Arnot-Roberts Trousseau
September 2nd, 2026
Arnot-Roberts' Trousseau is the kind of red that defies expectations: feather-light in color and texture, yet packed with freshness, structure, and character. For lovers of Jura wines, Pinot Noir, or simply wines that prioritize freshness and finesse over weight, this is a bottle worth discovering.
Founded in Healdsburg in 2001 by childhood friends Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Roberts, Arnot-Roberts has become one of California's most compelling producers of terroir-driven wines. Rather than chasing ripeness, power, or the conventions of either California or the Old World, they work closely with their vineyard partners to reveal the character of remarkable sites through thoughtful farming and restrained winemaking.
They began making Trousseau in 2009, after discovering the variety growing at Luchsinger Vineyard in Lake County's Big Valley AVA. Situated at 1,400 feet, the vineyard's rocky soils and warm days followed by cool nights provide an ideal home for this notoriously finicky, highly perfumed Jura variety. This vintage also incorporates fruit from Las Cimas Vineyard, in the western hills above the Russian River Valley, bringing together two very different sites.
In the glass, the wine is strikingly pale ruby with aromas of crushed strawberry, red cherry, blood orange, cedar, and subtle floral and herbal notes. On the palate, it is bright and silky, with vibrant acidity, incredibly fine tannins, and a savory, gently earthy finish. There is plenty of depth beneath the wine's featherweight appearance, giving it the unusual ability to feel both delicate and serious at once.
Trousseau is a grape that rewards a lighter touch. Arnot-Roberts' interpretation feels almost like Pinot Noir meeting the Jura: aromatic, mineral, lifted, and intensely food-friendly. It is especially compelling served slightly chilled, where the wine's freshness and red-fruited character really come alive.
Rather than weight and power, the Arnot-Roberts Trousseau offers elegance, tension, and remarkable finesse. It is a distinctly Californian expression of an unusual Jura grape, rooted in high-elevation vineyards and made with the kind of restraint that allows the fruit and place to speak for themselves.
