2004 Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyard

(14.8% alcohol): Full medium ruby. Sexy nose combines raspberry, coffee, mocha, truffle and game; there's a distinctly Syrah-like aspect here. Like liquid velvet on entry, then nicely delineated and energetic in the mid-palate, with wild flavors of raspberry, truffle, violet, pepper and tobacco leaf and a complicating vegetal nuance. Harmonious acidity leavens this alluring wine's sweetness and carries the flavors through a long, vibrant aftertaste. The tannins build while remaining sweet.

This 70% Cabernet Franc/30% Merlot blend offers spice box, cedar, clove and baking spices along with red and black currants that emerge from this medium-bodied, pleasant, seemingly mature 2004. The wine is somewhat compact and narrowly constructed, but well made. It should be drunk over the next 4-5 years. Tel. (707)963-5918

(a 60/40 blend of cabernet franc and merlot): Medium ruby-red. More balsamic and less primary on the nose than the 2005, offering an essence of currant and smoky earth and a whiff of cabernet franc leafiness. Slightly edgy acidity and serious, somewhat drying tannins suppress the wine's underlying sweetness of fruit today, making it tough going. This very backward wine is ultimately dominated by its broad, powerful tannins.