Picture by littleREDelf

The Arthur Earl tasting room is located off Grand Ave almost hidden from view by its partner room Alexander & Wayne in front. There is very little to the space other than a large tasting room with square U-shaped bar. The room feels a bit dismal relying on overhead lighting to illuminate it.

At present, Arthur Earl offers 2 dry white wines, 9 dry red wines, and 1 dessert wine for tasting. Guests are given a choice of 5 of these wines. Their wines focus on mainly on Rhone Valley and Northern Italy varietals. Arthur Earl sources all of their grapes and produces at their winery.  

I started off with the 2006 Viognier from Vogelzang Vineyard which was similar to chardonnay. It had a very oaky aroma which was barely present as fresh fruit flavors swirled in my mouth. The ending was quite dry with a strong burn of alcohol.

Also from Vogelzang was the rosy peach ’05 Grenache smelling strongly of sugar with spice and ripe berries. Heavy tannins mixed with hints of cocoa gave way to a harsh finish. From the Stolpman Vineyard the dark, almost amber colored Nebbiolo emitted sugary sweet aromas. Once on the tongue, caramel and strawberry flavors washed down to a dry mouth feel and a short sharp ending.

Up to this point, all the wines I tried were grown in the Santa Ynez region. The next wine-a 2005 IL RE from Santa Barbara was a blend of 43% Barbera and 57% Nebbiolo. It had a light red color with a spicy aroma and a touch of sugar. The body tasted mainly of dark berries with light tannins and a short ending.

The last wine from the tasting, a deep red ’05 Zinfandel from Paso Robles, was my only favorite. The nose was made up of soft dark plum with sweet accents, a smooth full body, and a pleasant finish.

Overall, I wasn’t that impressed by the selections sampled. Arthur Earl does have 3 Syrahs on the menu that might be favorable to try. However, given the highly alcoholic taste of most of the wines I tasted, I’m not chomping at the bit for more. The bar-tending services were simple and almost stifled by the dull silence. Additional information beyond the tasting notes was hard to come by.

My tasting was $6 with a choice of 5 wines and a logo glass.

Arthur Earl

2922 Grand Ave

Los Olivos, CA 93441

http://www.arthurearl.com/

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