2001 Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2001 Red Wine H Block is distinguished in this flight of early vintages by its bright acidity and overall energy, two things that have helped the wine retain freshness as the fruit has receded. Orange peel, mint, star anise, licorice and dried rose petal add an exotic flair throughout.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(40% cabernet franc and 60% merlot): Deep ruby-red. Aromas of plum, currant, black raspberry, cedar, graphite and licorice; as Cheval-Blanc like on the nose as any wine in the range. Then vinous and claret-like on the palate, showing less obvious sweetness than the 2002 but terrific grip. Not at all a plush style but superb structure and a firm spine of acidity give it great penetration. This very tight wine still needs at least a few years of patience and should prove to be among the longest-lived vintages of this bottling to date.
(a 60/40 blend of cabernet franc and merlot; this and the Variation One are from Hudson Vineyard fruit) Good saturated ruby-red. Explosive, highly nuanced aromas of currant, dried rose, tobacco, brown sugar, espresso and mint. Silky, lush, dense and penetrating, with uncommon lift in the middle palate. Captivating flavors of currant, spice cake, tobacco and earth. A red blend in a Right Bank style, with superb definition and snap. Finishes very long and juicy, with firm but thoroughly ripe tannins. This should gain in bottle for a decade or more.
The opaque purple-colored 2001 Arietta (60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc) was very closed when I tasted it. Tightly wound, with dense, full-bodied notes of black fruits, charcoal, smoke, earth, and pain grille, it is big and rich, but tight, structured, and backward. Give it 3-5 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 12-15. I do not believe it will ever achieve the aromatic complexity exhibited by the 2000. Winemaker and part owner, John Kongsgaard, produces these wines in partnership with auctioneer, Fritz Hatton. They are all fashioned from fruit grown in the “H Block” of the Hudson Vineyard, the highest point on that large ranch. The vineyard is planted in white volcanic ash-dominated soils. The Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend is the Arietta and the Syrah/Merlot blend is named Variation One. These striking offerings have a European sensitivity for elegance, structure, and delineation, but are clearly products of California, as evidenced by their prodigious ripeness as well as intensity. They are expensive, but impressive efforts that should be long-lived. Fax (707) 963-4512