Arnot-Roberts Wines is a joint project of Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts. Their goal is to make natural wines that express the uniqueness and beauty of their variety and location.
All of Arnot-Roberts wines are aged in French oak barrels built by Nathan and Duncan. Fermentations occur on native yeast and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Production is around 700 total cases per year of five wines.
The Coast Range Mountains in Northern California take a sudden dip and nearly disappear around Bodega Bay in Sonoma County, reemerging as the foot of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County to the south. It is at this point that cool air over the Pacific Ocean is drawn inland via convective forces through what is referred to as the “Petaluma Wind Gap”. This cool and windy swath of the Sonoma Coast appellation is home to few vineyards. Clary Ranch is one of those vineyards, planted on a hillside in the Middle Two Rock Valley.
This wine was fermented retaining 100% whole clusters on native yeasts and was aged in one new and two neutral French oak barrels. Three barrels produced.
Beautiful bright and inky ruby in color. Aromatics of blueberry, violets, forest floor with bacon fat and lots of black pepper. On the palate, more blueberry, blackcurrant and cherry with some tar, smoke and gamey notes. There is some size to this wine (though by no means big by California standards), well balanced (13% alcohol), structured and showing some restraint. The wine seemed a little closed (I probably won’t touch any more of this for another 1-2 years), but was still very good and think it will show even better over the next 1-3 years and beyond.
