Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyards 2019
(Napa Valley, California) - [VM 94-96] [WA 95+]

Notes from the Winemaker:

Arietta Red Wine H Block Hudson Vineyards is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The Cabernet Franc is solely from the 2.3 acre Hudson Vineyards H Block, a shy-bearing, volcanic, southwest facing slope, which naturally yields just three tons per acre.

The Merlot is grown in the Hudson Vineyards G and I Blocks, which lie immediately below the H Block. Typically, the two varietals are picked simultaneously and co-fermented, assuring a marriage of the varieties. The Cabernet Franc provides the cassis, blueberry, brown sugar character, while the Merlot brings dark chocolate to the aroma and a chewy richness to the finish. Harvested near the extreme of ripeness, the wine is fermented with its indigenous yeast, macerated with the skins for six weeks, and then aged for twenty months in mostly new French oak barrels. Naturally clarified by traditional Bordeaux racking, the blend is bottled without fining or filtration. The intense concentration masks the substantial tannin, which assures an evolution in bottle of at least ten years.

94-96 points - Vinous Media

"The 2019 Red Blend H Block is a total stunner. In this vintage, the Franc is very much front and center. Beautifully delineated notes of iron, dried herbs, leather, mocha, licorice and espresso grace the H Block, adding tons of complexity. The 2019 is a deeply structured wine that will likely take years to come around, but it is also quite special and full of character." – Antonio Galloni, Vinous (January 2021) 

95+ points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2019 Red Blend H Block Hudson Vineyard is a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rolls out of the glass with bright, energetic notes of redcurrants, black raspberries and Morello cherries, plus hints of menthol, roses and juicy plums, with a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegant and perfumed, featuring fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing with loads of floral fireworks. Beautiful." – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (Ocotber 2021)