2021 David Arthur, Quattro Bianco, Estate White Blend, Napa Valley.
As a fan of this winery for more than twenty years now, I was intrigued to try this new wine from David Arthur, the Quattro Bianco Estate Italian inspired White Blend, which as the name suggests is a cuvée made with four Italian varietals, 42% Ribolla Gialla, 22% Fiano, 20% Arneis, along with the ultra rare 16% Coda di Volpe, also known as Pallagrello, which is an ancient white Italian wine grape variety that has been historically grown in the Campania region, mostly around the town of Naples. Crisply focused and mineral driven the Quattro Bianco is bright and refreshing with layers of citrus, tart apple and white peach fruits, along with wet stones, herbs, saline and lemon peel. This is an interesting collection of grapes originally from both the the North and South of Italy, making for a wine that could almost only could come from California, it’s a wine that shows lovely restraint that goes great with seafood and lighter cuisine. I had this at Napa’s famed Morimoto and with a range of dishes that threw a lot of flavors at it, but it stayed vibrant, dry and delicious throughout the meal.
David Arthur, best know as a top Cabernet Sauvignon producer with their signature wine, the Elevation 1147 Cabernet being one of Napa Valley’s most notable trophy wines, does a few whites too, including their Chardonnay, and this Quattro Bianco, plus a dry Rosé, made uniquely from 47% Zinfandel, 26% Grenache, 25% Sangiovese and 2% Nebbiolo. David Arthur has long done Italian varietals at their Napa Estate with their Sangiovese being a long time staple in their lineup, but this wine is all new (to you) as is their 100% Nebbiolo bottling. For this wine, of which only about 400 cases were made, the winemaking team at David Arthur went with with a whole cluster pressing and 90% stainless steel fermenting and aging, with just 10% done in French oak to add a touch of texture without taking away from this wine’s lively nature and transparency. We have seen a huge rise in quality of Cal Itals, California wines made from Italian varietals in recent years and this one is has a lot to admire about it, though I was less thrilled with the price, which if I’m honest kinda took away from the enjoyment.
($65 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive