2018 ARIETTA MERLOT HUDSON VINEYARD, NAPA VALLEY CALIFORNIA

Produced entirely from fruit from the long-lived “I Block” on the Hudson ranch, the 2018 Arietta Merlot mirrors the character of the old vines that hold the fruit:  muscular, deep, and at the same time balanced. This variety thrives in these soils, and in the cooler climes of Carneros, where Hudson is located. Fermented with native yeasts, macerated on the skins for nearly 30 days at relatively low temperature, the wine is alive with notes of black cherry, boysenberry, flint, and clove.  Bottled unfiltered after aging in 50% new French oak, its tannins have a cocoa powder texture, and the intensity of the fruit lingers on the finish for nearly a minute.