2011 & 2020 Arietta Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

“The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is another striking, beautifully textured wine from Arietta. The flavors are bold, powerful and incisive, with a touch of old-world brett that adds complexity. Firm tannins give the wine its structure and overall intensity. Black cherry, plum, graphite, savory herbs and menthol add nuance in a deep, virile wine endowed with real personality. Readers need to expect a more Old World-leaning style in the 2011. (AG)” (05/2017)

“An iron, stone and dark-fruit character on the nose follows through to full body, with silky tannins and a spice, berry and cocoa-powder finish. Muscular wine for the vintage.” (05/2014)

“The 2020 Arietta is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from a small block within the Meteor Vineyard in the Coombsville AVA. Winemaker Andy Erickson has crafted a full-bodied, dense, and pleasure-packed wine that offers a powerful bouquet of blackberry fruit dusted with cinnamon spices, tobacco, cedarwood, and mint. On the palate, saturated black fruits mingle with heady cigar box, earth, and a mineral edge that calls to mind the scent of a cast iron pan. Blood orange acidity segues to a mocha-rich finish. Aged 20 months in 75% new French oak barrels. (JC)” (07/2023)

“Sourced from Coombsville's Meteor Vineyard, Arietta's 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits wonderfully pure notes of cassis and blueberry, plus dark, earthy tones and hints of cedar shavings and vanilla. It's medium to full-bodied, richly concentrated and velvety, with ample length and a bright, fresh finish that balances the dark fruit-and-earth profile. (JC)” (03/2023)

“A deeply colored and extracted red with aromas of dark chocolate, walnuts, dried leaves, blackcurrants and cassis. Dense and full-bodied, with firm, chewy tannins that dominate. Dark and brooding. 100% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2026. (CN)” (01/2023)

“The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is dark, plush and super-expressive. Blackberry, chocolate, spice, leather, incense and grilled herbs give the 2020 notable depth as well as complexity. This powerhouse Cabernet has a lot to offer. (AG)” (10/2022)

“The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is enjoyable, with smoky cassis and plum fruits as well as notes of toasted spice, chocolate, and lead pencil. It's medium to full-bodied, has good depth of fruit, some firmer tannins, and good acidity. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a touch of smoke in this wine, but it stays largely in the background, and the wine is certainly enjoyable.” (02/2023)