TN: 2002 Arietta H Block

WINE TALK
1

50% Merlot/50% Cabernet Franc from the Hudson Vineyard in Napa.

Pretty incredible wine. Beautiful, pure nose of dark fruits, tar, tobacco, espresso with a touch of vanilla, just a touch. On the palate, the wine is pretty seamless now, with a rich, but not overwhelming, set of flavors consistent with nose. Very well balanced and very deep, with the tannins fully resolved. A beauty.

Not so much with the 2002 Arietta Hudson Vineyard Merlot opened after. A little bit of harsh astringency and too much tartness mars the wine, which also lacks the depth of the H Block. Selection and/or blending seem to make a huge difference here.

Pricing with Arietta remains an issue for me, but I cannot dispute the quality of the best cuvees.

2

Steve, great note.
I am not a fan of what Arietta does, but enjoyed reading nontheless.
I did have a barrel sample of a single vineyard cab from 06 that was nice, but blending seems to be their gameplan.

thanks for posting.

3

I enjoy the Arietta wines, but not enough to pay the tariff. I’ve had the H block a few times and have enjoyed it everytime, just think there’s better wine out there for the money.