Healdsburg, California: June 2022

California’s wine country is undergoing a transformation. A new generation of winemakers is exploring new varietals and cooler terroirs, creating a new paradigm of Californian wine. Among them, Arnot-Roberts stands out for its authenticity and excellence. Established in the early 2000s by two native Californians and childhood friends, Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts, this winery is now known for its quality and precision, its quest for balance and freshness and its expression of terroir in its wines.

The story of Arnot-Roberts took an interesting turn in 2001 when Duncan and Nathan produced their first experimental vintage, a Zinfandel from just one barrel. As fate would have it, Nathan’s grandfather was the celebrated winemaker Robert Mondavi. Eager but anxious, they presented their Zinfandel at a family dinner for Mondavi to taste. To their astonishment, Mondavi complimented the wine, giving them a much-needed boost of confidence and a marketing edge for their future wines. Their debut commercial bottling came the following vintage, in 2002. For the next seven years, they gradually expanded their portfolio of wines while maintaining their daytime jobs. Duncan gained valuable experience working for Caymus, Groth, Kongsgaard and with Pax Mahle, while Nathan worked with his father as a cooper.

Arnot-Roberts, located in an unpretentious industrial shed, is a minimalist operation that has moved between warehouses over the years. However, their winemaking philosophy is anything but ordinary. As we were led through the winery, the attention to detail and care was evident as we passed by the fermentation tanks and the refrigerated area housing the barrels. The resulting wines we tasted were exceptional, boasting remarkable textures, fresh acidity, and very aromatic flavour profiles.

The philosophy

Their guiding principles revolve around a philosophy which emphasises the careful use of oak and the maintenance of low alcohol levels to allow for freshness and seamless integration of oak influence even at a young age. Duncan Meyers believes that excessive oak prominence indicates an error in the process and thus prefers to use barrels that have been seasoned for at least 3 or 4 times. This approach results in a remarkable texture and authentic taste that reflects the terroir and varietal of each wine. 

In line with this focus on non-invasive techniques, the wines are minimally filtered. Moreover, during harvest, great care is taken to achieve the perfect balance between sugars, acids, and phenolic ripeness by selecting the optimal moment for picking the grapes. Their wines rarely exceed 12% ABV. Since the majority of these vineyards are situated in cool or even very cool viticultural areas, they yield lower alcohol content, as well as higher acidity all without compromising their flavour profile. Duncan explains that this is how they achieve the clarity and expression of these terroirs in his wines.

Founded by two childhood friends who share a love of cycling and exploring the diverse terroirs of the region, the winery works with 24 different vineyards over California, each with its own distinctive character and potential. While they own only one vineyard, Que Syrah, they source grapes from six core sites on a regular basis, and use the rest as a playground for experimenting with new varietals (Ribolla Gialla, Trousseau, Gamay, Touriga Nacional, Falanghina) and expressions. The two founders have a remarkable intuition for finding exceptional sites and building lasting partnerships with the growers. They also have a strong commitment to organic and dry-farming practices and keep in constant communication with their growers, giving guidance on vine cultivation. Despite the vast distances they must drive every year, they make sure to visit each vineyard personally at least once, ensuring the highest quality of grapes and respect for the land.

We cannot neglect that the success of Arnot-Roberts is also due to the founders’ background in the area, their extensive experience in the wine industry, and their ability to connect with customers. Duncan’s experience working at restaurants such as the French Laundry has equipped him with the skills to not only craft exceptional wines but also effectively share their passion with the world.

Many people that start, they might be really great at the cellar, really great at the vineyards, but they don’t know how to speak.

Duncan Meyers

The wines

Our tasting session began with some barrel samples of the 2021 vintage. We first encountered a Chardonnay from Watson Ranch in Napa Valley. This southernmost vineyard in the county produces a cool climate fruit that yields a wine with a super tangy, zingy, and steely acidity. It was nearly ready for bottling, but still displayed a vibrant lime and saline character with virtually no oak influence.

Next, we sampled a Sauvignon Blanc from old vines in Mendocino, an interesting new venture for Arnot-Roberts. With zesty, lemony notes, salty minerality, and high acidity, it was a refreshing departure from the typical Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc style.

We then tasted a Cabernet Franc from Watson Ranch, which offered a bright, cherry-forward palate with soft tannins and high acidity. It lacked the typical graphite nuances of this variety. This wine, despite its youth and barrel maturation, was remarkably harmonious and seemed to be an excellent companion for food (as well as a vin gouleyant).

A Santa Cruz Cabernet Sauvignon followed, featuring a rich and aromatic profile with cassis, pencil shavings, graphite, and violets. The tannins were youthful but not harsh, promising a beautiful evolution over time. The wine was aged in 10-15% new French oak barrels. It originated from a mountainous vineyard overlooking Apple’s Cupertino headquarters. The site has very poor soils and is dry-farmed, resulting in very small berries with a high skin-to-pulp ratio.

As we were in the midst of a heat wave and his refrigerated cellar was fully wide open, Duncan opted to shut the door and serve us some bottled wines. He arrived pushing a mobile table that enables them to conduct tastings flexibly anywhere they please.

We first sampled an intriguing rosé blend of 67% Touriga Nacional, 10% Tinta Cao, 20% Gamay and a bit of Grenache, Arnot-Roberts – Rosé 2021. The result was a fruity, floral, and concentrated wine with a texture reminiscent of López de Heredia’s offerings. It showed more depth and body than the typical Provence rosé. As Duncan has a preference for Corsican rosés, we wondered if they took some inspiration from that region. This rosé, while not intended for extensive aging, was a pleasure to drink and demonstrates Arnot-Roberts’ versatility as winemakers.

One of the notable wines produced by Arnot-Roberts is their Ribolla Gialla, a grape variety that has been gaining popularity in recent years. We tried the Arnot-Roberts – Ribolla Gialla Vare Vineyard Napa Valley 2020. The grafts originate from Gravner’s vineyard, have brought along a viral disease with them that causes unevenness in the size of the berries. This wine is characterized by its youthful and mineral-driven profile, with restrained saline flavours and an astringent palate. Duncan agreed that these needed five years or so to develop those notes of honey and acacia that we know well from Gravner.

Another standout offering from Arnot-Roberts is their Chardonnay from Haynes Vineyards (Arnot-Roberts – Chardonnay Haynes Vineyards Coombsville 2020), a wine that exudes elegance and precision. With production limited to just two barrels (they share the plot with Matthiason), this Chardonnay is a true gem for those who can get their hands on it. The wine’s Chablis-like character, with notes of white peach and floral aromas, showcases the winemakers’ ability to balance fruit and minerality in their wines. Duncan cites Jean-Marc Roulot as a reference here too.

Arnot-Roberts’ red wines are no less impressive. Their Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, produced in the cooler Chalk Hill region (Arnot-Roberts – Cabernet Sauvignon Clajeux Vineyard Chalk Hill 2019), it is superb. It has smooth tannins and a rich, yet refined fruit expression, that could easily pass for a high-quality Cabernet Franc. It lacks the dark fruit notes of a typical Cabernet Sauvignon, and instead it has abundant aromas of lavender and pencil shavings that enhance its elegance.

Perhaps the crowning jewel of Arnot-Roberts’ portfolio is their Qué Syrah (Arnot-Roberts – Syrah Que Syrah Vineyard Sonoma Coast 2020), a wine that captivates the senses from the first sniff. Intense aromas of lavender, garrigue, rosemary, and bramble envelop the nose, while soft, velvety tannins and a bright acidity create a truly memorable experience on the palate. We have tried a lot of Syrah and this is probably one of the best ones we have ever had. Having tasted a lot of Syrah, we can confidently say that this is one of the finest examples we have ever encountered. Duncan revealed to us that the Graillot family, renowned producers in the Rhone, were so impressed by this wine that they decided to distribute it in France and make it available at Maison Pic, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant of Anne-Sophie Pic.

Duncan loves blind tasting and he had prepared a surprise for us at the end of our visit. He presented us with an extra bottle to taste blind and challenged us to guess its origin. We were stumped and ventured a guess of a Langue Nebbiolo. To our astonishment, it turned out to be a 2010 Irancy from Dauvissat.

Conclusions

Arnot-Roberts represents a paradigm shift in California’s wine history by advancing the concept of terroir in this New World region. Through their keen eye for selecting exceptional vineyards and their daring experimentation with new varietals, they apply a non-invasive and personal approach to produce wines that reflect the distinctive characteristics of California’s diverse terroirs. This is evident in their remarkable textures, lively acidity, and expressive aromas. The wines we tasted, from the sublime Chardonnay to the mesmerizing Syrah, were not only stunning but also deep and captivating. This is a winery to keep track of – and to taste – as its wines are likely to become more scarce and sought-after in the future.