2009 Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon

Blended of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot, the deep garnet colored 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with notions of stewed tea, tilled soil and tobacco leaf over a core of baked black cherries, mulberries and warm cassis plus a waft of cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with juicy black fruit preserves and earthy sparks, framed by chewy tannins and compelling freshness, finishing on a stewed tea note.

Full medium ruby. Blackberry, blueberry, bitter chocolate and violet; a bit lower-pitched than the H Block bottling but still with lovely floral, peppery lift. Densely packed, juicy and quite primary, offering classic flavors of crystallized dark berries and violet complicated by subtle soil tones and tobacco. Not yet particularly generous, this wine still needs more cellaring. Finishes quite penetrating, with fine-grained tannins and impressive slowly building length.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the more immediate wines in this vertical. Silky, polished tannins give the wine its voluptuous personality. The 2009 is not as complex as some of the other wines on the table, but it makes up for that with its undeniable charm and sheer appeal. Early tertiary notes in the bouquet suggest the 2009 will not be an especially long lived wine. Even so, it is quite expressive today.