Arietta

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(707) 963-5918 PO Box 349
Oakville, CA 94562
United States View map

fritz@winesong.com
www.ariettawine.com

Rare wine specialist and wine auctioneer Fritz Hatton founded Arietta in 1996 in partnership with winemaker John Kongsgaard and his wife Maggy. The partnership was born of a shared passion for fine wine and classical music. The vinous inspiration for Arietta was an extraordinary 2.3 acre block of Cabernet Franc on the Hudson Ranch in Napa/Carneros. The fruit from this block of Cabernet Franc serves as the core of the Arietta Red Wine (renamed Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyards in the 2000 vintage). The Arietta project grew with the selection of additional superb blocks of Merlot and Syrah on the Hudson Ranch. Arietta added two wines to its portfolio: Arietta Red Wine Variation One, an innovative blend of Merlot and Syrah, and Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyards, produced only in selected vintages. Pursuing our principle of purchasing fruit only from the very finest vineyard blocks, Arietta in the 2003 vintage purchased a small quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon from Howell Mountain vineyards farmed by famed Napa grower David Abreu. This fruit afforded us the opportunity to release a small quantity of Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. In 2004 the addition of four small blocks of Bordeaux varietals farmed by David Abreu at the summit of Howell Mountain formed the core of the first Arietta Claret, the precursor to Arietta Quartet. In 2005 Fritz Hatton and his wife Caren purchased the Kongsgaard’s interest in Arietta, and became sole owners. The highly talented Andy Erickson was invited to become Arietta’s new winemaker, and worked alongside John Kongsgaard for a year before taking the reins in the summer of 2006. Erickson crafted Arietta’s first ever white wine, Arietta “On The White Keys” 2005, from very rare hillside blocks of Sauvignon Blanc on Sonoma Mountain and two tiny old vine Semillon blocks in the Hyde Vineyards in Napa Carneros. Barrel fermented and aged for eight months in a combination of stainless steel and French oak barrels, the wine was an instant success upon release in the fall of 2006. Arietta’s dynamic development continues with the release of the fabulously rich 2006 vintage, the first bearing winemaker Andy Erickson’s signature from harvest to bottling. – Description from Dragac (hide)

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Varietals Produced by Arietta View all

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown in California -- at over 15,000 acres, it’s now the third most planted variety -- and...
Cabernet Sauvignon

“King of the Red Wine Grapes.” The colonizer of the vineyards, pushing native wine grapes into its shadows. The Caber...
Merlot

The Occitanian word “merlot” translates to “young blackbird.” An accurate description for this popular, early-budding...
Syrah

The irony here is that Syrah’s origins could give Carmen Sandiego a run for her international wallet. Syrah’s deepest...
Chardonnay

British wine writer and critic, Jancis Robinson, once noted that throughout the 80’s and 90’s in the United States, C...
Cabernet Franc

History of the grape: References to it in the Loire region of France date as far back as the mid 12th century. But it...

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Arietta on Snooth

January 2013

Arietta Red Bordeaux Blend Napa Valley Red Wine (H Block Hudson Vineyards) 1999

Snoothrank:

No written review

Wine review by Barberolo
January 2012

Arietta Red Bordeaux Blend Napa Valley H Block Hudson Vineyards 2003

Snoothrank:

No written review

Wine review by jamlani
April 2011

Arietta Merlot Napa Valley Hudson Vineyard 2006

Snoothrank:

One of my favorite Merlots. Delicious, full bodied, great example of this varietal. Read More

Wine review by haze
August 2010

Yes, that is really me in the profile pic. P90X!Anyway, I just found out that I like wine. Who knew? I like Cabs the most. Drop me a note and say HI! Read More

Forum post in the topic Cabs RULE!
August 2010

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the recent 2010 International Pinot ... and a token white, the 2006 Arietta On the White Keys.After lunch I participated in an aptly named seminar (Wine Journalism in a Changing Landscape), where it was my honor to share the stage with wine journalism luminaries Jon Bonné, Patrick Comiskey, Nick Fauchal... Read More

From the article IPNC 2010: Day One
August 2010

Arietta Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend Sonoma Mountain On the White Keys 2006

Snoothrank:

A complex nose offers up notes of white peach, basil and green tomato. On the palate this is a touch astringent with rich fruit backed up with a touch of wood tannin contributing to a bit of a thick feeling mid-palate though there is fine balancing acids and good length that shows off a bit of creaminess and a round, wood inflected finale. 86pts Read More

Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz
July 2010

All the wines for this tasting were provided by a friend of a friend, who reps ... Ste. Catherine Riesling2006 Arietta On the White Keys2005 Louis Latour La Grande Roche Montagny2005 Chanson Clos des Feves2005 Chanson Clos des Mouches2006 Lemelson Pinot Noir Jerome Reserve2007 Evil Cabernet2003 Greg Norman Cabernet/Merlot2001 Bernardus Marinus... Read More

Forum post in the topic Schreiner's Winers: Tasting...
July 2010

Arietta Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend Sonoma Mountain On the White Keys 2006

Snoothrank:

Nice, bright nose of grassy fruit. Crisp and delicate on the palate with a great acid attack that awakens your olfactory senses. It's backed up by ripe, crisp fruit. Finishes on a nice gooseberry tone.- Schreiner's Winers 7/7/10 Read More

Wine review by VegasOenophile
May 2010

Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007

Snoothrank:

Wonderfully fruit forward nose with great oak backbone. Very approachable now, nose and palate are spectacular. Wonderful fruits with some vanilla laced oak tones and bright acidity, all in harmonious balance. Very nice. Wish I'd have had a larger taste!- Tasted with Fritz Hatton- Proprietor and Andy Erickson- Winemaker 5/6/10 at Marché Bacchus Read More

Wine review by VegasOenophile
May 2010

Arietta Red Blend Napa Valley Variation One 2007

Snoothrank:

Super tight and tannic. Slight juniper berry nose. This wine doesn't seem like it's made from these two varietals. Perhaps it's just too young right now and needs to integrate.- Tasted with Fritz Hatton- Proprietor and Andy Erickson- Winemaker 5/6/10 Read More

Wine review by VegasOenophile
Apr 8, 2010

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