Once in awhile, you hit the right bottle at just the right moment, and the fireworks go off. That was tonight’s 2001 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir.
Just wow. Beautiful strawberry fruit, a bit of cherry and cherry pit, some warm sage, inviting hints of baking spice and citrus, finishes with good acids and a bit of a chalky mineral note. A light patina of antiquity and maturity hints at the age of the wine, but it’s really quite fresh and lively in the ways that matter.
Pure elegance and balance in the glass. I wish I could share a glass with a bunch of y’all so you could experience how lovely this is. This would go with most foods or just shine by itself. I just had some gluten free matzo crackers with olive tapenade (hurray for getting old and the stuff you can still eat).
If you have a bottle of this, first, be very thankful, and second, maybe give one a look this year. I don’t think it’s declining, but I doubt it can get better than this, either.
Wow. Awesome, Chris! Thanks for resurrecting a thread that made me remember a special night and a great wine. So great to hear this is still firing, though not surprising. Wish I had a few more bottles. Joe Davis, California Pinot Noir Jedi. Damn good wines. Damn good.
Chris - thanks for the great note! This was my epiphany wine that turned me on to pinots when I first started drinking wine! Glad I have a few more left in the cellar…
Arcadian made some amazing wines in 2001. I opened a 2001 Gary’s Pinot last year for my blind Zoom tasting group and it showed just as well as it did over 10 years ago at a Leo’s blind wine tasting with everyone guessing Burgundy (again).
I took Max back to Amherst MA to get him moved into his dorm room. He will be attending the Isenberg business school at UMass for Sports Management. Anyway a train ride to Norwalk last weekend to meet with my NY/CT distributor Rob Mackin of Artisan wines led to a dinner and he opened a 2001 Garys’ and a 2003 Francesca both were sublime and still fresh and so youthful. Some vintages just allow for long lives.
Too tie this all together Jim Morrison who is Rob’s sales rep in CT sold Chao Chao those bottles of 2001 Sleepy Hollow.
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