Arietta 2007 Quartet Howell Mountain Napa Valley

International Wine Cellar

Good deep red. Aromas of black fruits, dark chocolate and licorice. Sweet, lush and generous, with complex and enticing flavors of black raspberry, chocolate and roasted herbs. This is deeper than 2006 and finishes with noble tannins and impressive lingering sweetness. Score: 91-93 - Stephen Tanzer, December 2008.
Wine Advocate
A blend of 45% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the dense purple-hued 2007 Quartet possesses abundant notes of sweet cassis interwoven with acacia flowers and crushed rocks. Deep and medium to full-bodied with excellent texture, richness, and sweetness, it should drink beautifully for two decades or more. Score: 92-94 - Robert Parker, December 2008.
Wine Spectator
This captures the essence of Bordeaux complexity with Napa style, delivering a complex, compelling mix of spicy herb, dried currant, sage, mineral and tobacco in a full-bodied style and ending with firm, spicy, earthy tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet France and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2017. Source: 93 - James Laube, March 31, 2009.

Type	Red
Varietal	Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Vintage	2007
Bottle size	750mL
Alcohol content	14.2%
Appellation	California – Napa Valley - Howell Mountain
Wine Advocate	92
Wine Enthusiast	--
Wine Spectator	93
International Wine Cellar	92

The Story

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.