Our Philosophy
At Arcadian, we strive to create wine that fully expresses the distinct characteristics of each vineyard and California's Central Coast region. To this end, whenever possible, we gain control over the vineyard by leasing the land as opposed to just purchasing the grapes. By controlling yields from these vineyards and keeping them very low (we farm our Pinot Noir to 2-2.5 tons to the acre), we increase grape quality. The resulting wine speaks more about where it came from than about who made it. This "somewhereness" vs. "someoneness" concept appeals to us because we believe the best wine is made in the vineyard and less in the winery

The Vineyard
The number of truly great vineyards in the world are very limited and only time will tell verify which vineyards will earn the right to be labeled so. Bien Nacido Vineyard has achieved that status in a relatively short period. Today recognized as the premier Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Vineyard in Santa Barbara County, many critics have often compared it to the great vineyards of Burgundy. Maybe that is why Santa Barbara County has been euphemistically referred to as Santa Burgundy by critics and fans alike.

The grapes for this wine came out of N block and T block. N block is clone 13 planted to a vertical shoot trellis on 7x12 spacing. T block is clone 22 planted to a cane prune system on 7x12 spacing. Soils consist of elder loam, a well-drained sandy loam that developed in alluvium derived in acid shale and sandstone. These two blocks sit at 1500 feet elevation on a 9-15% slope. The average rainfall is 12 to 18 inches. The average annual air temperature is about 58°F, and the frost-free season is 240 to 300 days per year.

The Production
The wines of Burgundy have long captivated Arcadian Winery's winemaker, Joe Davis. He has studied and emulated those Burgundian artisans he most admires and for this bottling of Pisoni Pinot Noir, he employed their traditional techniques to bring forth the uniqueness of these particular rows within blocks N and T.

Only the best Pinot Noir grape clusters are sorted in the vineyard and then hand picked. After sorting the fruit again when it reaches the winery, the stems are evaluated to determine percentages of whole cluster versus whole berry for fermentation. If the stems have lignified to a brown, the grapes are fermented 100% whole cluster. (If not, all or a portion of the fruit is de-stemmed and only whole berries are fermented).

Dry ice is then added to the fermenting vats to arrest immediate fermentation. This "cold soak" (at 45 °) slows fermentation saturating the juice with rich fruit flavor and true Pinot Noir color from prolonged contact with the grape skins. Concomitant with the primary fermentation is malolactic fermentation (malic acid to lactic acid) which reduces total acid and imparts softness to the wine. With frequent pigeage (foot treading) and careful monitoring, Joe Davis allows the sugar in the juice to drop to 1-2 ° Brix. The juice is then immediately pressed into 100% new French oak barrels. The wine completes fermentation in barrel fully integrating the qualities of oak in the wine. The wine is aged 13 - 16 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Further cellar aging is recommended for this wine to reach its full potential.