Most of the pinots and chards recommended on this site don’t fit my palate, either crisp and lean but no depth, or sweet and rich with the complexity ripened out. In the past couple of weeks friends opened a 2008 Ceritas Porter Bass chard and an Arcadian (vintage? 2000 I think?) pinot. Both were amazing, taut and cleanly expressive on the nose, deep and complex on the palate, layer after layer. Both were French to me. Both changed nicely with food. Not a hint of any holes filled by winemaking or overripening. Great wines.
Arcadian chard merely very good.
On both occasions the wines were served next to really expensive foreign stuff.
I’ve opened a lot of Ceritas wines, and their Porter Bass has never failed to similarly impress me. They’re also proving the capacity for some longevity.
I’ve had a fair amount of Ceritas, I have not yet been able to try Arcadian. I believe Arcadian fruit is generally from different AVA’s than Ceritas, but how do they compare stylistically?
The only Ceritas chard I have consumed seemed pretty lean and reserved (but is was young). I have a couple of 2011’s that I am going to drink in the next 12 months, so I will see if some age results in some additional depth and complexity. No experience with Arcadian.
The above Ceritas showed that way at first. Then with air the depth emerged. The surface didn’t get broader, the wine just got deeper, like a cylinder.
“ARF!”
“What is it, Lassie?”
“Arf! Arf!”
“Are you saying Timmy fell down a well? Speak!”
“Arf! Arf! Arf!”
“Ohh, you’re saying Timmy stole a bottle of my Ceritas and is drinking it in his closet and he told you that with the aid of oxygen and time, it is expanding depth wise as IF the taster were going deeper into a well?”
“Arf!” (wags tail)
“Lassie I TOLD you not to bark in simile! Go to your corner!”
![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}