Deep Cover: Direct from the winery library ARIETTA H, soon to be a decade young!

This is without a doubt one of Napa’s TOP Right Bank-styled gems by genuine Hall of Famer Andy Erickson. You may know him from his Screaming Eagle years. Also, for stints at Harlan Estate, OVID, Staglin Family while still consulting for Dalla Valle, Mayacamas Vineyards, To Kalon Vineyard Company, Alpha Omega along with making his own label Favia. He is a true hero at the very top of the Napa wine world.

Oh, and Hudson Vineyards? It’s a legendary site. In a comprehensive study of the H Block Vinous writes of “a wine that has established a track record for evolving with charm and style… At a vertical tasting held in New York City in early May, fully half of the vintages we tasted (and we went back to the first one) were utterly splendid, and there wasn’t a weak wine in the bunch… happy owners of this wine know that it gives great pleasure virtually from day one and gains in richness, complexity, and suavity with 8 to 10 years of bottle aging.”

No wonder why for a past vintage Robert Parker was raving that it “tastes like an over-sized, phenomenal Cheval Blanc” and we agree that the 2015 vintage offers exactly that. A 2015 Cheval Blanc, by the way, goes for $1,000 a bottle average. So…

Get it while we have it.

95 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“This is a stellar set of wines from Arietta. Longtime winemaker Andy Erickson is picking a bit earlier these days, which seems to help varietal and site characteristics come through to a degree that hasn’t always been the case. The 2015 reds in this range are terrific. Arietta’s 2015 H Block Hudson Vineyards, 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot co-fermented, is another gorgeous wine from Arietta in this vintage. Resonant, open-knit and seductive, the 2015 has much to offer. I would prefer to give the 2015 at least a few years in bottle to allow the aromatics to open up a bit more. Even so, the 2015 is pretty special today. Drink 2022-2036.”

95 Points – James Suckling

“The nose here shows lavender, dragon fruit, peppermint, milk chocolate, thyme and ivy. A linear, impeccably polished palate with lots of crunchy blue fruit, grainy tannins, fresh acidity and a mineral-driven finish. So refined. A blend of 68% cabernet franc, 32% merlot. Drink now or hold.”