My wife and I feel blessed to be living the the Bay Area for many reasons, not the least of which is the our proximity to wine country.  We live within a 90 minute drive to the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Livermore Valley, Lodi,  and the Santa Cruz Mountains wine regions.

Naturally, as wine lovers, we frequently go wine tasting.

From time to time we have a wine tasting experience that stands above the rest, and is everything we’re looking for – great wine and commendable service in a relaxed environment.

Arrow&Branch was such an experience.

Disclosure:  I received a complimentary wine tasting; opinions are my own

 About Arrow&Branch

Arrow&Branch proprietors Steve and Seanne Contursi share a great love for the wines of Bordeaux, particularly those produced with a large quantity of Cabernet Franc, such as Château Cheval Blanc.  The couple began their romance while traveling through Bordeaux in the mid 1980’s.    In 2007, they began to make their dream of producing top-quality Bordeaux varietal wines in the Napa Valley come true when they purchased their 3.5 acre estate vineyard in the Coombsville.  They acquired the property from Etude Wines founder Tony Soter, a renowned Napa Valley winemaker and prominent wine consultant.  The organic vineyard was the source of Soter’s renowned and highly rated “Little Creek” Cabernet Franc.  They added 1.5 contiguous acres to their estate vineyard in 2011.

The Contursi’s established Arrow&Branch in 2008.  Arrow&Branch was chosen as the name for the Contursis’ winery as a reference to numismatics. Steve Contursi has been a professional numismatist since 1975 and specializes in historically significant, museum quality U.S. coins.  Found on the reverse of most United States coinage is an eagle holding an olive branch and arrows in its talons. The Arrow&Branch name pays homage to both U.S. coinage and Americana.

Contursi, is the founder and president of Rare Coin Wholesalers. He has bought and sold over $1 billion worth of rare United States, including the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, the first silver dollar made for the United States, which was sold for a world record $7.85 million in 2010.

They first commercial release of wine was in 2009, made by their first winemaker Helen Keplinger.   Jennifer Williams (formerly the winemaker at Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery) one of the rising stars of Napa Valley winemaking, was named Winemaker for Arrow&Branch in April 2011.

[easy-image-collage id=29640]

Since May 2017 Arrow&Branch has hosted their private tastings at the historic Wheeler Farms Winery Hospitality House.  The Wheeler Farms Winery Hospitality House is the latest project from Bart and Daphne Araujo.  It was designed by architects Taylor Lombardo to express the agricultural history of the property, and includes a state of the art custom crush facility and an inviting and luxurious hospitality space.

Wines Tasted

2016 Arrow & Branch Sauvignon Blanc – USA, California, Napa Valley
Color – Pale straw yellow
Aromas – Gooseberry, stone fruit, citrus and a hint of white flower
Body – Medium-bodied with bright acidity
Taste – Gooseberry, ripe peach, pink grapefruit, lemon and lime with a kiss of pineapple
Finish – Medium+

100% Sauvignon Blanc: 85% Musque Clone, 15% Clone 1 and Clone 6. Barrel fermented. Raised in 35% Stainless steel and 65% French oak (25% 1 yr old, 75% neutral)

14.1% abv | SRP – $35| 143 cases| (90 pts.)

2013 Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label – USA, California, Napa Valley
Color – Opaque garnet
Aromas – Exuberant blueberry, red cherry, and violets complicated by graphite and spice
Body – Medium-bodied, elegant, very fresh and superbly balanced with silky tannins
Taste – Blackberry, cassis , black cherry with subtle spice and dark chocolate notes
Finish – Long

A blend of 95.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot sourced from the steep slopes of Stagecoach Vineyard overlooking Oakville in the Atlas Peak AVA and well-drained alluvial soils of the Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena AVA. Aged 20 months in French oak; 80% new

14.8% abv|SRP – $100| 245 cases (92 pts.)

2013 Arrow & Branch Red Wine Bordeaux Blend– USA, California, Napa Valley
Color – Opaque violet
Aromas – Expansive and appealing black and red fruit, warm spice, toasty oak, damp earth, and a hint of floral aromas.
Body – Full-bodied, but beautifully balanced with ample fruit deftly moderated with refreshing acidity and velvety well-integrated tannins
Taste – Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, espresso, graphite and cacao.
Finish – Long

A blend of 59% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot.  Aged 20 months in French oak; 70% new.

14.8% abv|SRP – $125|250 cases (92 pts.)

2013 Arrow & Branch Beckstoffer Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard – USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville
Color – Opaque ruby
Aromas – Exuberant and complex with dark berries, violet, blueberry compote, vanilla, anise, clove and a hint of smoke
Body – Full-bodied and refined with ample fruit moderated by invigorating acidity and well-integrated dusty tannins
Taste – Blackberry, cassis, black cherry, vanilla, dark chocolate, espresso and licorice
Finish – Long

100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 20 in French oak; 72% new

14.8% abv| SRP – $175| 308 cases (93 pts.)

All the wine tasted were outstanding, and the Wheeler Farms Winery Hospitality House is an amazing space for Arrow&Branch’s luxury seated wine tasting experience!  If you’re looking for a private relaxed upscale Napa Valley wine tasting experience, I highly recommend Arrow&Branch.   The wine tastings are available by appointment.  Details may be found  on the Arrow&Branch website.

________________________________________________________________________

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vivino and Delectable, for all things wine.  As a wino with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find plenty of food and wine pairings, and wine related travel stuff! Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers!

Copyright Notice: This entire site is Copyrighted 2010-2018. All Rights Reserved. No unauthorized copying of any section of this site is permitted. If you wish to use any part of this site, contact me. For information on Copyright Law, see the official U.S. Copyright Office home page.