The Beautiful 2023 Trousseau (and more) from Arnot-Roberts!
12/3/24 -
It's a rare occurrence when a wine comes along that has each of us at Chambers Street in complete agreement, and perhaps even rarer when we can all agree that it's good! Such was the case last week when our friend Hannah at Polaner left us a bottle of the 2023 Arnot-Roberts Trousseau, which had all of us singing its praises before being swiftly emptied sooner than anyone would have liked. It was just so eminently drinkable, with nuance, energy and a profound sense of joy that made everyone's eyes light up a bit. It brought me back to the whole essence of wine, which is to be shared and enjoyed and not always picked apart and examined in the way we so often like to do. That's not to say this isn't an interesting bottle - Trousseau is still fairly uncommon in California, and even in its native Jura was not often made into a single-varietal wine before the 1970s. It possesses a fascinating combination of bright wild berry fruit and savory spice, light on its feet but layered and complex with subtle tannins that add tension and depth. It's a wine you can sit and ruminate with, but also one that you could bring to a gathering and have everyone asking "what is this delicious wine?!"
Arnot-Roberts, founded in 2001 by Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts, has long made some of our favorite California wines working with a number of incredible vineyards and oftentimes utilizing less-common varietals. Their rosé of mostly Touriga Nacional was a summer favorite, and even when they do classics like Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel there's an added layer of dimension and character that you only get from meticulous winemaking and a deep understanding of the California viticultural landscape. Located in Healdsburg, they source fruit from vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma Coast, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Rita Hills, Clearlake and Sierra Foothills to make distinct wines of terroir that showcase the land, the farming and the grapes themselves. In addition to the wonderful 2023 Trousseau we are happy to feature some of their other recent releases, including a layered and ethereal Sauvignon Blanc, a cheerful and buoyant Gamay plus single-vineyard Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc. While the Trousseau is truly a special wine, each of these are expressive and full of life in a way that's impossible not to love!
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