Arista is located in the north-central part of the Russian River Valley, not too far from the Russian River itself, at the location where the river slowly ends its north-south journey, and begins to head west to empty in the Pacific. Due to the region's proximity with the Pacific Ocean, summers are tempered by the cool fog that blows in through the Pentaluma gap. This creates conditions perfect for cooler climate grapes, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The geology of the area also has a big influence on the wine making. Like most parts of the Pacific Rim, the collision of the Pacific and North American plates over the course of history has had a huge impact on the landscape and soil. More specifically to wine, it was eruptions of volcanic vents over top of the existing bedrock, that created the loamy soil prized for wine making. Combine this with a conducive climate, and one has a region growing some of the finest Pinot Noir in the New World.
 |
| Tasting room at Arista 2017 Arista Winery. Healdsburgh, CA |
Pulling into the driveway, a beautiful wrought iron gate opens to delightful drive up and along a small hill overlooking part of the vineyard. Off to the side, goats are grazing in the vineyard. It turns out, goats are natural weed eaters, and will tackle even the worst plants like poison ivy. At the top of the hill is situated the Arista tasting room.
I pull into one of the parking spots, and head inside to a sitting area on the right, and bar with tasting space on the left. After speaking with the gentlemen who would lead today's tasting, I was led to a seat at the bar next to another couple who were half-way through their tasting flight. After receiving a pamphlet on the wines being poured today, the tasting commenced.
The first wine today was a Gewürztraminer. Sporting a nice straw color, I detected subtle fruit notes in the nose. On the palette, I got hints of oak and green apple. It should be known that my tasting experience is relatively lacking in the department of varietals like Gewürztraminer and Riestling. Nevertheless, it was a nice wine to start my second tasting, let alone a wine to help broaden my oenological horizons with.
Second to bat was the 2015 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. To the eye, a nice dark ruby red color. The nose was aromatic, with hints of baking spice and fruit notes. On the palette, the wine was incredibly smooth, balanced by a touch of dryness. A complex wine, I detected undulating flavors of currant that was just delightful.
Third up was the 2014 Russian River Pinot Noir. To the eye, this wine had a ruby red color. The nose on this wine was exceptionally aromatic, sporting nice fruit notes. This wine was very smooth on the palette, but with a lighter mouth feel and sporting cherry fruit flavors. Just excellent.
Next up, and the last Pinot Noir on this tasting, is the 2014 Toboni Vineyard Pinot Noir. As one can guess from its name, this wine was sourced from a single vineyard in the Russian River Valley. Visually, this wine sported a nice ruby red color. To the nose, it was quite aromatic, and sported nice fruit notes. On the palette, this Pinot Noir was a bit more tannic than the others, and also featured a touch of dryness. Fruit notes included black currant and black cherry.
Finally, the last wine tasted today was the 2014 Banfield vineyard Zinfindel. Like other Zin's, this wine was fruit forward, with jamey notes of cherry, balanced by a touch of dryness.
Overall, I was incredibly impressed with the Pinot Noir offerings today. Like my earlier tasting at The Donum Estate, each Pinot Noir offered its own unique story on the vineyard that it came from. All wines were crafted with excellent balance in fruit, minerality, acid, and tannin. Combine this with outstanding service; my host certainly put up with my abundance of questions as I busily jotted into my notepad. I walked away with purchasing 4 bottles, 2 of the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, and 2 of the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.
I also joined Arista's wine club, which works a little differently than most wineries in the area. Essentially, you are putting yourself on a list to buy wine as it's released. Buy enough, and you stay on the list, while if you do not purchase enough, then you are removed. Personally, I find this arrangement to offer a nice balance between giving customers flexibility to not have to purchase a ton of cases, and also allowing the winery to prioritize customers who truly do want to invest in their wines. It should be noted that at the time of my tasting, the list has a 1-year waiting list, so in the meantime, it looks like I may have to make regular treks up to the winery. Life's tough that way. 😉
Tasting date: April 15th, 2017.
No comments:
Post a Comment