Tom Casagrande

9.0

Took awhile for this to open up, but after a hour the nose showed new leather, sandstoney gravel, a bit of spice, and slightly dried cherry fruit. Lean and structured in the mouth, this seems like it will benefit from a few more years of aging. Certainly enjoyable now, though. — 6 months ago

Ron from VA

9.3

Wowza…a full 10 years from harvest and this VIRGINIA chard is sooo beautiful and on point!! Complexity of baked tree fruit with vanilla bean crème brûlée….remarkable structure still hold up this sweet gentle oak mountain top cabin of a blue ridge Chardonnay. Spectacular! We’ll dome Nathan and terroir! Only the 2nd chard vintage from this site, too. PTL — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.3

This was tasted briefly at pop and pour and was then consumed from the decanter over the next few hours. Whereas the FAY was quite open, plush and had a sweeter fruited profile, this was a bit more brooding and layered. The fruit here is more red and black, with graphite, dark chocolate and mocha aromatics. Really nice depth on the mid palate with quite a strong tannic finish. Black cherries to the core with a streak of savory herbs and red clay down the middle…nice representation of Stag’s Leap district. I can see this improving with another 5-7yrs. — 4 years ago

Ben Tang

9.0

Bright acidity (med-high), some deep red and purple fruit notes, cassis/currant. Aromatic and medium tannins, smooth yet slightly grippy. Not the longest finish and body is quite light. Almost floral. Drinks like an excited young kid version of a barolo, like an even lighter babaresco. — 6 months ago

Leslie

9.7

Wow, opens with dark stewed cherries, cocoa and hints of violet....yes violet on the nose and palate. Beautifully smooth tannins and mouth coating richness. Very long finish. — 3 years ago

with David

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I am not the biggest fan of a lot of CA Chardonnays but, I have come to fully embrace Arnot-Roberts, this vintage & terrior.

This is not a wine you want well chilled...better just under room temperature. When well chilled, it loses too much of its beauty & sheer elegance. Shows more CA Chardonnay structure/backbone with big green apple. When it is cold it does pair better with the Lattebusche Piave Vecchio...a drier, harder cheese. When it warms, the best choice is the Jasper Hill Farms soft, full cream. white, Harbison.

After it has warmed & had about a half-hour of air, the nose is rounded, lush & ruby. Sweet & sour lemon, green & golden apple, overripe pineapple, guava, green melon, kiwi with skin, lime candy, caramel, gentle, white spice, just a glimmer of, herbaceousness, chalk, grey volcanics, melted, brown butter with yellow flowers/lilies, jasmine, spring flowers with mixed greens.

The body is rich, lush and full, a touch gluey with good viscosity. Sweet & sour lemon, green & golden apple, overripe pineapple, guava, green melon, kiwi with skin, tangerine, lime candy, honeysuckle, caramel, cream, gentle, white spice, just a glimmer of, herbaceousness, chalk, grey volcanics, limestone, melted, brown butter with yellow flowers/lilies, jasmine, spring flowers with mixed greens. The acidity is phat, round and really well done. The rich, well balanced, elegant, long finish is delicious, settling into persistent, delicate white spice.

Just misses 94.

Photos of; Arnot-Roberts vineyard, staff at harvest and Duncan Arnot Meyers (left) and Nathan Roberts in their vineyard in Forestville, where they have Trousseau planted. — 5 years ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

Elegant, understated, fresh. black currant & cassis, a hint of anise, nicely integrated wood. Enticing.
On the palate this is rich, creamy yet restrained & savoury. Perfectly balanced, juicy, plush tannins, filled with ripe black fruit. Beautiful mouthfeel & nice depth.
This is truly a nice one. — 8 months ago

Ron R

9.4

@Mike R and Rhonda - THANK YOU.
Very similar to the Macauley, just a little more extracted. But I felt this was slightly fuller on the palate, with a little more precision with the varietal expression. Again, another youthful wine with runway ahead of it. Marvelous now tho. — 2 years ago

with Mike and Anne-marie

Ian Hamel

9.4

2020/5/24 with grilled ribeye, eringi with fennel, tarragon and chives, whitebait aglio olio and radicchio salad. This had a wonderful balance of taut structure and fruit intensity, while still remaining light and translucent. That, with the red fruit and spice nose, gave it an almost Burgundian feel - it was also quite distinct from the other Fay bottles. — 4 years ago

Karrie Dies

9.5

A pretty and complex wine. Has red fruit, stem characters and peppery notes. SC mountains has amazing and underrated wines. I love the amount of acidity and layers. Nathan makes great wines. — 5 years ago