($75; 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.

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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.

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