Arietta Cellars Wine Tasting with Special Guest Fritz Hatton

Vito Corleone: I like to drink wine more than I used to.
Michael: It’s good for ya, Pop.
Vito Corleone: Anyway I’m drinkin’ more.
The Godfather

I have been drinking more than I used to since I opened the Wine Bar!  But that’s OK I’m training for the wine drinking Olympics!! 
We only have a few weeks left till the Wine Bar closes for the month of December and we get extra busy with holiday orders so I’m working on Tuesday night with our good friend Fritz Hatton in town. 
Fritz is probably better known as an auctioneer than a vintner but that’s why he has Andy Erickson making the wines.  Fritz has been making wine now for over 20 years in Napa and is sourcing fruit from some of the top vineyard sites after making friends with the owners of these properties while rubbing elbows with them at the Napa Valley auction for the last two decades.
We have been following these wines from day one so when Fritz called me to let me know that he would be in town in November, I was happy to open the Wine Bar on Tuesday night to taste the new releases from Arietta.
Join us as we welcome Fritz back to South Florida for an evening of great wines, stories and of course a special meal prepared by chef Toni Lampasone.  The fee for this event is $175 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

Arietta Wine Tasting with Special Guest Fritz Hatton
Tuesday, November 12th
7:30pm

2015 Arietta On the White Keys
Price: $72.50       Sale $63.80

Arietta White Wine On The White Keys, a white Bordeaux-inspired blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, is Arietta's first and only white wine. In 2005 Arietta's winemaker Andy Erickson sourced three outstanding blocks of hillside Sauvignon Blanc on Sonoma Mountain, and with the addition of two tiny blocks of old vine Semillon farmed by the highly respected Napa/Carneros grower Larry Hyde, fashioned a wine of remarkable complexity. The brilliance and pungent vibrancy of the Sauvignon Blanc has been preserved by fermentation of a substantial portion of the Sauvignon Blanc in stainless steel barrels. The balance of the Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the Semillon, was fermented in new Chateau oak barrels, an important factor in achieving length and ageability. The Sauvignon Blanc provides rich citric mouth watering acidity. The Semillon provides viscosity, lengthens and polishes the wine, and gives it a sheen of beeswax and floral scents. Arietta On The White Keys shares with the red wines Arietta's goals of quality, depth, vibrancy, and complexity, with much credit due to extreme care in vineyard selection and blending.

2016 Arietta Quartet Napa
Price: $75.75       Sale $66.66

The origins of the Arietta Quartet were wines under the label "Arietta Claret" made in 2004 and 2005 from Bordeaux varietals grown at the top of Howell Mountain by noted viticulturist David Abreu. In 2006 we changed the name of the wine to Arietta Quartet, allying the four Bordeaux varietals in the wine (everything except Malbec) to the musical subtext of the brand. Since 2007 we have created Arietta Quartet from first class blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot sourced from several of the finest growers in Napa. Most lots are kept separate for the first fifteen months after harvest, at which time blending commences in earnest, and the wine is continually "tweaked" until bottling. In 2009 a superb close-spaced three acre vineyard in Coombsville, planted to the four Quartet varietals by David Abreu in 2003, became the new core of the Arietta Quartet. Since 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon has been the dominant variety in the Quartet, along with generous amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and a hint of Petit Verdot. The percentage of new oak employed (50-70%) is lower than the other Arietta red wines, making the Arietta Quartet the most approachable upon release.

2016 Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyard Napa
Price: $84.00       Sale $73.92
The sources of the Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyards are the superb southwest facing G and I Blocks in the Hudson Vineyards on the Napa side of Carneros.  
 Coming on the heels of a prolonged multi-year drought, the 2016 growing season was defined by near-ideal conditions.  Rain in March and early April allowed the vines to start the spring with ample moisture in the soil, made for healthy canopies and balanced vines.  A dry, mild summer, with only one short heat event, helped the fruit ripen with deep color, intense aromatics, and ample natural acidity.  Some growers are commenting that the quality of the wines is perhaps on par with the much-heralded 2013 vintage.
 Notes from winemaker Andy Erickson: “The 2016 Arietta Merlot, as is true with most vintages, is 100% Merlot.  The grapes come from the oldest vines planted on Hudson Vineyards, from a block Lee Hudson has referred to as the “Merlot Cathedral.”  The vines indeed are statuesque, deeply rooted, and able to ripen the fruit gradually and fully.  The wine from 2016 showcases the strength of this great terroir, presenting the full spectrum of Merlot character.  Notes of blue and black fruits dance with aromas of baking spices, cocoa, pot de crème and graphite.  On the palate the combination of fresh acidity and rounded but structured tannins is palpable.  This wine is a reminder of just how impressive Merlot can be when grown on the right soils, in the cooler climes of the Napa Valley.  It will be pure pleasure to taste this wine over the years as it develops in the bottle.”

2017 Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Price: $138.00    Sale $121.44

Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon was first produced in the 2003 vintage. Since 2007 the core of the wine has been a 1.6 acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon in Coombsville, a small vale just east of the town of Napa. Lying in the shadow of Mt. Saint George, the vineyards undulate downwards toward the town of Napa. Planted by viticulturist Mike Wolf in 1995 and still under his management, the vineyard incorporating the Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon block is recognized as one of the finest, if not the finest site for this varietal in Coombsville. The soil is primarily volcanic, and the Arietta block has a southwestern exposure which is the most favored in this relatively cool climate. The grapes require longer than typical hang time (often until mid-October), and develop great depth of flavor without exceeding 25.5 brix. For additional layering and complexity we blend into the Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, or Merlot, depending on the character of the vintage. Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon is raised in 75-80% new French oak for twenty months before bottling the second July after harvest.

2014 Arietta H Block Hudson Vineyards
Price: $165.00    Sale $145.20

The Cabernet Franc is solely from the 2.3 acre Hudson Vineyards H Block, a shy-bearing, volcanic, southwest facing slope, which naturally yields just three tons per acre.
The Merlot is grown in the Hudson Vineyards G and I Blocks, which lie immediately below the H Block. Typically, the two varietals are picked simultaneously and co-fermented, assuring a marriage of the varieties. The Cabernet Franc provides the cassis, blueberry, brown sugar character, while the Merlot brings dark chocolate to the aroma and a chewy richness to the finish. Harvested near the extreme of ripeness, the wine is fermented with its indigenous yeast, macerated with the skins for six weeks, and then aged for twenty months in mostly new French oak barrels. Naturally clarified by traditional Bordeaux racking, the blend is bottled without fining or filtration. The intense concentration masks the substantial tannin, which assures an evolution in bottle of at least ten years.

2014  Arietta Variation One Napa
Price: $111.00    Sale $97.68

Arietta Red Wine Variation One is a blend of Merlot and Syrah, also from the Hudson Vineyards. The Syrah, from Hudson's Hermitage selection grown in gravel unusual in the Carneros, is co-fermented with the Merlot to give the blend a wild and penetrating quality. If the H Block wine is an homage to the Right Bank of Bordeaux, Variation One is a Napa Valley original. The plum and licorice aromas of Merlot blend imperceptibly with the forest floor, wild game qualities attributable to the Syrah in a wine without antecedent anywhere in the world. The vinification, barrel ageing, and bottling are similar to the Arietta H Block wine. Variation One may be served young, especially with wilder dishes, but the powerful, if supple, tannin will support its evolution in bottle for at least ten years.

Menu
Selection of cheese and Charcuterie
Foie Gras Powder served over Tomato aspic with beef consommé
Tuna Tartar with grilled wild mushrooms and basil aioli
Sliced A5 Waygu Filet with soy reduction and shoestring fries
Chocolate Creme Brulee with currants

The price for this event which includes dinner is $175 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
**Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have an aversion to Foie Gras and I will eat yours and Toni will serve you a salad or something.  We are always happy to accommodate special requests if you have allergies or religious issues with the menu.

About Arietta Winery:
Arietta, an ultra-premium Napa winery specializing in limited production Bordeaux-style blends, is owned by wine specialist and auctioneer Fritz Hatton and his wife Caren. One of America’s most celebrated winemakers, Andy Erickson, crafts the Arietta wines from carefully chosen blocks in the cooler climates of Napa Valley. The Arietta wine portfolio currently consists of four red wines—H Block Hudson, Variation One, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Quartet—and one white wine, On The White Keys.

The Hattons 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 H Block Hudson Vineyards. The Arietta project grew with the selection of additional superb blocks of Merlot and Syrah on the Hudson Ranch, which made possible the addition of two wines to the Arietta 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 in the 2003 through 2005 vintages, as well as the Arietta Claret 2004 and 2005. In 2006 Arietta leased a fabulously situated 1.6 acre block of clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon in Coombsville, which became the new core of the Arietta Cabernet. The same year saw the introduction of Arietta Quartet, a blend four Bordeaux varietals. Since 2009 the core of the quartet has been a jewel of a three acre vineyard in Coombsville, painstakingly laid out and planted by famed viticulturist David Abreu in 2003.

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, new oak, and French oak barrels, the Arietta White Keys, with its distinctive combination of vibrant flavors and a grand finish, was an instant success upon release in the fall of 2006.

Arietta's label features the manuscript of Beethoven's Arietta movement from his last Piano Sonata, Opus 111, written long after the composer had lost his hearing. Opus 111 is one of the most transporting and revolutionary pieces of music ever composed. Serene yet complex, rich yet ethereal, Beethoven’s Arietta provides an inspirational model for great winemaking.

Andy Erickson, Arietta's winemaker, is one of the most accomplished winemakers of his generation. After working at wineries in Napa and South America, he earned his Master's Degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California at Davis in 2000. Prior to joining Arietta in 2005, Erickson worked for Harlan Estate as assistant winemaker, and for Staglin as winemaker. Erickson's first project for Arietta was the development of its first ever white wine, Arietta "On The White Keys." Erickson assumed complete control of winemaking at Arietta with the 2006 vintage. Erickson also makes wine for, Dalla Valle, Ovid, Dancing Hares, and Favia.