Arador Amoenus Vineyard Syrah Napa Valley 2021

Proprietor and winemaker Roberto Alfaro has known exactly where his talents lie since he was a young boy. Roberto grew up in a small town outside of Michoacan, Mexico, where his father farmed a small piece of land. He grew tomatoes, beans, and corn, and by age twelve, Roberto had learned how to hook up the different types of plows to his father’s horse. “It was complicated, but it was my favorite thing to do.” This tinkering is the essence of Roberto. He is a problem-solver, drawn to the earth for its raw materials and determined to learn something new each day. 

At the age of 17, Roberto came to Napa Valley and joined David Abreu’s elite farming team. He was primed to take it all in, wide-eyed and willing to outwork everyone around him. This short yet formative chapter spent planting and tending to some of the finest vineyards in the valley gave Roberto strong fundamentals and a taste for quality. Ultimately, Roberto’s thirst for knowledge led him to fall in love with the intricacies of winemaking. After cutting his teeth under the mentorship of David Abreu, he went on to lead the cellar team at Caldwell, which was brand new at the time. On top of their estate wines, Caldwell did quite a bit of custom crush business, which meant that Roberto got to engage with winemakers of other brands regularly. It was through the custom crush business that he met Sam Kaplan, winemaker of Arkenstone, Memento Mori, Maxem, and Vida Valiente. Back in 2006, Arkenstone was still a small, emerging brand that made its wines at Caldwell. Roberto and Sam developed a strong trust in the cellar that eventually turned into a lifelong mentor/student relationship. Sam invited Roberto to join him as the assistant winemaker at Arkenstone in 2008, and that is where Roberto remains today. 

Arador is Roberto’s first personal debut and a culmination of decades of study, perseverance, and relationships. The 2021 Syrah is sourced from the Amoenus Vineyard, located in Calistoga's beautiful and remote Western rolling hills. One thing to know about Syrah is that it often reaches the target acidity for winemaking ahead of the ideal fruit maturation. Many less experienced winemakers would see their ideal acid number and pull the fruit without more thought, but Roberto’s tenure kept him waiting in the wings for the fruit to ripen. One sip of this wine, and we think you’ll agree- he nailed the pick! Aged in French oak barrels for 22 months, the inky, full-bodied Syrah displays a fabulous perfume of cured meats, leather, game, and spicy dark fruits. The texture is broad and mouthcoating, leading to a seemingly never-ending finish. Such a beautiful wine brought to life by a humble, talented man who will undoubtedly make a name for himself in this industry!