WINE REVIEWS

February 28, 2005 Issue #157
2003 Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyards Napa Valley, 93-95 points
The dense ruby/purple-hued 2003 Proprietary Red H Block Hudson Vineyard (a 500-case blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot) reveals restrained aromatics (sweet cranberries, cola, underbrush, black cherries, cassis, minerals, and lead pencil shavings) as well as an elegant, restrained, concentrated, delicate, nuanced personality. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.

2003 Arietta Variation One Napa Valley, 93-95 points
The 2003 Variation One (60% Merlot and 40% Syrah) offers a sweet kiss of white chocolate along with pepper, raspberry, fig, and plum notes. Dense and hedonistic, but not yet revealing all the nuances found in the 2002, this is an impressively endowed, complex, intellectually as well as hedonistically satisfying wine the likes of which are so singular and different than anything else produced in California. It is classic in all its proportions, aromas, and flavors.

2002 Arietta Red H Block Hudson Vineyard Napa Valley, 98 points
One of the most extraordinary wines I tasted during my trip through Northern California was Arietta’s 2002 Proprietary Red H Block Hudson Vineyard. Made from equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this dark purple-colored 2002 exhibits wonderfully refined, complex notes of scorched earth, menthol, mocha, cherries, plums, figs, and espresso. With great intensity as well as surreal elegance and refinement, this beautifully pure effort unfolds on the palate in incremental layers of finesse and flavors. This amazing, noble wine is a tour de force in winemaking for California. It should drink well for 15 years.

2002 Arietta Variation One Napa Valley, 95 points
The stunning 2002 Variation One (70% Merlot and 30% Syrah) exhibits an exotic, opulent personality with a deep purple color, and sweet aromas of cocoa, new saddle leather, black raspberries, cassis, and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, with beautifully integrated oak (all of these wines are aged in 100% new French wood), wonderful sweetness, tremendous delineation, and laser-like clarity and transparency of character. A beauty, it is ideal for drinking over the next 10-15 years.

December 23, 2003 Issue #150
2001 Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyards Napa Valley, 92+ points
Tightly wound, with dense, full-bodies notes of black fruits, charcoal, smoke, earth, and pain grille, it is big and rich, but tight, structured, and backward. Give it 3-5 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 12-15.

2001 Arietta Variation One Napa Valley, 93 points
2001 Arietta Variation One exhibits sweet, flowery, blackberry and cassis flavors with chocolate and leather in the background. This big, full bodied, opulent, layered, multidimensional 2001 needs 2-3 years of cellaring. It should drink well for 1-2 decades.

2000 Arietta Red H Block Hudson Vineyard Napa Valley, 96 points
The 2000 Arietta tastes like an over-sized, phenomenal Cheval Blanc. It has blossomed beautifully since I tasted it last year. A dense purple color is followed by scents of cocoa, underbrush, chocolatey black cherry and black currant fruit, minerals, truffles, and graphite. A big, thick, chewy, tremendously long, intense, well balanced red, I would love to taste it along side the 2000 Cheval Blanc. It should hit its prime in 3-4 years, and last for 2 decades. Like most of these cuvees, there are approximately 800 cases.

2000 Variation One Napa Valley, 90 points
The 2000 Variation One comes from the Hudson Ranch, and like the Arietta cuvee, is aged in 100% new oak (none of these wines could be called "oaky"). Its dense purple color is accompanied by sweet aromas of new saddle leather and roasted meats. Although monolithic, it is medium to full-bodied and intense. Given my confidence in Kongsgaard's winemaking, it will undoubtedly reveal more "music" with 3-4 years of bottle age. A blend of 72% Merlot and 28% Syrah, it should be at it's finest between 2007-2016.