Crafted from Cabernet Franc vines planted on a volcanic outcropping in 1986, and adjacent Merlot planted in the same year in clay-loam, the “H Block” has always been regarded as Arietta’s signature wine, paying great respect to the wines we love from the Right Bank of Bordeaux. Like the 2005 and 2013 vintages, the 2020 H Block is destined for a long evolution. Winemaker Andy Erickson’s note below describes the extraordinary care given to birthing this wine in the 2020 vintage and nurturing it from fermentation through bottling.

“The 2020 Arietta H Block is the most diligently crafted vintage of H Block that we have produced. Hudson Vineyards, in the southwestern-most corner of the Napa Valley, was miles away from the fires that raged in the mountains north of St. Helena. Even so, we were painstakingly careful at every step to make sure the fruit was the purest expression of what was a fine growing season. The grapes were hand harvested at night, carefully sorted, and crushed directly into tanks at the Hudson Winery. Controlled fermentation, gentle extraction and pressing, and settling before filling barrels, helped to maintain that purity. The wine was then aged, as normal, for 20 months in French Oak barrels, 60% of which were new. Bottled without fining or filtration, the wine saw minimal intervention - but maximum scrutiny and evaluation. Several months after bottling, the wine is showing the hallmarks of a great vintage of H Block: exotic spice, red and black fruits, gravel, dried flowers, and black licorice. The young tannins are firm right now, but with time in the decanter the wine softens and opens up. There is a fresh, mouthwatering sensation, along with a crescendo of flavors and textures, and a lengthy finish. This wine will certainly gain polish and complexity with time in the bottle, and will easily age for two decades or more.” - Andy Erickson, Winemaker