WINEMAKER'S NOTES:
Arietta Red Wine Variation One is a blend of Merlot and Syrah from Hudson Vineyards. The Syrah is co-fermented with the Merlot to give the blend a wild and penetrating quality. If the H Block wine is an homage to the Right Bank of Bordeaux, Variation One is a Napa Valley original. The plum and licorice aromas of Merlot blend imperceptibly with the forest floor, wild game qualities attributable to the Syrah in a wine without antecedent anywhere in the world. Variation One may be served young, especially with wilder dishes, but the powerful, if supple, tannin will support its evolution in bottle for at least ten years.
TASTING NOTES:
A brooding yet aromatic nose with roasted spices and grilled meat to the dark cherries and plums. Quite tense on the palate, with nice linearity and length. Very fine-grained. 50% syrah and 50% merlot. Drink now or hold.
- James Suckling, 94 pts.
One of the standouts in 2020 from Arietta is the 2020 Red Wine Variation One, an even split of Syrah and Merlot that was brought up in one-third new French oak. All from the Hudson Vineyard, it has a beautiful nose of bloody black and blue fruits, pepper, bouquet garni, and iron. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, supple, wonderfully elegant red with fine tannins and a great finish.
- Jeb Dunnuck, 93 pts.
