Tried these 3 last night:
1. Arnot-Roberts GrunerVeltliner AlfaroFamilyVnyd/SantaCruzMtns (12.2%; 2 brls) Healdsburg 2014: Light yellow bit cloudy color; light pear/GV slight floral/white pepper slight chalky very quiet/restrained nose; very tart/tangy/metallic/steely light white pepper/GV/pear/floral bit chalky rather lean flavor; med. quite tart/tangy/acidic/metallic very quiet GV/pear/floral finish; a very quiet/restrained somewhat vapid/eviscerated very unthrilling expression of GV.
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2. Arnot-Roberts Trousseau NorthCoast (12.6%; 1 Foudre/5 Puncheons/6 brls) 2014: Med.light ruby color; rather earthy/dusty/loamy light plummy/Trouss/bit licorice slight floral/lilacs/Alpine interesting nose; fairly tart/tangy light Trouss/plummy/licorice rather earthy/loamy/dusty light bodied slight oaked bit thin/eviscerated flavor w/ light tangy tannins; med.short tart/tangy light plummy/Trouss fairly earthy/loamy finish w/ light tannins; speaks some of Jura Trouss but rather on the light/vapid/lean side; interesting glou-glou red but not very thrilling.
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3. Arnot-Roberts Syrah NorthCoast (12.2%) 2014: Fairly dark color w/ little ricking; quite smokey/Rhonish/roasted/w-c/cracked black pepper some blackberry/Syrah/framboise so me earthy/dusty rather complex Rhonish nose; quite tart/tangy rather shrill/screechy strong w-c/black pepper/Rhonish/smokey/pungent some blackberry/Syrah/peppery/c-c light toasty/oak somewhat complex flavor w/ ample sharp/tangy tannins; very long tart/tannic/screechy some blackverry/c-c peppery rather Rhonish/w-c/roasted/smokey rather complex finish w/ some tangy tannins; lots of interesting w-c/c-c/Rhonish character but rather on the lean/screechy/pinched side on the palate; not showing much evolution; sorta hurts to drink but interesting.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Arnot-Roberts is/was one of the heroes of the late IPoB movement. I want so much to like their wines..but it's sometimes rather a struggle...as last night was. In their pursuit of low-alcohol, the wines oftentimes come across as lean/vapid/eviscerated...and certainly a long way from being in balance. The French can certainly deliver wines in the 11%-12% range that show ample flavor. But maybe not in Calif w/ very few exceptions. I've always hoped the high-acidities would yield complex wines down the road with age. Yet these three, at 6 yrs of age, failed to show any evolution at all. Sometimes I just feel like throwing in the towel. But still I persist & buy their wines. Guess I'm just a slow learner.
Tom