2011 Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon shows the ripe fruit profile of a late harvest with the energy tension and savoriness of a cool year. Still quite fresh, the 2011 will drink well for another 5-10 years. Black plum, sage, mint, tobacco and incense linger. There is a bit of brett, but not to the point of dominating the wine's balance. In 2011, all the fruit was from Meteor.
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Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is another striking, beautifully textured wine from Arietta. The flavors are bold, powerful and incisive, with a touch of old-world brett that adds complexity. Firm tannins give the wine its structure and overall intensity. Black cherry, plum, graphite, savory herbs and menthol add nuance in a deep, virile wine endowed with real personality. Readers need to expect a more Old World-leaning style in the 2011.
(from Meteor Vineyard fruit): Bright, full ruby. Very tight nose offers scents of cassis, herbs and tobacco leaf. In a savory, classically dry style, with black fruit flavors complicated by smoke and loam notes. Not particularly herbal for the year but less silky and sweet than the Hudson Vineyard merlot. Strong acidity and a firm tannic spine call for aging. Like the Quartet bottling, this is a wine of modest stuffing.
Grilled herbs, mint, spices and tobacco notes are all woven together in the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon. Delicate and savory throughout, the 2011 impresses for its layered personality and exceptional overall balance. The 2011 isn't a blockbuster, rather it is a wine that stands out for its overall sense of harmony.