2005 Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon

(a blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 18% cab franc and 6% petit verdot) Deep ruby-red. Aromatic nose features cassis, licorice, bitter chocolate and spices. Lush, rich and stuffed with fruit, but with underlying minerality and harmonious acidity giving life to the middle palate. Intriguing floral and dried sage notes add complexity. A solidly built midweight with some youthfully firm tannins that reach the front teeth. The 2006 may have more tannins and sheer size but this wine is also in need of patience.

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is very Bordeaux-like, but somewhat austere and overly tannic at this stage. The impressive minerality and sweet black currant and cherry fruit are there, but the wine comes across as slightly hard and tough. I am not sure this one will flesh out as much as one would hope, but it has potential. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 15. Tel. (707) 963-5918; Fax (707) 963-5919

(75% cabernet sauvignon, 21% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot, from the Thorvilos and Lucia Abreu vineyards on Howell Mountain) Bright ruby-red. Expressive nose melds currant, blackberry, licorice pastille and chocolatey oak, hinting at an almost medicinal character. Suave on entry, then sweet, thick and pliant in the middle palate, with superb concentration and richness supported by a powerful spine of ripe tannins. This boasts compelling sweetness and a texture of velvet without going over the top, thanks in large part to the natural freshness of the vintage.