Arnot Roberts - Cabernet Franc Watson Ranch 2022

This is amongst their rarest bottlings. The grapes come from Watson Ranch in a fog laden, wind swept corner of Carneros, Napa Valley which boast 25-year-old vines rooted into organically farmed clay over limestone soils. The juice is whole sbunch fermented with native yeasts and aged for 12 months in French oak. The earthy and peppery aromas and flavors are quintessentially Loire Valley bit with a freshness to the sun kissed fruit that plants its flag squarely in the Golden State

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”. 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.
 

The 2022 Cabernet Franc Watson Ranch is a wild, exotic wine that marries Loire-like pepperiness with a good dose of California sunshine, showing off notes of white pepper, sage, mint and blood orange. The 2022 is a super-distinctive wine, but one that requires an inquisitive palate to appreciate its charms. It’s a gorgeous wine in every way. - Antonio Galloni