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Arcadian Winery
| Owner(s) | Joe Davis |
| Web site | www.arcadianwinery.com |
| Link to this site |
Arcadian Winery Winegrower Joe Davis is a believer in Old World (Burgundy) methods of crafting fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A classicist, his wines often need a few years to really offer their charms. As writer Dennis Schaefer has said, “Almost every winemaker who makes Pinot Noir professes to follow the Burgundian model. And, more or less that’s true. But with some winemakers, the ‘less’ part is apparent, and plenty of shortcuts may be employed. With winemaker Joe Davis, everything is always ‘more’ Burgundian.”
Founded in 1996, Arcadian owns no vineyards, but Joe spends considerable time in his contracted vineyards from Monterey, Santa Maria and Santa Barbara counties, making him as much a farmer as a winemaker. He was mentored by noted winemaker Dan Lee Morgan of Morgan Winery.
Production is 8,000 cases annually of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The wines are released after extended barrel aging and often lag the market by one or two vintages. Arcadian exports wine to thirteen countries.
The winery is at 4457 Santa Rosa Road, Lompoc. Tours and tasting by appointment. 805-688-8799. The wines are sold on the website with some retail distribution.
Articles About Arcadian Winery
Fiddlestix Vineyard (7.3 10/1/2008)
Pisoni Vineyard: Pinot Noir from Heaven (8.2 10/3/2009)
Small Sips of California Pinot Noir: Just Drink It (7.3 10/1/2008)
Sta. Rita Hills Wine & Fire (6.33 7/23/2007)
WOPN: 7th Heaven for Pinot Geeks (6.18 3/5/2007)
Reviewed Wines
2005 Arcadian Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
13.8% alc.,
$60.
·
Lightest in color of all the Pisoni bottlings. Appealing aromas of black
cherries, spice, straw, herbs and a touch of barnyard. Tasty black cherry,
blueberry fruit with a tangy finish. Very soft dry tannins. This is a very Burgundian
interpretation of the Pisoni Vineyard, more austere than all the other Pisoni
Vineyard bottlings, with an appeal that sneaks up on you.
Reviewed October 3, 2009
ARTICLE »
2004 Arcadian Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
15.8%
alc., $50. Co-owner and winemaker Davis has been a close friend of
Kathy Joseph's and began sourcing fruit from Fiddlestix Vineyard in 2001.
·
Dark reddish-purple wine showing very ripe, raisiny and oak-infused
aromas. Cooked dark fruit flavors with grippy tannins, tangy acidity and a
dry, tart finish.
Reviewed October 1, 2008
ARTICLE »
2003 Arcadian Rio Vista Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
A blend of clones 115 and 667
·
This is more
restrained than many Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noirs featuring tart cherry flavors and
bracing acidity. This won’t disappoint at the dinner table.
Reviewed July 23, 2007
ARTICLE »
2003 Arcadian Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
$80.
·
From the most coveted block of the famed Pisoni
Vineyard. Many people say Joe’s Pisoni Pinot Noir is the most “unpisoni” of
the many that are produced from this vineyard. It really amounts to an interpretation
of the site and Joe prefers a more modest, medium-bodied, and understated
style that offers plenty of restrained power beautifully matched with a silky texture and bright acidity
at the end. I also sampled the
Reviewed March 5, 2007
ARTICLE »
2002 Arcadian Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
$50. Joe says the grapes from
Fiddlestix can have considerable structure and tannin and it takes some clever
skill to “tame the beast.”
·
This is a current release and shows off what Joe’s wines
do with a little bottle age. Plenty of complexity here with charming earth, leather
and soy notes and dusty tannins.
Reviewed July 23, 2007
ARTICLE »
2001 Arcadian Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
$82 (current retail). Joe Davis crafts this
wine differently than many working with Pisoni fruit. He picks less ripe and strives for balance and elegance.
·
A
sturdy wine that is still supple. Ripe, smoky dark fruits, oak spice and barnyard on the nose. Cassis, plum and
earth flavors leading to a dry and citric finish with zippy acidity. Drinking beautifully now.
Reviewed October 1, 2008
ARTICLE »
2005 Arcadian Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
13.8% alc., $60. · Lightest in color of all the Pisoni bottlings. Appealing aromas of black cherries, spice, straw, herbs and a touch of barnyard. Tasty black cherry, blueberry fruit with a tangy finish. Very soft dry tannins. This is a very Burgundian interpretation of the Pisoni Vineyard, more austere than all the other Pisoni Vineyard bottlings, with an appeal that sneaks up on you. Reviewed October 3, 2009 ARTICLE »
2004 Arcadian Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
15.8% alc., $50. Co-owner and winemaker Davis has been a close friend of Kathy Joseph's and began sourcing fruit from Fiddlestix Vineyard in 2001. · Dark reddish-purple wine showing very ripe, raisiny and oak-infused aromas. Cooked dark fruit flavors with grippy tannins, tangy acidity and a dry, tart finish. Reviewed October 1, 2008 ARTICLE »
2003 Arcadian Rio Vista Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
A blend of clones 115 and 667 · This is more restrained than many Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noirs featuring tart cherry flavors and bracing acidity. This won’t disappoint at the dinner table. Reviewed July 23, 2007 ARTICLE »
2003 Arcadian Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
$80. · From the most coveted block of the famed Pisoni Vineyard. Many people say Joe’s Pisoni Pinot Noir is the most “unpisoni” of the many that are produced from this vineyard. It really amounts to an interpretation of the site and Joe prefers a more modest, medium-bodied, and understated style that offers plenty of restrained power beautifully matched with a silky texture and bright acidity at the end. I also sampled the Reviewed March 5, 2007 ARTICLE »
2002 Arcadian Fiddlestix Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
$50. Joe says the grapes from Fiddlestix can have considerable structure and tannin and it takes some clever skill to “tame the beast.” · This is a current release and shows off what Joe’s wines do with a little bottle age. Plenty of complexity here with charming earth, leather and soy notes and dusty tannins. Reviewed July 23, 2007 ARTICLE »
2001 Arcadian Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
$82 (current retail). Joe Davis crafts this wine differently than many working with Pisoni fruit. He picks less ripe and strives for balance and elegance. · A sturdy wine that is still supple. Ripe, smoky dark fruits, oak spice and barnyard on the nose. Cassis, plum and earth flavors leading to a dry and citric finish with zippy acidity. Drinking beautifully now. Reviewed October 1, 2008 ARTICLE »
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