Arnot-Roberts "Rosé" Lake County, California 2023

FROM ARNOT-ROBERTS

THE WINE: We began making Rosé from Touriga Nacional in 2010. We were compelled by the grape’s deep color, brilliant acidity and aromatic complexity even at low sugar content. Touriga is a late-ripening Portuguese variety that needs some heat to mature, and we have sought out vineyards suited to this hearty variety.

The original fruit source came from the rocky volcanic soils of the Luchsinger vineyard, located at 1400′ in the Clear Lake AVA. In 2015, we added Touriga from St. Amant, planted in sandy granitic loam at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Amador County. In 2021 we discovered Touriga at St. Jorge vineyard in Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA, planted in granitic alluvial soils amidst steady delta breezes. We also utilized the intriguing Tinta Cão from this site, and in 2022 we added Trincadeira as well. In 2021 we began working with Touriga from the Pierce Ranch, situated in the remote San Antonio Valley of southern Monterey County, marked by sandy clay soils with white diatomaceous rock known as Monterey Shale. Additionally, we were able to source a small block of Grenache from the incredible Fenaughty vineyard situated at 2,800’ elevation in the Sierra Foothills above Placerville.

The fruit from all of these vineyard sites is hand-harvested, then lightly crushed by foot to release some color prior to pressing. The juice is fermented with native yeasts and full native malolactic in all stainless steel tanks, then blended together to harmonize prior to bottling in early January.

THE PRODUCER: Arnot-Roberts was founded in Healdsburg in 2001 by childhood friends Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts. Beginning with one barrel of wine made in their basement, the winery started small and grew slowly by sourcing grapes from some of the most remarkable vineyards in California. Duncan and Nathan grew up together in the Napa Valley and from an early age were immersed in the rhythm of agrarian life surrounded by the vineyards and winemaking of the early 1980’s. Both of their families, while not directly involved in winemaking, were deeply rooted in the community as chefs, coopers, teachers and attorneys in what, at the time, was a small up and coming wine region. After college, the duo followed their passion into the wine industry with Nathan joining his father as a cooper of oak wine barrels and Duncan pursuing winemaking in several renowned wineries in Napa and Sonoma counties.

The focus of Arnot-Roberts is to produce distinctive, site-driven wines that highlight the nature of the unique terroirs in which the grapes are grown. The journey to this end has led Duncan and Nathan to seek out vineyards throughout Northern California and now includes incredible sites in Napa Valley, Sonoma Coast, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Rita Hills, Clearlake and Sierra Foothills. Single-vineyard wines are the core of the production as well as a few appellation bottlings that clearly speak of their individual upbringings. Some of the vineyards are old and dry-farmed, some are newer plantings but all are farmed and cared for by passionate and conscientious growers, which is paramount to the fundamental goal of Arnot-Roberts: producing the most honest and expressive wines possible.