Archery Summit Arcus Pinot Noir 2012

Professional Ratings

• 95 Wine Enthusiast
  Complex, classy winemaking is evident from the first sniff to the final sip. Savory notes of green tea and clean earth complement a terroir-driven wine. The notes and nuances pile on—flowers and fruits, cherry and cassis, with a whiff of barnyard and undergrowth. The lingering, expressive finish is already boggling, and seems sure to continue to evolve gracefully through 2025–2030.
• 91 Wine Spectator
  Firm in texture, with focused cherry and spice flavors weaving between the tannins, finishing with a chile pepper bite. Aims for majesty, but will need time to achieve it. Best after 2016.
• 90 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2012 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir is the largest single-vineyard bottling from Archery Summit, planted in a bowl that holds the heat. This was picked October 8-18 and aged for 11 months in 38% new French oak. It has an exuberant bouquet with blackcurrant pastilles, orange rind and even a touch of marmalade, nicely focused and gaining vigor in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, a light saline touch, hints of white pepper coming through toward the finish with just a touch of glycerine that is accentuated with aeration. It offers moderate complexity but also a very long, spicy finish that lingers long after the wine has departed. This is one of the better releases from Archery Summit, though it comes with that three-digit price tag.