Ashley and I had an opportunity to visit Arcadian this past weekend. We sat down with Ryan, Joe’s assistant winemaker, and tasted through a nice selection. I took some half-assed notes, which are posted below. Highlights of the tasting were the Chard. and Purisima Syrah. We left the tasting as the newest GCS members, as both Ashley and I really appreciate and enjoy Joe’s winemaking philosphy and style.
the TN’s:
2005 Arcadian Pinot Noir Fiddlestix (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind at the winery –
NOSE: very tight; underbrush; light red fruits.
BODY: magenta garnet color of shallow-moderate depth; clear; light-medium bodied.
TASTE: underbrush; sour cherries; fruity; a bit on the acidic side of well-balanced; medium length finish; 13.5% alc… For drinking today, this was the least impressive of the tasting, IMO. For a different point of view, this was my wife’s favorite of the tasting. This definitely needs time. Hold.
2005 Arcadian Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind at the winery –
NOSE: wow! dark fruits … much deeper and more expressive nose than the '05 Fiddlestix at this point in time.
BODY: purple-garnet color of moderate depth; moderate amount of fine particulate matter is suspended in the wine; medium bodied.
TASTE: surprisingly expressive; juicy dark fruits with oak tones; well-balanced. I prefer this over the '05 Fiddlestix.
2000 Arcadian Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind at the winery –
NOSE: still-youthful nose … chalky minerals
BODY: warm brick-red color of moderate depth; small amount of superfine particulate matter suspended in the wine; light-medium bodied.
TASTE: ripe cherries … sour cherries … very nice medium-long finish; well-balanced, and only 13.4% alc.
2005 Arcadian Syrah Purisima Mountain Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind at the winery –
NOSE: intense florals with a note of citrus oil; black licorice; spicy; asphalt. This kept opening-up in the glass over the 15 or 20 minutes I spent with it. I would have liked to spend an entire evening (or even 2 days) with this bottle to see where it would go.
BODY: magenta-garnet color of medium-deep depth; clear.
TASTE: cherries; underbrush; pine resin; light flashes of blueberries; well-balanced with a medium-length finish. Only 14.1% alc.; I liked this … a lot.
2000 Arcadian Syrah Garys’ Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 2 days –
NOSE: complex bouquet of anise, leather, boysenberries, plum, and a hint of smoke. The bouquet is more earthy than it is fruity, and does have an off-putting vegetal streak running throughout. It did show some citrus tones immediately after opening, but these dissipated over the two days.
BODY: dark earthy garnet color of great depth, with some bricking at the outermost part of the edge; medium bodied … maybe even medium-light bodied.
TASTE: right after opening this showed strong flavors of cigar and mint with the vegetal note from the bouquet repeated on the palate. On day 2, this moved from being beautifully well-balanced to being too acidic (which is something I’ve rarely, if ever, come by in a Syrah); a bit hot on the finish (which surprised me given the low 13.8% alc.); earthy; plums and blackberries; leather; finish is of medium length (30 sec.). Can definitely taste some age on it; this wine is at, or past, its peak. Drink now.
B: 50, 5, 12, 14, 7 = 88
2005 Arcadian Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 2 days –
NOSE: super-ripe pears; somewhat leesy; oak; some tropical acidity. Very nice bouquet.
BODY: striking golden yellow color of great depth; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: lush mouthfeel featuring simple, but very pleasing, flavors of pear, yeast, and butter. Palate is full, and the finish is of medium length (40 sec.). I’m not a big Chardonnary drinker, but this one really appeals to me. It was put through malo, and was oak-fermented. On the rare occassions I do drink Chardonnay, I tend towards non-maloed chards that saw only steel … nonetheless, this Chard. really appealed to me. Absolutely wonderful acidity and great depth of flavor. The flavors are rather simple right now, but I get the impression this is the type of Chard. that needs some time grow into all that it can be. Hold.
B: 50, 5, 12, 16, 8 = 91