I had a very intense morning and I was not sure if I was going to make a tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, but the Gods approved and I was able to do a tasting of wines from Arrow & Branch Estate Vineyard of Napa Valley.  The winery pays homage to the Contursi family’s success in the rare coin business.  They are famed numismatists that have handled most of the fabled coins of the United States of America, and the ones that they haven’t are basically residing in permanent museum collections across the country.  The name refers to the eagle found on the obverse of most of the original coin design who is grasping arrows and an olive branch in its talons and it symbolizes that America is a peace-loving nation that is willing to defend itself in times of need.

The first wine was the Arrow & Branch Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Stagecoach Vineyard Atlas Peak 2022.  This wine is pure Sauvignon Blanc made entirely from the Stagecoach Vineyard from rootstock and Musque clones that were planted five years ago, specifically for Arrow & Branch.  The wine is Barrel Fermented and then aged on fine lees for five months in French Oak (both one year old and neutral).  There were two-hundred-twenty cases produced of this wine.  The very soft golden-yellow wine offered notes of citrus fruits and white florals and it was totally different from California Sauvignon Blanc wines.  On the palate there was perky grapefruit and other citrus fruits mingling with honey and flowers.  The bright acidity is what just jumps out at you, when tasting this wine, it is not a meek and mild wine, as this wine wants to be recognized for its own personality and it was very refreshing.

Then we had a bottle of wine that was brought in from their library to help envision how the wines would age.  We had a bottle of the Arrow & Branch Estate Vineyard Right Bank Blend Napa Valley 2012 ; the fruit was harvested from the Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena and the Stagecoach Vineyard at Atlas Peak.  The wine is a blend of fifty-eight percent Cabernet Franc with twenty-one percent Merlot and twenty-one percent Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine was barrel aged for twenty months, of which seventy-five percent was new.  The made two-hundred-fifty cases of this wine.  The deep purple wine offered notes of black and red fruit, black tea and “Sous-bois.”  On the palate for a ten-year-old wine there was still plenty of fruit, though evenly mellowed with the tannins and the alcohol for a very pleasant drinking wine and not even close to peaking.

Then we had the Arrow & Branch Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label Napa Valley 2019; the fruit was harvested from both the Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena and from the Beckstoffer “Dr. Crane” Vineyard. This wine was a blend of ninety-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent Merlot.  The wine was aged for twenty-two months in French Oak, of which seventy-five percent was new.  There were two-hundred-thirty cases produced.  This was a deep garnet colored wine that offered notes of black fruits, dark chocolate, and tobacco.  On the palate a very elegant understate wine with tones of the fruits, blending seamlessly with the tannins with a nice long count finish. In a blind tasting, I am quite positive that I would have claimed Bordeaux over Napa Valley.