v18. Very nice. Dusty, soft smoke nose. Bright cherry fruit. Medium, zippy pepper and earth finish. Nicely balanced. — 6 months ago
Really great. — 10 months ago
Always enjoy Arista. Pulled out this gem from the cellar. — 2 months ago
Chef Charlie Palmer's Pigs & Pinot Sonoma annual weekend event:
Ultimate pinot smackdown Sat afternoon.
4 master somms present 4 of their fav pinots and try to sell you on their choice.
Wines: Bruliam, Pig Named Stella, Resonance, Kosta Browne, Blue Farm, Lucia, Tendril, Dakel, Arista, Foxen, Antica Terra, Dalrymple, La Rochelle, Melville, Gramercy, Copain..16 tastings about 2 bottles of wine per person...ooooccchhh!
Winner:
Lucia vineyard - 2021 Soberanes vineyard
Runner up:
Blue Farm wines - 2019 Anne Katherine vin. — 6 months ago
I’ve opened a few Ferren Frei Rd chards (normally in the 4-5yr range) and have enjoyed them, but this was my first Lancel Creek. With the release coming up in a few weeks, I wanted to check in and figure out the profile. I’m between a 93-94 here.
Made by Matt Courtney (formerly at Marcassin, also winemaker at Arista). Beautiful straw colored in the glass with maybe a tinge of green, the aromatics are honeysuckle, sweet lemon, and sea salted almonds. I found this to be very similar to the Frei Rd in regards to acidity. So nervy all the way through. Totally coastal, but with a soft touch of rich fruit. Also similar to the Frei Rd, this is lemon everything (fresh squeezed lemon, lemon cream, lemon scone) but the mineral profile is more enhanced here. There’s a stone/slate vibe toward the finish that keeps this light on its feet. Oak is soft and plays a contributing role, not a dominating one.
I enjoyed this at pop and pour, then revisited 2-3hrs later and found the acidity had calmed down a bit. Definitely give this a decant now if possible, or hold a few more years. — a year ago
Chef Charlie Palmer's Pigs & Pinot Sonoma annual weekend event:
A Taste of pigs & pinot on Friday night.
60 pinot wineries: Arista, Bacigalupi, Boars View, Kosta Browne. Martinelli, Rochioli, Siduri, Sojourn, William Selyem, Lucia, Flowers, Blue farms, Etc.
Judges pinot winner of the night:
1) 2020 Papapietro Perry..peters vineyard
2) 2019 Baldassari Wines runner up.
15 Chef showcases: all pork dishes.
Charlie Palmer, Bryan Voltaggio, Maneet Chauhan, Elizabeth Falkner, and various Healdsburg restaurants. — 6 months ago
Fruit forward. Slight peppery finish. — 2 years ago
Brandon Thiessen
Nice bright lemon acid, slate, petrichor; citrus zest bitterness on the finish; lacks the depth of a German Riesling but still lovely. — 22 days ago