Arbios Cellars

Cellar Profile

“Winemaking defines the essence of my life; transforming a challenge into a vision of elegance, grace and power.” – Bill Arbios

After a notable winemaking career with many prominent wineries, Bill Arbios fulfilled a longstanding dream of having his own label with the debut of Arbios Cellars in 1993. Arbios Cellars focuses on a single Bordeaux-style red wine, made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in the acclaimed Alexander Valley of Sonoma County.

Placing the emphasis on the terroir, Bill believes in honoring the character of the fruit without over-manipulating the wine. The resulting wines are ripe and intense with rich plum and cherry flavors and intriguing notes of olive and earth – a style that has been described as a cross between the new and old world.

Arbios Cellars’ production has grown from a mere 125 cases of the 1993 vintage to approximately 3000 cases today. The wine is available in major U.S. markets with distribution in numerous high-end restaurants and retail shops. In 2000, Bill launched a second label, Praxis, from the Greek word for practice. These wines, priced about half that of the Arbios label, allow Bill to experiment and practice his craft with new varietals and different terroirs. Although Bill made his reputation making Meritage blended wines, all of the Arbios and Praxis wines emphasize terroir with more than half made from a single vineyard.

Vineyards

“The single most important factor in winemaking is the vineyard. The confluence of all the variables affecting the grape vines ultimately determines the quality of the wine. You simply cannot make great wine from mediocre grapes.” -Bill Arbios

The Arbios Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the highest and northernmost vineyard in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley. The elevation of the vineyard runs between 2000 to 3000 feet.

On the summit where these vines grow, there is little life with the exception of stunted grass and scrub brush. The fog thatArbios Vineyards enshrouds the valley below rarely reaches these heights. The thin, impoverished soil and scant water threaten the life of the grapes every season. Yet it is this very struggle for life in the intense sunshine and impoverished soil that results in a wine with a bright balance and incredible character and depth.

In any given day there will be a 12-degree temperature difference between the valley floor and this vineyard, allowing the grapes to mature at a slower rate, resulting in darkly colored, highly flavored fruit picked at lower sugar and with lower alcohol. In direct contrast to the intense heat, the days’ cooler temperatures lead to a wine that has more of the preferred green olive flavors without excessive jammy characteristics.

Even though Arbios Cellars produces 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, there is a subtle element of blending that is a result of the varied microclimates within the vineyard. With elevation varying from 2000 to 3000 feet and with the hillside vineyards facing in several different directions, the grapes ripen differently providing an array of flavor profiles.

Arbios Cellars has developed a 21-acre parcel alongside this property. The Arbios Vineyard is planted entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The first fruit from these vines was harvested in October 2004. Bill selected a number of Cabernet Sauvignon clones for the vineyard according to the vagaries of the terrain. Since he selected the clones as a winemaker not a farmer, Arbios will never have high yields from this vineyard. The poor soil best supports relatively low yielding vines, but the vines have small berries with intense rich color and lovely flavor.

Link to Arbios Cellars