2014 Arietta Red Wine H Block Hudson Vineyards Napa Valley 750 ml

Grown in an outstanding Napa Valley vintage, crafted by 100-point winemaker Andy Erickson, and praised by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate as a “beauty” with “elegance and power,” this blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot is as close as California comes to Bordeaux’s Château Cheval Blanc. 

We know that’s a bold statement. But there is simply no other Napa wine that delivers Bordeaux-style elegance the way the H Block Red does. One awestruck Wine Access member summed it up nicely in their five-star review: “Just a stunning wine.” 

Now nearly a decade past harvest, this bottle has become absolutely gorgeous with age. It’s got intense aromas of blackberry, cassis, raspberry, and dried violets billowing from the glass, accented by maturing notes of clove, star anise, allspice, leather, and pipe tobacco. Finishing with pleasantly grippy tannins, it’s in a real sweet spot, but will add depth and complexity over the next decade plus. 

Arietta has an exclusive lease on Hudson Vineyards’ H Block, whose volcanic soils, southwestern exposure, and cool Carneros climate make it one of the finest spots in the New World to grow Cab Franc. For the Red Wine H Block, the grapes come from vines planted three decades ago using To Kalon and Eisele Vineyard cuttings. They’re co-fermented with Merlot from adjacent G and I Blocks before the wine spends 20 months in mostly new French oak. It’s then bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Showing its age beautifully, this is the kind of California red that can win over staunch Bordeaux devotees and still knock the socks off Napa Cab lovers. We’re lucky to have it, and are proud to share it with you.