This Weekend's Showcase Tasting: ARISTA Winery
Primer:
We are big fans of small family estates in Sonoma's Russian River Valley and, in particular, ARISTA WINERY.
We met the owner and GM Mark McWilliams in the past and we were smitten with the Arista story. Family run, and they recently attracted enologist Matt Courtney, Helen Turley's assistant winemaker from Marcassin.
They believe that wines made in the vineyard are well-behaved in the cellar. They coax them along with minimal intervention and gentle handling. Arista's wines have deep, rich flavors that reflect the unique sites from which they are sourced. Produced in small lots of several barrels, the wines are deliciously balanced with fruit, tannins, acidity and oak in harmonious proportion.
Arista is located right outside of Healdsburg on Westside Road, directly next door to Williams Selyem.
Arista Winery was founded by the McWilliams family in 2002 with a mission to create the most elegant expression of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. They are committed to sustainable farming practices and sustainable business practices. They work closely with local growers who share their dedication to sustainability in their vineyards. They do not attempt to manipulate their vineyard sites but instead strive to preserve each vineyard's natural qualities.
If you love Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and can appreciate that beautiful unctuous style of the Russian River, then you don't want to miss this week's very limited ARISTA offering. The wines' expressiveness and balance have made this one of our top producers in out of the Russian River Valley.
Arista is truly beautiful wine and has become one of the most allocated wines in the Russian River appellation.