2000 Arcadian Pinot Noir Francesca’s Cuvée- USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (5/7/2017)
Popped and poured. Medium ruby color. On opening there are buoyant fresh smells of crushed raspberry, anise, violets, forest floor, and stone. Wonderful sense of freshness and energy on the tongue with layers of black raspberry, cherry, and iodine complicated by iron, brambles and earth. Still brightly acidic with underlying firm but pliant tannin. Long, satisfying finish with a deep dive of black raspberry and plum fruit amidst iron and grip at the end. Superb. (93 pts.)
This was the best showing yet for this bottling IMHO so may not have peaked yet. Certainly open for business so if you have a few, this would be a great time.
Very true. I thought that the 2001 Sleepy Hollow was the longest ager in my experience (don’t have any 99’s) but this wine still seems like it is in late adolescence.
Stumbled upon a cache of these I forgot to put in cellartracker and had forgotten I had.
Lovely nose of violets, sour cherry, cedar underbrush and white pepper. Very restrained elegant palate, with harmonious sweet red fruit, nice texture and acidity - very rounded, with no sharp edges. I think this is fully mature, but not in decline by any means. A pleasure to drink and a pleasant surprise to stumble upon.
Tasted this wine with Joe Davis yesterday. I’m not the best person to write a tasting note, but this wine was exhibiting beautiful tertiary notes. This wine has years of ahead of it.
Nice to bring this thread back. I have a few. Should pop one soon. Joe Davis is the jedi of Cali Pinot. None better. This wine and the '01 Sleepy Hollow killed it at our big Arcadian tasting last summer. Love these wines.
I’m going to drink one of my two bottles pretty soon as well. Why wait? Doug, how long have you been buying Arcadian wines and what does your stash look like?
First Arcadian TN (01 Sleepy Hollow) recorded in 2006 (wow, I had no idea). I have three of the 2000 Francesca PN left after trying my first one in 2014. Have a whole bunch of Joe’s other PN lying about but am quietly waiting for them to mature.
Doug - you should pop it. I don’t think it is going to get any better. Bryan - funny, we tasted with Joe last Thursday and then with Larry Schaffer on Friday, which was a lot of fun. Highlights of the tasting for me were a 2007 Sleepy Hollow Chard, a 2008 Sleepy Hollow Syrah and a 2003 Pisoni Pinot. Joe is always a fun and informative visit, just wish we lived closer!
Funny you should mention that, I tasted with Larry the day before I tasted with Joe! I’d like to not make you too jealous, but the Santa Ynez valley is about 3 hours away and so my wife and I like to go there for a 3-day weekend as a break from raising two kiddos.
Opened up my first of only two bottles tonight. Realized I should have saved this for a dinner at a very nice restaurant, but I appreciated it all the same. This wine is beautiful. Can’t believe it’s aged 18 years. It’s possible this wine hasn’t even peaked, although I won’t wait another year to drink my last bottle.
definitely hasn’t peaked. The wine is so packed to the gills with goodness. Itching for us to do one of those grand Arcadian tastings again. DIETZZZ WHERE ARE YOU