The 2024 Arnot-Roberts Pinot Noir from Peter Martin Ray Vineyard is a single-vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains bottling from the Mt. Eden area, priced at $75 and labeled at 13.0% alcohol. The site sits at roughly 1,400 feet above Saratoga, on severely rocky, nutrient-poor Franciscan shale. The vineyard has deep roots: first established in the late 1800s, it was among California’s early Pinot Noir plantings in the early 1940s, and it was replanted in 1979 by Peter Martin Ray. Arnot-Roberts and the vineyard’s own materials note it is organically farmed, dry-farmed, and stake-trained, with low yields shaped by the exposed conditions and dramatic day-night temperature shifts.

In the cellar, the defining technical choice is that the 2024 was fermented with 100% whole clusters (stems included). The producer frames this as a way to emphasize “lift, fine tannin, and savory depth,” and the tasting descriptions track that intent: a bright ruby profile with notes in the orbit of rose petals, wild berries, savory herbs, and kola nut, alongside red-fruit clarity and spice.

Critically, this is an excellent review vintage. Vinous awarded 94 points, with Antonio Galloni calling it “the most delicate of the three Arnot-Roberts Pinots,” praising its “haunting aromatics,” “impeccable balance,” and a texture where “silky tannins shape the polished mid-palate.” Galloni also points directly to the winemaking choice, noting “a finish sprinkled with savory overtones from the 100% stems,” and concluding, “What a total delight.”

A published drinking window suggests it will drink well now and develop through 2038, making it one to enjoy young for fragrance and poise, or hold for added savory nuance. Some production and élevage details are not disclosed in the available notes, but the wine’s identity—high-elevation site, whole-cluster structure, and restrained alcohol—is clear.