Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts, along with a small group of fellow trailblazers, have led the way in helping redefine what California wine can be and taste like. Their wines have a deep sense of terroir, refined and elegant structure and are deliciously complex. In 2001, when they began this endeavor, finding local wines with these qualities was tough. But along with their aforementioned colleagues, they started a small revolution and these days you can walk into many a wine shop and find an example of what's been coined, “The New California Wine”.

But, perhaps a better sobriquet for Duncan and Nathan's wines might be The New California Classic. Their wines are a nod to the great California wines made in the decades before Parkerization. They have shown that California is capable of producing wines that shine in their youth and will gracefully age to glorious full maturity.

Arnot Roberts has become synonymous with New California wine in a lot of ways. Since their founding in 2001, they've spent a lot of time scouring the state for some of the best previously unknown vineyard sites, doing so with a respect for the environment that is nothing short of remarkable. They work with all their growers to encourage organic farming and minimize their environmental impact: these are wines that are not only delicious, but that you can feel good about drinking.

Like all great winemakers, the cornerstone of Duncan and Nathan’s approach starts in the vineyard. They are dedicated to finding super distinct and unique sites from Mendocino in the North to the Santa Cruz Mountains South of the Bay Area. Their enormous respect for California’s terroir have led them to some of the state’s most celebrated vineyards. But they aren’t just about the famous sites; they know the state is full of amazing and still unheralded regions and they’ve done an incredible job of hunting out great vines in very special spots.

Professional Reviews

What importer Polaner Selections has to say about this wine...

Vineyard
The Trout Gulch vineyard sits at 800’ above the tiny town of Aptos, about 4 miles from the ocean in Santa Cruz county. The site was planted in 1980 to the old Wente clone of Chardonnay which is considered by many to be the heritage selection of Chardonnay in California.The soils in this cool climate site are sandy loam and the vines are carefully tended by Richard Alfaro. Harvest often stretches until mid October and the resulting wines are high in natural acidity with a notable salinity on the palate. We are excited to work with such a special site and think the wines we have produced so far from this plot will age well in the cellar for years to come.
Soil
Sandy loam soils
Viticulture
Organic methods are used in this dry farmed site with 35 year old Old Wente clone Chardonnay
Vinification
Picked at 21 brix, whole cluster pressed, native yeast fermentation in stainless steel
Aging
10 months in neutral French oak