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. 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.
