USA, California, Sonoma County: Where the Wild Things Are
29th Jun 2018 | The Wine Advocate | 237 (Jun ‘18)
Wine Writer/Critic Lisa Perrotti-Brown visited and tasted with Winemaster/Proprietor Richard Arrowood this past May. In her recent Wine Advocate review she leads in to her Sonoma feature with how "incredibly excited by the amount of new discoveries and outside-the-box offerings that came my way. New faces, new grapes, new styles—yielding far more success stories than failures. And the best part of this story is that even the well-established vineyards continually strive to improve.”
We agree there is no resting on one’s laurels, even after a career that started in 1965 and continues 50+ years later. Amapola Creek by Richard Arrowood has been built on a solid foundation of making wines of "quality without compromise”. It is quite simply Richard’s quest to make his best wines ever and is the perfect example of the phrase “the best is yet to come.”
2017 Amapola Creek Chardonnay Jos. Belli Vineyards (Tank Sample) – 92-94 Points2017 Amapola Creek Rose Cuvee – 90 Points2016 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard (Barrel Sample)– 93-95 Points2016 Amapola Creek Cuvee Alis Estate Vineyard (Barrel Sample) – 91-93 Points2016 Amapola Creek Petite Sirah Monte Rosso Vineyard (Barrel Sample)– 93-95 Points2016 Amapola Creek Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – 93 Points2016 Amapola Creek Zinfandel Nuns Canyon – 94+ Points2015 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard – 94 Points2015 Amapola Creek Cuvee Alis Estate Vineyard – 92 Points2015 Amapola Creek Petite Sirah Monte Rosso Vineyard – 93+ Points2015 Amapola Creek Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – 93 Points2014 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard – 94 Points Click on this link to read the entire review
March 9th, 2017
Robert Parker Wine Advocate Issue 229, February 2017
Scores for Amapola Creek by Richard Arrowood
“Good things come to those who wait.” Recently Robert Parker Wine Advocate scored nine new and upcoming vintages of Amapola Creek wines by Richard Arrowood. We are happy to report.
2016 Amapola Creek Chardonnay Jos. Belli Vineyards (Barrel Sample)
92 -95
2016 Amapola Creek Rose Cuvee (Tank Samples)
93 -95
2015 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard (Barrel Sample)
92 -94
2015 Amapola Creek Cuvee Alis Estate Vineyard (Barrel Sample)
91 -93
2015 Amapola Creek Petite Sirah Monte Rosso Vineyard (Barrel Sample)
90 -92
2015 Amapola Creek Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard (Barrel Sample)
93 -95
2014 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard (Tank Sample)
93 -95
2014 Amapola Creek Cuvee Alis Estate Vineyard
92
2014 Amapola Creek Petite Sirah Monte Rosso Vineyard
90+
Click on this link to read the entire review.
March 4th, 2016
95
POINTS
USA, Northern California: Part III - Focusing Primarily on Sonoma
2015 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Jos. Belli Vineyards
The two vintages of Chardonnay I tasted come from the Jos. Belli Vineyard in Russian River. The 2015 Chardonnay Jos. Belli Vineyards was made from small yields, and according to Dick Arrowood, it is one of the top three vintages in his 50 years of experience. This wine offers loads of peach, honeysuckle, delicate apricot, caramelized citrus and apple blossom in a full-bodied, rich, discreetly oaked style. It is long, promising and super-concentrated. If this is an example of just how strong many 2015s will be, we’re in for another treat from Northern California. - Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate, Issue #223, March 2016
March 4th, 2016
90
POINTS
USA, Northern California: Part III - Focusing Primarily on Sonoma
2015 Rose Cuvée, Amapola Creek Estate Vineyard
For starters (and it’s a shame he doesn’t make more of it), the 2015 Rosé Estate Cuvée, a Grenache/Mourvèdre/Syrah/Viognier blend, is just delicious. It is relatively low in alcohol but very fragrant, with loads of strawberry, cranberry and kirsch-like notes, crisp acid, and a fresh, lively mouthfeel with much more flavor depth than one might expect from a rosé. Drink it over the next year.- Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate, Issue #223, March 2016
March 4th, 2016
96
POINTS
USA, Northern California: Part III - Focusing Primarily on Sonoma
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley, Amapola Creek Estate Vineyard
Arrowood deserves a lot more credit than he often gets for his Cabernet Sauvignons, which are long-lived. Some of the early Château St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignons have stood the test of time, and those made under the Arrowood label, especially his Reserves, are 30+ year wines at the minimum. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, is brilliant. Notes of graphite, crème de cassis, blueberry and blackberry along with some espresso are all present in this dense, full-bodied wine with great fruit, beautiful purity and moderately high tannins. There are just under 1,600 cases. This wine ideally needs another 2-3 years of bottle age and should drink well for 25-30 years. - Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate, Issue #223, March 2016
