Arietta Merlot Hudson Vineyard – 2011 (750ml)

From the oldest vines on Hudson ranch, dating back to the early 80s, according to winemaker Andy Erickson. Medium red ruby. Captivating floral perfume lifts black raspberry, wild herbs and spices on the nose. Equally aromatic in the mouth, displaying juicy, intense, low-fat flavors of dark berries, wild herbs and crushed rock. By most accounts, the earlier ripening merlot performed well in the Carneros area in 2011 and this example is a standout. The long, slowly mounting finish saturates the mouth with perfume. Id give this very youthful wine at least a couple years in the cellar for its palate to catch up with its nose. Steven Tanzer, Vinous (May 2014)93 points