Opened 30 minutes before serving. Still showing powerful and sweet red fruit throughout, but clearly on the mature side. Good weight and complexity, but best when first poured, then slowly losing steam after an hour+ in glass.
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10/22/2018 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still going strong 17 years after the crush. This wine's been a roller-coaster for me, big and sweet on release and then a few years later it settled into an awesome zone where it could have passed for a Dujac - this bottle was somewhere in between the two. It still has a primary (!) sweetness and gloss that gives it away as Californian, but not in an unctuous way because it also has a solid, robust structure. The fruit is blue/black in tone, tastes much younger than its age, and held on to its sweet veneer even after a lot of decanting time that I thought would mellow it out a bit more. There is a tarry quality to it that adds more bass tones and depth as well as a sticky grip.
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7/12/2018 - Blue Shorts Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured
Tastes like a young wine with tertiary flavors. Amazing pinot.
It still has great fruit, and acid levels. Tannins are still developing.
Drink or hold. I wish I had more.
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5/12/2018 - grafstrb wrote:
-- popped and poured –
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 30 min. --
NOSE: red-fruited, and floral; hint of pepperoni.
TASTE: good acidity; fine tannin ; hints of leather and spice; this was a fantastic bottle of this wine – perhaps the best I've had – and seemed to be at the beginning of its prime window; has this wine found another gear?! Straddles the line between primary and tertiary. Drink or continue holding. Gut impression score: mid 90's.
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4/15/2018 - Bakerbd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Raspberry, forest floor, mineral spine, no signs of fading
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4/1/2018 - tcarter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Approaching the end of the line. Drink up!
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3/4/2018 - Blake Brown Likes this wine:
2001 ARCADIAN SLEEPY HOLLOW VINEYARD SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS PINOT NOIR- a bit of browning on the edge; a long time fav, this had the requisite cinnamon, spice laden red fruit notes, this bottle had more tertiary dried red cherry and plum fruit.
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10/31/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Continues to drink beautifully!
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8/8/2017 - decaturwinedude wrote: flawed
Big Arcadian Tasting in ATL (1997-2008) (Antico Posta): Part of our Arcadian tasting. This one was corked! Bummer.
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7/23/2017 - coremill wrote: 90 Points
Really nice CA pinot. Very ripe black fruit, but not cloyingly sweet. Shows a lot of interesting woodsy/spicey elements -- did they use stems here? There's also some nice mushroomy development. Rich with silky tannins but good acidity. Shows just a hint of backend alcoholic warmth. A little riper than my preferred taste in Pinot but very good.
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6/25/2017 - decaturwinedude wrote: 94 Points
This is pinnacle California Pinot Noir for me. Have had 6 or so bottles over the last 10 years. This wine will not quit. Tonight it's slightly more one-dimensional, with a really rich, creamy fruit profile. It has a stemmy quality, some green on the nose and a rich, blueberry cream and cranberry-spiked palate. Long, long, long, it finishes with a dry extract. There's sweet fruit and bright acidity and a bunch of stuff in the right place. Terrific wine. Just terrific.
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3/4/2017 - RobertB321 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Impressive red cherry aromas and flavors. Well balanced with a long finish. Smooth structure. A fun wine with and without food.
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2/5/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Continues to drink beautifully!
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12/18/2016 - tcarter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking great right now. But not too much longer left in it I fear. Drink up!
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2/8/2016 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Must have had this wine at least a dozen times by now. It's been quite the roller coaster. I haven't been able to match the performance it offered a few years ago and am still wondering if it will find another gear. Bizarrely it seems to have gotten more primary over the last few years, although much more streamlined than it was on release. The fruit is red-toned and rich, sappy, and grippy. Maybe just slightly too much gloss to pass for a Burgundy at the moment but it's not all that far off. There used to be a lot going on here besides the fruit though, and today it's more monolithic.
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12/4/2015 - decaturwinedude wrote:
Have had more experiences with this wine than most wines in my cellar. It's prob an all-time fave. Dark, spicy, perfumed nose that is elegant and beguiling. I feel like I say this every year, but the red fruit is big and seemingly primary. It's really rich tonight. Leaves a lasting impression of tart fruit and earth on the a palate. Really long finish.
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10/24/2015 - Dave Canada wrote: 94 Points
Year 3 - Super Tasting 3 of 5 - Chris does Blind Pinot Noir (Dundas, Ontario): This is almost classic...
Nose just jumps out of the glass. Tonnes of stem notes augmented by spice, coriander, pickled ginger and soil.
Palate shows bright red fruit, red flowers, spice, clove, pickled ginger and grapefruit.
Finish is long and spicy with gorgeous red fruit.
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10/24/2015 - Wine Canuck wrote: 94 Points
Year 3 - Super Tasting 3 of 5 - Chris Does Blind Pinot Noir: First bottle was corked. Pulled a back-up from cellar temp and from the initial pour the nose was just singing: light roast coffee, grapefruit, blood orange, smoke, gravel, baking spice, herbs, forest undergrowth, varnish, tart strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. I find the fruit profile to be squarely in the red spectrum, which is where I like my Arcadians. the palate is equally great: awesome acidity, low tannins, and a long finish, replaying the wonderfully tart red fruit, smoke, and light roast coffee.
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9/12/2015 - DougLee wrote: 90 Points
Ruby color. Nose of iodine, cinnamon, earthy tones, floral notes, stone. Waves of burnished but still ripe red plum and raspberry fruit on the tongue laced with iron flecks and earth. Acidity is moderate now, with still stern tannins and stony structure. Moderately long finish of iron-fisted mulberry fruit. Evolving nicely.
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9/9/2015 - J o e wrote: 94 Points
Roses, cranberries and spices jump out of the glass of the 2001 Sleepy Hollow. Medium-bodied in the mouth, with serious acidity, an interesting earthy component and good complexity of flavors. This youthful bottle will no doubt improve over the next several years. That said, it is certainly no crime to drink it now. Very impressive potential here. 94+.
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8/15/2015 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Really lovely pinot; nose is filled with red berry fruits, violets, and a crunchy stemmy note that is delightful. There is a hint of spice and earth with air. The palate is beautifully balanced, filled with red fruits, spice, earth, and floral notes. Outstanding and will continue to improve with age.
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8/6/2015 - stubbie999 Likes this wine:
In a beautiful spot right now as a teenager. Understated, sappy pinot fruit and lots of bottle development. This is the wine they would make in Burgundy if they had California fruit.
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7/21/2015 - J o e wrote: 92 Points
Translucent red, with orange rim. A bit funky after opening, blowing off after about an hour of air. Red cherries, earth and a citric note are dominant here, wrapped up in an elegant, medium-bodied package. Quite good on its own, yet doesn't quite reach the heights of previous bottles that merited scores in the mid-nineties by exhibiting greater purity and by being more expressive in general. The wine is at peak now, and I would opt for drinking over the next five years or so.
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7/18/2015 - grafstrb wrote:
Arcadian Retrospective in the O.C. (Casa del Dietz): -- bottle opened at least a couple hours before tasting --
-- tasted a single pour non-blind over 10 – 15 minutes --
NOSE: high-toned; "cool" aromas of red currant and black currant; medium+ expressiveness; smells awesome.
BODY: medium-light bodied; a little bit of bricking throughout.
TASTE: hint of leather; light oak; XMas spices; "dark" fruits; in a fantastic spot right now; excellent.
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7/10/2015 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent, but not at the level of my last bottle, as it seems to have dumbed down a little bit aromatically and has gotten a bit softer. Past peak or just in a lulling period? Dunno. It's most notable for its refinement--tannins are pretty much totally resolved but the texture still feels like a gentle touch of silk. Poured in a lineup with a bunch of Burgundies and not spotted by anyone as a ringer, and was better than at least some of them but it was definitely evident this didn't have quite the same sense of dimension and layers.
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7/9/2015 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Mostly Blind dinner - 88 Krug, 02 Boillot Monty, 02 Laurent CdB, 89 Palmer, 96 Yquem and etc. (Black Salt, Washington DC): Very sweet bright red fruits, red cherries and strawberry jam, a hint of stem, mineral, black pepper, flowers and earth. Very good concentration, sweet candied red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and good clean finish. This is very earthy and highly toned wine and my guess is 1er cru NSG from a very ripe year. Very good showing but didn’t expect a ringer.
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6/9/2015 - clayfu wrote:
A bit sweet on the pop and pour, mellows out the sweetness of the fruit after 3 hours of being opened (slow ox) and it picks up tannins and texture about 5 hours in.
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6/8/2015 - rama wrote:
Showing some bricking, secondary notes. Clearly a SLH pinot, though much brighter than most of its peers. Interesting wine, though nothing I'd seek out again.
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4/24/2015 - theronware Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very effusive nose -- the piney, funky notes had me guessing Oregon. Seems much younger than 2001, with rich fruit notes accompanying earthier elements. Some heat on the finish. A tell tale sweetness on the finish which signals California to me. Fruit gained more sweetness yet and the wine lost a little complexity with a couple hours of air. Not a ringer for Burgundy but an enjoyable wine.
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4/10/2015 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully! What a gem!
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3/22/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
The aromatics on the 2001 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow were to die for. Dark red berry fruit was joined by notes of smoke, savory herbs, roasted nuts, raw meat and gunpowder. If this doesn’t sound attractive, believe me—it is. On the palate, it was silky-smooth yet vibrant, as it expanded across the senses with soothing dark berry fruit and spice. Haunting and long on the finish with focused fruit and floral tones which seemed to last forever.
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2/7/2015 - DougLee wrote: 90 Points
Ruby hue. Nose is pungent and full of mulberry, bramble, earth, leather. Red, iron-laden fruit on the tongue with less sweetness and more medicinal notes than before (as befits a wine this age). Serious tannins still and moderate acidity. Medium length finish of red stony fruit and underbrush.
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1/24/2015 - Rob MacKay wrote: 97 Points
Tasted at the Lompoc tasting room with Joe. My favorite of the bunch. A Cali-Burgundy crossover piece of magic. Well balanced and near perfection in every aspect. A real treat.
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1/17/2015 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Dark ruby with lightening at the edges. Nose was dense and vigorous, revealing lots of cinnamon, licorice, black raspberry, mountain floral notes, earth. Layers of dark red raspberry fruit, briar, anise, iron filings, and stone on the palate. Moderate acidity and still-structured tannins. Finish of medium length, consisting mainly of underbrush and iron with a dollop of cranberry fruit. Lots to like here but a slightly less vivacious showing than the last time.
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1/5/2015 - pjhr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful red raspberry and earthy aromas and flavors with interesting floral notes culminating in a tasty long finish. Simply beautiful pinot!
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1/4/2015 - Jdwinedrinker wrote:
Very nice wine, rich fruit and secondary elements.
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12/29/2014 - decaturwinedude wrote: 94 Points
Brilliant Cali Pinot that says Burgundy as much as it does Cali. Dark, spicy, perfumed nose that is elegant and beguiling. The red fruit is big and seemingly primary, yet it's weightless and delicate and dances with agility on the palate. So freaking good and seemingly poised to go for still more years...amazing. Thanks Joe.
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12/22/2014 - scott w wrote: 92 Points
Rasberry cherry balanced acid drinking very well and seemed youthful.
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12/1/2014 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 92 Points
if you like your pinot big, this would get 94 pts, it had all the elements of Arcadian (one of the only Cali pinots i drink), good acid to balance huge red fruits and huge spice… while there was copious fruit no one could call this one dimensional as the spices were in your face -- cinnamon, cloves, pepper (?)… it pleased the crowd but was a bit large for me… hence the 92… serve this at a party any day and you will be happy
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9/13/2014 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Deep ruby hue. Full, beautiful nose of anise, berry, fecund soil, acrid stone, violets. On the palate a rapid unfurling of intense red raspberry, black cherry, licorice, and earth notes underpinned by iron and stone. Very fresh acidity still with fine-grained but active tannins leading to a long, tensile finish of red berry fruit, mineral, soil, and lovely grip. Continues to integrate and improve. An energetic, muscular, elegant, complicated wine and a joy to drink.
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8/26/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 95 Points
A Visit to Arcadian Winery (Lompoc, CA): 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.
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7/12/2014 - gutt22 Likes this wine:
13.8% alcohol. Showing beautifully. Cherry red color with substantial bricking. Gorgeous nose of red cherry, mushroom, flowers, and earthy spice. In the mouth, elegant and refined, with impeccable balance and still-vibrant cherry notes. The back end of the palate is smooth and soft, with light acidity and a real emphasis on the mushroom and floral notes. Very pretty. A-
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7/4/2014 - Diane (LI) wrote:
This bottle tasted much younger and fresher than my last. I had to do a double take to make sure it was the 2001. The nose was explosive with anise, florals, and red fruit, and I couldn't take my nose out of the glass. When I finally did, I was rewarded with the same delicious flavors along with a wonderful earthiness. The finish was long and beautiful. My last bottle.
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5/27/2014 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Quick note. Shared with Orlando and crew. Nose of anise, raspberry, violets. Palate showed iron, rich black raspberry fruit, moderate acidity, still-stern tannins, sturdy structure. Lots of complexity and concentration. Still very much alive and kicking.
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5/13/2014 - jinatnrt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cooked cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli started it off on this blind tasting, leading to ripe but beautifully balance wine. Was in the middle of blind tasting six red burgundies so I had to guess morey-st-denis 1er cru in a ripe vintage such as 2009 or 2005 but pleasantly shocked to hear it was 2001 california pinot noir. What a treat it was!
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4/27/2014 - rjdoan Likes this wine: 92 Points
A surprisingly deep color and full body Pinot Noir. Dark tones and earthy, leather in the mouth with some spice. Not your classic fruity Pinot Noir, but more dark and brooding. Hints of raspberry and some other fruits with a long finish. A very special wine that needs decanting and should be enjoyed slowly.
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4/27/2014 - Richard P Howden wrote: 90 Points
Opened and slow ox'd for 3+ hours, drank over two.
A very tasty wine, with strong clear note of pinot sour cherry on the nose, with soft red fruit, and some stony acidity on the mid-palate. Not very long, but some peppery bite on the back of the palate.
Drank with an Italian dinner, nice complement to the acidity of fresh tomato sauce, and the meatiness of sausages.
A moderately aged California pinot noir. Doesn't have have the complexity of flavor profile or length of taste to merit a higher rating. Perfectly enjoyable though.
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3/22/2014 - kenhoeve wrote: 95 Points
Have to note that I won this bottle by defeating Joe Davis in a group challenge of rock, paper, scissors. Lucky, indeed. This was showing far better than even the excellent bottle I had at an Arcadian tasting. Less advanced and showing no ash or sharp notes. This was pure pinot red cherry fruit in a weightless package that picked up earthy notes of wood and funk in an elegant and long finish where the texture became silky and coating. To make it even better it became outstanding with our acidic salad dish, showcasing a beautiful savory note, and stood up to any food thrown at it. One of the greatest pinots I have had the pleasure, a complete triumph.
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3/8/2014 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful!
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2/28/2014 - T-Mac Likes this wine:
Awesome, awesome wine. Screw tasting notes. Just drink it and enjoy the beauty that is aged Arcadian pinot noir.
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2/27/2014 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
no notes but i remember both fruit and spice and this didn't appear to be fading at all, one of only two american pinots i drink (other is old calera) this wine did the trick again and can be enjoyed but burg-hounds and also allow cali pinot drinkers to see the light a bit
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2/22/2014 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Red ruby. Nose of fresh berry, anise, cinnamon, sea air. Lovely palate of briar, bing cherry, raspberry, tea, earth, and iron. Moderate acidity and smoothed but arched tannins. Long finish of stone and sweet grip. A most impressive pinot noir and a true favorite. Our thirteenth sampling of this wine!
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2/10/2014 - Counselor Chris wrote: 95 Points
Still a very young wine, but one which gradually opened over several hours. Bright red and black cherry and roses at the outset, but the wine pulls back considerably in the middle, with a clean transparency to the fruit that lets mineral, cinnamon and clove take center stage. The wine put on weight and the secondary characteristics become more obvious as the evening went on. A beautiful wine, and one that should probably continue to improve over the next 5+ years and last far longer than that.
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2/9/2014 - kenhoeve Likes this wine:
Nose- tart, rhubarb green, ash, decomposing log. Similar palate, ash, red cherry, spice, twangy, very long. It's a fair bit sharp, but as open knit as it is, makes up for it. Textured and open. Lots of expression, just coming in to it's own. WOTN.
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2/9/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:
Arcadian Dinner with Joe Davis - Something old, something new (A's Restaurant, Newport Beach, CA): Color holding up well, still pretty dark. Ripe raspberry and cherry, oaky spice with a charcoal note. Tannins nearly resolved. Winner.
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2/9/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
The aromatics on this are cool--reminds me of burgundy with rose petal and rustic/cracked spice that reflect from the whole cluster. The flavors are also reflective of an old world feel, with soily, red fruit and what I put in my notes as a muddled red apple. Fantastic.
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1/27/2014 - RSK wrote: 91 Points
Very subtle "green-ness" on the nose and a little oak, clove, and cardamon. "Mouthfeel" is not a quality that makes a big impression on me, usually, but this is an exception. Light and silky. Very pure cherry flavor and good acidity. Would go well with food, but doesn't need it to show well. I'm glad I finally broke down and joined the club.
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1/10/2014 - MindMuse wrote:
Brought to Death by Lobster III and finished next night. Very Burgundian and very beautiful. Dried cherry, five spice, light soil, sweet smoke wisps. Silky and suave. 91+
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12/6/2013 - grafstrb wrote:
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 45 minutes --
Nice acidity. Red fruits, with a slight leather/funk note. Medium-light bodied. Not as evolved as a bottle I had three years ago. This bottle was stupendous, and I'll happily track this wine over the next few years.
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11/17/2013 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Joe Davis has found his way to Burgundy. Earthy aromas dominated by pine. The palate is similar with the tingling sensation from the acidity and the finish is nice and long. The fruit has moved to the background. This wine has been enjoyable at every stage of its evolution.
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11/11/2013 - thomaskeil wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours with benefit. Garnet with slight orange. Briary, pinot funk alongside cherry fruit and, Asian spice and some pine floor on nose. Palate is silky, refined, lengthy, and still cut with balancing acidity and soft tannins. Depth of flavor and complexity of texture. The 5 years since my last bottle seem to have done this wine well and it seems like it's heading into its prime. Wish I had more. Paired wonderfully with seared scallops.
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11/4/2013 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured, medium ruby color. Immediate perception of the most amazing nose: dusty earth, cinnamon, forest floor, red raspberry, dried cherry blossom, violets. Our dinner guest (studying for 2nd tier sommelier exam next week) smelled it for 10 minutes before tasting. Layers of briary red and black raspberry on the palate complicated by fecund soil elements, iron flecks, soy, and sweet grip at the end. Nicely freshened by acidity balanced by smoothed off tannins. Long, complex finish with echoes of burnished red fruit and rock. This is such a compelling wine.
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10/26/2013 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Ruby color. Nose of anise, fecund soil, raspberry, mountain florals. Mineral and leather supporting layers of raspberry and plum on the palate. Fine-grained and still somewhat stern tannins balanced by moderate acidity. Shades of NSG. Still doing just fine and evolving nicely.
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4/15/2013 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Medium ruby hue. Nose of black raspberry and bing cherry, plus lilac. Layers of raspberry, anise, earth, briar, and black cherry on the palate, leaving an indelible image on the beautiful long finish. Interesting notes of leather and soy also. Still marked by moderate acidity and firm but smoothed tannins. Extraordinary wine, with seeminglymore upside to go.
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1/5/2013 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Still a dark ruby. Full nose of briars, blackberry, raspberry, anise, intense florals, earth - whoa! Fresh, tart and complex on the tongue with smoky plum notes, dark raspberry, thyme, licorice, and satisfying sweet grip at the end. Subtle hints of tobacco and mineral intrude. Nicely driven by acidity with enough tannic structure to lend some gravitas. Long finish marked by red fruit and iron flecks. Can't say how long this wine will age but it seems to just get better.
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9/1/2012 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 95 Points
inviting nose of cinnamon spice, coffee, pepper and wild cranberry all joined at the mid palate with wonderful raspberry, sassafras, cola, vanilla and a touch of strawberry; it has pleasant mouthfeel and the marriage of flavors continue on through the back end; if there is one aspect that stands out above and beyond all others, it`s the magnificent balance this wine has achieved.
In a blind tasting, I might get this as a Whitcraft Bien Nacido Q Block as it is very similar in all respects especially the peppery, spiciness; I`ve had a lot of each wine and find this is close as it gets to my favorite New World Pinot.
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8/1/2012 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 97 Points
Well well well, look what's happened to the '01 Sleepy Hollow! This might be the first Arcadian I've had that's really entered its primetime drinking zone - not only resolved in texture but overflowing with tertiary character, with the earthy aromas practically billowing out of the glass combining deep, sappy savory stuff with a more verdant pine-needly thing. You don't have to swirl and sniff this thing. It comes to you. It's a powerful wine but most of its power now feels like sheer torque and not just dense fruit. Dujac-like.
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4/7/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Burg Dinner (CA and France--Served Blind!)--Part 2 (The Macks In Bennett Valley): Aromatically shows clove, a whiff of cologne and metal shavings. The palate has spicy fruit, dark cherry, good intensity and some truffle.
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11/13/2011 - curtispomeroy wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful wine. No real signs of age.
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6/8/2011 - pjhr wrote: 93 Points
Red raspberry and earthy aromas and flavors with interesting floral notes culminating in a tasty long finish.
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6/5/2011 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Fantastic bottle. The nose was stunning with berries and florals. It was loamy and earthy with bright fruit and good acidity.
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2/26/2011 - rickspicks wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruited, earthy, spicy nose - very complex and layered. Enjoyably lean with plenty of fruit - but not really either ripe or rich. A lot of acidity and a bit of bitterness on the medium finish. The fruit in this bottle had less ripeness than some prior bottles I have enjoyed. Not sure if it is starting to fade or if this is just bottle variation.
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12/4/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 30 minutes on Day 1, again on Day 2, and again on Day 3 –
NOSE: Day 1: expressive and a bit stinky, with pine, orange juice, underbrush and a gentle note of leather. Day 2: red apples; background vegetal aspect; moderately expressive. Day 3: some gentle tertiary characteristics -- red fruit leather: I still get the odd stewed/vegetal aspect of the previous days (call it canned wax beans).
BODY: orange-tinged ruby color of moderate depth; medium-light body.
TASTE: Day 1: elegant and smooth; the tannins are completely integrated and are non-existent on the palate; lots of red berry fruits showing a slightly-aged character; slightly on the acidic side of well-balanced between acid and tannin, but there’s enough concentration of fruit to prevent this from coming across as acidic ----- call it well-balanced; nice overall structure; drinking well now, but will probably ride for another few years in the cellar – not sure if it’s going to get much better, though. Day 2: kirschy palate with leather in the background; spice on the finish; not spoofy; non-existent tannin with noticeable acidity; no alcohol presence; medium length finish of moderate intensity. Day 3: tastes slightly to moderately aged; plum; prune; background oak; smooth, with good depth of fruit; tannin is non-existent, and the juicy acidity is noticeable; medium to medium-long finish of moderate to moderate-great intensity (approx. 45 sec.); alcohol is not noticeable. This was at its best on Day 1.
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9/6/2010 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Darker ruby hue. Nose of blackberry liqueur, briars, iodine, earth. Dense but finely-delineated fruit on the palate, mostly mulberry and black raspberry, plus elements of licorice and forest floor. Moderate acidity and more pliant tannins keep this bottle wonderfully balanced, leading to a long, grippy finish with mineral, tobacco, and dark fruit notes echoing nicely. Probably the most complexity yet shown in a long run of 01 Sleepy Hollow, but alas our last bottle. A most satisfying wine.
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8/11/2010 - stubbie999 wrote:
This is the wine they would make in Burgundy if they had CA fruit. Earth, mushroom, and spice mingle with clean pure dark cherry, blackberry and raspberry fruit. Silky tannin and plenty of acidity keep this rich wine from feeling full bodied or heavy. Hard to imagine that you would drink this without food (Asian spiced pork tenderloin in this case). Fantastic, and carries the Arcadian signature with pride.
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7/10/2010 - jreis wrote:
Fabulous nose of funky underbrush, spicy black cherry, rose petals and lavender. Fantastic balance between sweet and spicy on the palate. Nice tangy black cherry fruit with woodsy, peppery spice. Excellent texture and grip – really shows what Cali Pinot can aspire to!
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6/28/2010 - rickspicks wrote: 93 Points
Terrific, complex nose of red and blue berries, earth, florals and with a freshness about it that is striking. Lean, but full flavored with tingly acidity, some spice, lots of complexity and a nice long finish. The whole is much greater than the simple sum of the individual parts - a very enticing wine.
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2/28/2010 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Once again, an extremely striking wine. Dark ruby hue. Nose of cherry, raspberry, sea air, mountain meadow florals. Black raspberry and plum flavors on the lively palate, complete with energetic acidity, tactile tannins, and complexity in spades. Has that extra dimension of pop and intensity that keeps one coming back for another sip. Long, interesting finish. Continues to mature and improve. A favorite.
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2/9/2010 - grafstrb wrote:
– decanted for one hour before tasting –
– tasted non-blind over 45 minutes –
NOSE: Effusive nose features cherries and rose petals; smells like cool climate Oregon pinot (blueberries, perhaps?); hint of oak; very pretty.
BODY: cool cherry color with the slightest hint of bricking at the edges; color is of medium-light depth; some fine particulate matter. medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: clean; smooth; no alcohol taste; baked red apples; pure Pinot fruit; open and welcoming. Not much in the way of tertiary flavors, so perhaps this is somewhere between mature and fully mature. Its flavors actually came across rather “young,” but the wine’s smoothness and seamlessness give a nod to its bottle age. I’m guessing a drink window of now or over the next ten years for this one. Gut impression score: 91-93.
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1/30/2010 - rickspicks wrote: 94 Points
Funky nose on opening - but in a good way, with complex aromas of red & dark berries, wet earth & wet stones. I can tell I am going to like this wine. Very rich flavors that matched the nose along with addition of some cherry, spice and oak. Medium body with a very smooth mouthfeel and a pleasant grip. Nice balance and a long finish. Seamless integration of all the components with very good depth and complexity. A lot of burgundy in this wine (OK, I said it!), but with California fruits and texture. Flawless and totally delicious!
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1/8/2010 - Diane (LI) wrote:
A beguiling nose of raspberries, earth, and nutmeg. When first opened and tasted, some reduction was present, but it seemed to evaporate after about 15 min. The wine continued to improve over the course of dinner with good acidity, some spiciness and a satisfying finish. I think the best is yet to come with this wine.
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9/13/2009 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Dinner out with G and S. Terrific as usual.
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7/20/2009 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby. Nice smells of musk and lavender floating from the glass. Continues to be powerful and ringing on the palate, showing layers of black raspberry, iodine, caramel, blackberry, and earth. Plenty of structure with less acidity this time. Long, flavorful finish accompanied by lots of grip. These wines are full of presence.
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6/22/2009 - DougLee wrote: 90 Points
Ruby color. Nose was just pumping, with iodine, raspberry, black plum, and earth. Took about 90 minutes to open, finally revealing layers of plum, blackberry, raspberry, mineral, and licorice. Not as fruit forward as previous bottles and a bit more austere. Elegant finish and some grip at the end. The last glass was the best. Needs aeration time to show its best, but still a wonderful bottle.
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5/25/2009 - Ali wrote: 90 Points
earthy pinot flavors, but the wine came off a bit too sweet and fruity with the Italian food
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5/9/2009 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Bricky ruby color. Nose of mulberry, earth, black raspberry, plum. Precision-etched layers of beautifully-presented, almost piercing black cherry and raspberry fruit with bracing acidity and a lovely mineral quality lending an added dimension. Tannins are sweet and grippy, and the finish chimes in for a very long time. Wonderful, effortless wine.
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4/17/2009 - tim_c wrote: 92 Points
What a great bottle of California Pinot. This is why I am such a big California Pinot geek. Popped and poured to see how it would come around. A little funk initially. It has taken about 2 hours to open up. Fantastic delicate nose of stony, mineral laiden sweet cherry and raspberry. Fantastic weight and texture, while maintaining grace and dexterity. Dark cherry, strawberry and brown sugar flavors that have good depth. Finishes with warm baking spices. Fruit is well balanced with bright acidity and soft, round tannins. Seems to me like this is still a young puppy with lots of room to get even better. I am a true believer and a fan for life.
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12/7/2008 - WetRock wrote:
Arcadian in the OC with Joe Davis (Jim Dietz's): Sweet spicey nose with a touch of heat. Sweet grapefruit character, on the lean tart side.
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12/7/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Much different in taste and expression than the 2002, of course. Light in color, nicely balanced, spicy with plenty of acidity and a touch of oak. Seems to be integrating all the parts very well and complete.
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12/6/2008 - T-Mac wrote: 94 Points
Bright ruby-garnet in the glass. Absolutely wonderful aromas of strawberry, earth, mushroom, and oak. A little less complexity in the mouth with tart red berries and more pronounced, but well integrated, oak. Refreshing acidity keeps you coming back for more, and light velvety tannins extend the finish for over half a minute. The overall skill in winemaking is readily apparent. Very well balanced and just a joy to drink. Excellent pairing with tonight's meal of duck confit and braised red cabbage. I'll try to wait another year or two before drinking my last bottle just to see if the palate develops more, but no longer than that.
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11/22/2008 - mmdavis4 wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful stuff. Drinking great now. Good structure and complexity. Built to last.
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8/12/2008 - scofer wrote: flawed
The Wines of Arcadian ... plus a Dehlinger (Lucio's): Bummer. Another corked one. That makes two out of 10.
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8/12/2008 - gutt22 wrote: flawed
This didn't show corked initially. With more air, the tell-tale signs of musty cardboard came out. It was less prevalent on the nose, but it was more clear on the palate. A shame because this is one of the finest Arcadians.
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6/29/2008 - soyhead wrote: 90 Points
an aged and mellowed out example. Probably would savor on its own. Nice
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5/19/2008 - decaturwinedude wrote: 92 Points
CA PINOT IN ATL: Wonderful sleepy hollow funk on the nose. Smoky, loamy, floral. Soft red fruit that is quite delcious and understated. A wine to savor with a god meal. Nice showing.WOTF. My co-WOTN.
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5/16/2008 - charbo wrote:
never took notes but was enjoyed by all
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3/23/2008 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Pale ruby color. Nose of blackberry, camphor, iodine, tea, and cinnamon. Strong presence on the palate with laser-like beams of red berries, plums, leather, and earth balanced with plenty of refreshing acidity. Structured tannins still quite present. Long, evocative finish. Another terrific showing for this wine.
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2/27/2008 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Light colored. Decanted 2 hours and needed a bit more. Bright young nose of strawberry, pine, smoke, minerals and a touch of earth. Lively palate with bright fruit and focused acidity. The 2002 was a bit more developed than the 2001, but this has a good future I think.
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2/10/2008 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 90 Points
Arcadian with Joe Davis (AOC Bedford): Another seamless performance from the 2001 Sleepy Hollow. This was opened and double-decanted in the morning. At that time it was strongly scented with mesquite and pine-sap, most of which quieted down by the time we drank it with dinner, but I think the wine benefited from the air it got. This is just so elegant and polished, nary a blemish or rough spot on it, all its components amalgamated into one seamless whole.
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1/17/2008 - jasonh wrote:
Arcadian Tasting In Nashville. (Ombi): Ahhh... the wine that made me think differently about SLH. A beauty. One of my favorite Cali pinots ever and still improving. What I love about this wine is I don't get tired of it. I could drink one glass after another. It is so tasty and in some ways hedonistic but it doesn't wear you out with heavy textures and sweetness. I bought my bottles for around $35 ... I really wish I had bought more.
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9/23/2007 - shaneajohnson wrote: 94 Points
Awesome, well balanced, WOTN.
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4/28/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 90 Points
Vastly more mellow and integrated than the bottle I had a few months ago; also more evolved and in fact it tasted closer to maturity than the 2000 Pisoni beside it. An initial whiff of leather quickly segued to a more savory, mushroomy bouquet and the wine proceeded to distinguish itself with its seamless composition. None of the structural supports are visible, but everything is held together exactly where you want it to be.
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3/3/2007 - dougsmith wrote: 90 Points
Light to medium ruby color. Intense, complex nose that gave a sort of autumnal impression of damp earth and leaves, with smoky herb as well as bright raspberry and strawberry elements. On the palate it has fine tannins, smooth, with some coffee and cinnamon flavors. Quite nice, with good acid grip.
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1/22/2007 - Tejano wrote: 91 Points
Light ruby color and a more assertive nose this time with a nod to tart black cherry and still that earthy componet in the background. A little restrained on the entry, but it catches up quick on the mid palate with an elegant, but firm grip of fruit with a nice lingering finish. I am growing to like this very much.
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1/16/2007 - Rick D wrote:
Great purity of red fruit with backbone of acidity. Spice and Pine needle. Starting to come around, but still needs more time. Try again in another year.
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1/4/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 84 Points
I picked up a few bottles of this after stumbling on a section of Arcadian's web page that totally buried a very interesting lede, which is that the vines for this wine are planted on their own roots. The few Arcadians I've had so far didn't prepare me for this bottle. I've definitely never smelled a wine quite like this one: picture effusive scents of a verdant forest with pine needles all around, combined with an intense woodiness like an antique desk turned to sawdust. This is definitely a woody wine to taste as well, with a sense of spicy oak and surely some stem influence as well. The palate is almost syrupy and intensely fruited with cherry and zingy wild berry flavors. 5 years old but tastes like it was born yesterday. It is mind-boggling to me how anyone can taste a wine like this and characterize Arcadian as a maker of "lighter style" wines. And in fact ultimately it really is just too big a wine for me, at least at this age. It just wouldn't cooperate with dinner, which accentuated just how sweet the fruit was, and after a few hours the taste reminded me of Syrah. I left a third in the open bottle, and the next day the fruit is definitely mellower than the fierce concentration of before, and the graceful tannins are finally getting the opportunity to show off. On the other hand, most of the interesting aromatics are gone, with a light fruit-candy scent in their place. Clearly this is a wine that needs more time in the bottle.
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12/31/2006 - Tejano wrote: 90 Points
Light to medium red clear color and after decanting an endearing, but wandering nose of cherry and some red berries with some spice and subtle earthy components. An easy and soft entry that had a firm mid palate and a lingering grip...with the fruit laser clear and good acidity.
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11/6/2006 - richabt wrote: 92 Points
smooth well defined flavor, very enjoyable, not your everyday pinot noir
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7/29/2006 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
My second experience with Arcadian. Man, these are serious wines. Decanted for at least 2 hours. Ruby hue, which was not that dark. Nose was extremely impressive, with lots of lift, packed with mountain flowers and spice infusion, like a smoky Indian tea. Palate steeped in blackberry, raspberry, minerals, cream, and iodine. Very long, evocative finish. Powerful, complex wine which has years to go.
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2/2/2006 - Rick D wrote:
good stuff that got better with more airtime
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1/21/2006 - Love4Vino wrote:
My very first Arcadian. With all the "controversy" surrounding recent GrapeRadio podcast segments, I decided to drink one and form my own opinion.
Had it with grilled pork steak marinated overnight in soy, lemon and garlic. I decanted half a bottle for 30 minutes. Ruby in color with a medium body. Wonderful aromas of red fruits (raspberry and strawberry) and black pepper was jumping out of the decanter -- I could not help it and took a little sip soon after I poured it in the decanter. This is some wine! Great balance of fruit and acidity with flavors of cherry coke and raspberries. It was very enjoyable. This wine is indeed formed differently than say a Loring or Siduri. The Arcadian was mellower and softer.
Day 2 - I put the remaining half bottle of wine in the ref last night. I decanted what's left for 1.5 hours before taking my first sip and proceeded to drink it in the course of the next 2 hours. The wine evolved as it had more air. I picked up some aromas of vanilla, earth and pepper. It continued to be wonderful to drink.
In my eyes (and taste), both styles of Pinot offer something different. That's what I love about wine.
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1/6/2006 - Blair Curtis wrote: 91 Points
Having read (including Tanzer) and heard many times that Arcadian Pinots need...no require...decanting, I set out on a whole evening with a bottle of this wine. Opened and poured into a decanter at 6PM. A very small sample at that time revealed a beautiful aromatic and spicy wine, but one with a very disjointed palate. It had interesting components, but was in an initial state of chaos. Tasted every hour thereafter, the wine steadily improved through hour 5 open (11 PM...when the bottle was drained). By 11PM, the wine showed a very Burgundian nose. Lovely cool cherry, menthol, spice and sous bois on the nose. On the palate, a freshly tart vein of acid supports ripe, lovely, crunchy red fruits. This is Pinot with a backbone. Excellent with food - really strutted with a grilled porterhouse and with some pain grille avec fromage. For my palate, one of the best California Pinots I've tasted. Could be taken as a good Burgundy in a blind tasting (which I convey as a compliment to the wine). I think this wine should age very well, though this is a guess on my part and I've not tasted Arcadian wines before 2000 vintage. This showing was even better than a tasting sample I enjoyed last month.
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11/1/2005 - luko wrote:
I was very surprised by this wine. I have limited experience with Arcadian wines, and was expecting an elegant burgundian style of wine to be appreciated for its secondary nuances (or so the hype goes...) What i got instead was a rich sweet ripe wine more in the style of Kistler circa 2000. Perfumed nose of cherry menthol cough syrup...with some floral elements emerging over time. Similar flavors on the palate with lots of sweetness, and a long finish. Terrific wine, just not what I was expecting....
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2/17/2005 - Greg W wrote: 88 Points
Hedonistic pinot tasting - Arcadian with Joe Davis: Medium in color. Open nose - chocolate, sour cherries, cola - lots of fruit. On the palate, lots of fruit, lots of spice. Nose filling finish - tannins just a little bitter.
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