Arietta White Wine On the White Keys 2014
Arietta’s homage to classic Grand Cru White Bordeaux, the Arietta White Wine On The White Keys 2014 is a blend of 66% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Sauvignon Musque, and 19% Semillon. In this tenth vintage of the White Keys we continue to pursue our ideal of “bright start, big finish,” adding a dash of California warmth to the crispness of the old world whites that made such a lasting impression on us during our early travels in Europe.
Notes from winemaker Andy Erickson:
“The 2014 Arietta On the White Keys is a bold, exuberant wine inspired by our favorite white wines from Bordeaux This vintage of the “White Keys” is powerful and mouthwatering, the Sauvignon Blanc bringing notes of melon, citrus peel, and orange blossom, as well as a marked acidity and fine texture. The Semillon, which before blending is allowed to go through malolactic fermentation, is aged in new French oak, and brings a depth and broad palate impression, along with notes of fig, persimmon, almond and baking spices.”
Blend: 81% Sauvignon Blanc, 19% Semillon
Fruit Sources: 66% Sonoma Mountain, 26% Carneros, 8% Napa
Cooperage:: Barrel fermented and aged for nine months in 37% new French Oak, 49% second use French Oak, and 14% stainless steel
Production:: 466 cases
Arietta White Wine On The White Keys, Artists’ Reserve 2014
An alluring blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the 2014 Artist’s Reserve from Arietta is the result of a textbook growing season, careful stewardship in the cellar, and 22 months of aging in French oak barrels. The intense citrus and mineral notes of the source fruit are brought into higher resolution with this winemaking technique, and additional layers in the wine come to light. Lemon curd, oyster shell, pear skin and mineral notes are among the many descriptors that come to mind. The palate is broad and intense, with flavors of citrus, peach, and honey rushing through. This wine continues to evolve and surprise in the glass, boding well for a long life in the bottle. While it is incredibly generous and gratifying right now, this vintage of Artist’s Reserve will age for years to come. A recent tasting of every white wine produced to date by Arietta shows the power and ageability of these wines.
Blend: 50% sav blanc, 50% semillon
Fruit Sources: Hyde Vineyard, Rancho Chimiles
Cooperage:: Barrel fermented 83% new French Oak, 17% second use oak
Production:: 143 cases
Arietta Red Wine Quartet 2014
In the Arietta Quartet 2014, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, we marry the freshness and tension imparted by relatively cool vineyard sites in Coombsville and Carneros to the weight and juiciness of Cabernet Sauvignon from Calistoga.
Notes from winemaker Andy Erickson:
“The 2014 Arietta Quartet shows energy, brightness, and core strength. Its vibrant red-purple hue and remarkable density reveal the wine’s inherent power. It is aromatically fresh and expressive, while still maintaining a precision and focus. Red cherry, raspberry, and just-picked blackberry are at the forefront when the wine is first poured. Notes of black licorice, cinnamon, and dark chocolate mark the palate, along with red and black fruit flavors. The vintage is evident in the wine’s generous acidity, which punctuates the many layers of fruit and spice in the wine, and adds to its overall structure and ageablity. This Quartet, while certainly very enjoyable now, will age for 15-20 years.”
Blend: 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot
Fruit Sources: 49% Coombsville, 23% Calistoga, 29% Carneros
Cooperage:: Aged 22 months in French oak, 49% new
Production:: 1,256 cases
Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyards 2014
The source of the Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyards 2014 is the I Block in the Hudson Vineyards in Napa/Carneros, and is a rare expression of 100% Merlot from a singularly situated single block of 30-year old vines. Since our first bottling in 2011, the Hudson I Block has reminded us time and again how rich and magisterial Merlot can be when planted in the right microclimate.
Notes from winemaker Andy Erickson:
“The latest vintage of Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyards shows, in its youth, an alluring balance and finesse, with subtle blue and black fruit notes married seamlessly with a supporting framework of French oak spice and well-constructed tannins. While somewhat guarded initially, with time the wine reveals a latent power and mid-palate concentration that will certainly develop with time in the glass, and with bottle age. The complexity delivered by these thirty-plus-year-old vines is remarkable, and this latest vintage is just another example of how good this variety can be when grown in the right terroir.”
Blend: 100% Merlot
Fruit Sources: 100% Hudson Vineyard, Carneros
Cooperage:: Aged 22 months in French oak, 75% new
Production:: 260 cases
Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
The Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is a highlight of the Arietta portfolio in this vintage. For the first time in five years, we have blended the Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon from our superbly situated 1.77 acre block in Coombsville with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Notes from winemaker Andy Erickson:
“Like the vintage itself, the 2014 Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon is defined by freshness, varietal definition, and a bright, focused demeanor. The core Cabernet Sauvignon component expresses itself beautifully here, with a burnished texture, black fruit flavors and aromas, and hints of crushed stones and freshly dug soil. The addition of 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot adds layers of complexity and enjoyment to the wine, with notes of pencil shavings, cardamom, and dried flowers. This young wine benefits from a pre-service decanting, and will continue to open and expand over the next 10-15 years.”
Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Fruit Sources: 100% Coombsville
Age of Vines: 10-18 years
Cooperage:: Aged 22 months in French oak, 74% new
Production:: 290 cases
Arietta Red Wine H Block Hudson Vineyards 2014
Nearly a generation ago the leaves unfurled on the Cabernet Franc vines that would nurture the grapes for the first Arietta wine ever offered, the Arietta Red Wine 1996. Twenty years on we delight in offering you the newest wine in its lineage, the Arietta Red Wine H Block Hudson Vineyards 2014, featuring the same extraordinary block of Cabernet Franc and its attendant Merlot that bewitched us in the beginning.
Notes from winemaker Andy Erickson:
“The H Block Cabernet Franc, co-fermented with Merlot, is particularly vibrant and multi-faceted in the 2014 vintage. The final blend—68% Cabernet Franc and 32% Merlot—shows notes of gravel, smoke, and dried sage, over a core of black currant, blueberry, and cassis. In the glass, it is harmonious and vibrant, supple, generous and alive. Already remarkable for its interwoven textures, flavors and aromas, this vintage of H Block will continue to evolve for the next two decades, or longer.”
Blend: 68% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot
Fruit Sources: 100% Hudson Vineyards, Carneros
Age of Vines: 28 years
Cooperage:: Aged 22 months in French oak, 78% new
Production: 390 cases
Arietta Red Wine Variation One 2014
Production: of the Arietta Variation One 2014 was tiny — a mere 98 cases. Many Arietta subscribers know the story and are passionate about this “marriage of opposites”—a rare and distinctive blend of Syrah and Merlot from grapes farmed by Arietta’s original and primary grower, Lee Hudson. We have succeeded in making this wine in every vintage since 2000, except 2010 and 2015. Beginning in the 2009 vintage, we raised the percentage of Syrah and lowered the percentage of new oak, making the wine more accessible on release.
Notes from winemaker Andy Erickson:
“The latest bottling of Variation One is a blend of 50% Syrah and 50% Merlot from Hudson Vineyards. It is, once again, proof that these two varieties, both of which thrive on this special terroir, can bring out the best in one another. The caramel, smoked meat, and orange peel notes of the Syrah immediately float up as the wine is poured. The generous nature of the wine carries through to the palate, as flavors of blueberry and dark chocolate, surely coming from the Merlot, rush forward. The tannins are already round and polished in this wine, and the marriage of the dark, brooding nature of the Syrah, with the bright, electric blue Merlot fruit will only gain in excitement over the years. This will absolutely be a wine to follow as it continues to evolve in bottle over the next two decades or more.”
Blend: 50% Syrah. 50% Merlot
Fruit Sources: 100% Hudson Vineyard, Carneros
Cooperage:: Aged 22 months in French oak, 50% new
Production:: 98 cases