Joe Davis of Arcadian Winery was gracious enough to join us for an Arcadian dinner last Sunday, and we went to town tasting through a number of his wines (ranging from the just released 2007 Pink Pisoni all the way back to the 1999 Sleepy Hollow chard - with lots of great wines in between). All of his wines showed really well this evening, and Joe had some great stories to share over dinner.
The wines:
2007 Pink Pisoni – The vibrant pink/rose color really jumps out of the glass, and on the palate there were loads of sweet strawberries with a nice minerality that turned into a little bitter note on the finish. This was a little sweeter than I was expecting, though I thought the wine was very nice when paired with some food.
2000 Sleepy Hollow pinot – when I first opened the bottle, there was a reductive note on the nose. However, this blew off with a little air, to reveal a balanced, mature pinot with wonderful notes of red fruit, dusty earth and mushrooms. Maybe not quite as complex as the wines that followed it, but really easy to drink and certainly an enjoyable bottle of wine in its own right.
2001 Sleepy Hollow pinot – this was the first Arcadian wine I ever tasted, and it still remains one of my all time favorite pinots…and it did not disappoint tonight. Silky smooth and balanced with layers of raspberries, black cherries, minerals and an earthiness that just hits the right spot in my book.
2002 Sleepy Hollow pinot – across the board, the 2002’s that we poured this evening seemed a little bit riper with sappier fruit than many of the other wines (particularly when compared to the 2001’s). Dark cherries and cranberries on the palate, with hints of the earthiness/spice/mushrooms that I love in Joe’s Sleepy Hollow pinots.
2005 Sleepy Hollow pinot – the first bottle was a little off – but the second bottle really delivered the goods. A little different from the other Sleepy Hollow pinot poured this evening in that it was much more fruit forward than the others – with bright cherry fruit that was pure and vibrant. There is plenty of structure in this wine, and I am sure that over time this will pick up the earthy/mushroomy nuances that I love about Joe’s Sleepy Hollow pinots, but this is really drinking well right now if you like them young and forward.
1999 Sleepy Hollow chardonnay – my favorite from the chard flight – this was surprisingly fresh despite its 10 years of age. On the palate, this wine was really hitting on all cylinders, packed with juicy white fruits and a hint of caramel, with bright acidity and a nice long finish.
2000 Sleepy Hollow chardonnay – this tasted a bit older than the 1999, with notes of lemon, crème brulee, a little toasty oak on the palate. This was a rich, round wine that was fairly sweet in the mid-palate, and although it was drinking very nice, it did not have quite the brightness/acidity as the other chardonnays and as a consequence, was a bit overshadowed by the other wines in this flight.
2001 Sleepy Hollow chardonnay – this was a rich and concentrated chardonnay that revealed layers of flavor with each sip. Ripe tangy apples on the palate with hints of lemon oil, butterscotch and a little toast all balanced by a refreshing minerality.
2005 Sleepy Hollow chardonnay – showed off its youthful exuberance on the palate with a burst of tropical fruits that really set it apart from the other chards in this flight. With beautiful acidity and a long, pleasing finish, this is clearly a youngster that will gain complexity with some bottle age, but it is so delicious to drink now that I’m not sure if my remaining bottles will last that long.
2000 Pisoni pinot – all I can remember thinking when I tasted this wine was “WOW”! This is my first older Pisoni from Joe, but it is certainly not going to be my last. This was fresh on the palate despite its 10 years of age, with a gorgeous palate of strawberries, cherries, spices and earth leading to a long, lingering finish. To me, this wine really exhibited a great sense of balance and finesse, and was one of my favorites of the entire night.
2002 Dierberg pinot – darker fruited, intense yet balanced with hints of smoke and minerals on the palate – tastes riper than all the other pinots up to this point, which is consistent with my prior experiences with Joe’s wines from this vineyard.
2002 Francesca pinot – to me this wine was a bit tight and probably would have benefited from a good decant prior to serving. With a little time in the glass, this wine did start to reveal some earthy red fruits and spice, with nice acidity and good structure.
2005 Clos Pepe pinot – One thing that struck me during the evening was that all of Joe’s 2005’s are showing great forward fruit right now (would it be right to call Joe’s 2005’s a bit “hedonistic” right now?). This wonderful bottle of Clos Pepe was no different – dark fruits on the palate with nice minerality and a long finish - but with plenty of stuffing to reward some time in the cellar.
2003 Evans Ranch syrah – dark meaty syrah, with blackberries, tar, smoke and licorice on the palate – this wine was very well balanced and drinking well at this time.
2003 Stolpman syrah – this tasty syrah was very aromatic, and on the palate it showed off briary red fruits with nice minerality and acidity (which to me gave it some “verve” on the palate) and a long tangy finish.
2004 Westerly syrah – another big meaty syrah, with notes of blackberry, plums, earth, and smoke on the palate. This wine seemed a little rounder/heavier than the other syrahs, it probably didn’t help that this followed after the Stolpman, which to me was more vibrant/refreshing on the palate.
2005 Hommage a Max – this suffered a bit from its placement as the last wine poured, but it was certainly a very tasty way to end the dinner. This is still a young pup, but man, was it nice – rich and juicy, with vibrant blue and black fruits – I just wish I could have enjoyed this a little earlier in the evening to better appreciate all that it had to offer.
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