2002 Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Tobacco, scorched earth, torrefaction, smoke and leather are the main signatures in the 2002 Red Wine H Block. This is another wine that appears to have been consumed by new French oak. There is still good depth to the fruit, but heavy torrefaction and oak signatures dominate the wine's balance.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
This blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, from the Hudson Vineyard in Carneros, exhibits a blue/purple color along with superb aromatics of blueberries, raspberries and sweet black cherries. Rich, dense and medium to full-bodied, with sweet tannin and impressive purity as well as ripeness, it comes from the wine project of the well-known auctioneer, Fritz Hatton, made under the guidance of John Kongsgaard. It is close to full maturity, but is capable of lasting another decade. Tel. (707) 963-5918; Fax (707) 963-5919
(a 60/40 blend of cabernet franc and merlot): Full ruby-red. Very pure aromas of black raspberry, blueberry, licorice, violet and graphite. Plush and sweet but with real energy and inner-mouth floral lift. Wonderfully youthful and consistent from start to finish. This boasts fruit of steel, and the powerful tannic spine for a long and graceful evolution in bottle. Utterly palate-saturating on the aftertaste.
Good full ruby-red. Dee p, highly complex nose combines blackberry, black cherry, violet, minerals, nuts and smoky oak. A wonderfully rich wine that offers great mouth coverage but maintains real zing, thanks to its mineral freshness and firm tannic spine. The pHs for this cuvee are routinely in the 3.8 to 3.9 range, notes Kongsgaard, but the wine always tastes fresher. Finishes very long and lively, with big, chewy tannins.