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

Harvest
Mother Nature provided difficult cool weather conditions throughout 1999. Then, rains at flowering eliminated any chance of a complete fruit set. This in turn brought about low yields. Throughout the spring and summer, it remained cool and because ripening lagged behind schedule, we were forced to tediously green-harvest undeveloped grapes that otherwise might have imparted bitter flavors to the wine. In mid-September a heat spike settled in and lasted about four days. Pinot Noir turned the corner in flavor development and we began harvest in optimum conditions with beautiful fruit coming to us from both block One and block T. Very little triage (sorting) was needed and what little crop we received went directly into open-top bins for fermentation. Our yields averaged about 1.5 tons to the acre.

The Vineyard
The number of truly great vineyards in the world is very limited and only time will verify which vineyards will maintain that status. Bien Nacido Vineyard is often recognized as one of the premier Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Vineyard in Santa Barbara County. Many critics equate it to the great vineyards of Burgundy. Perhaps that is why critics and fans alike have euphemistically referred to Santa Barbara County as Santa Burgundy.

The grapes for this wine came from block T and block One. T block is clone-22 planted to a cane-prune system on 7x12 spacing. Block One is planted on an extremely steep slope to clones 115, Pommard, and Mount Eden. Soils consist of elder loam, a well-drained sandy loam that developed in alluvium derived in acid shale and sand stone. T block sits at 1500-ft elevation on a 9-15 % slope while block One is at 1600-ft elevation on a 20-25 % slope. Average annual rainfall is 12-18 inches. Average annual air temperature is about 58 °F, and the frost-free season is 240 to 300 days.

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 Jill's Cuvee Pinot Noir, he employed their traditional techniques to bring forth the distinct qualities of these particular rows within blocks T and One.

Only the best Pinot Noir grape clusters are handpicked in the vineyard in the early morning hours when the fruit is still cool. Pinot Noir has a tendency to ferment very quickly thus preventing the wine full color and flavor extraction. To arrest the on-set of immediate fermentation, dry ice is added to the small open top fermenting vats. This "cold soak" (at 45 °F) slows fermentation while 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 the total acid and imparts softness to the wine. The grapes are pigeaged (foot treaded) 3-5 times daily to extract color and tannins. We then press the wine at 2-3% sugar and allow it to complete fermentation in barrel; this helps integrate the qualities of oak in the wine. The wine was aged in new François Frères 75% French oak barrels for 16 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered.