JEB DUNNUCK 97 POINTS - "The star of the show is the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, a stunningly pure, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from two vineyards in the Coombsville appellation. Reminding me of a great vintage of Ch teau Mouton Rothschild with its broad, expansive texture, this inky-hued beauty has tons of ripe black fruits, notes of leafy herbs, tobacco, and cedar pencil, ripe tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and one heck of a great finish. Hide bottles for 4-5 years if you can, and it will drink brilliantly over the following 15-20 years."
ANTONIO GALLONI 95+ POINTS - "Longtime winemaker Andy Erickson presented an impressive range of wines at Arietta. The 2021s capture all the energy of the year, while the 2022s are promising. Overall, the wines benefit from a focus on cooler climate sites that lend savoriness in years like 2021 and serve to mitigate temperature extremes in warm years such as 2022. A number of these wines also feature unusual blends, which makes them true originals."
"The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with inky black fruit, grilled herbs, licorice, incense and scorched earth. This potent, explosive Cabernet is super-impressive. Even with all its natural intensity, the 2021 remains quite refined. All this needs is time to soften."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "Sourced from the Meteor Vineyard in Coombsville and made under the watchful eye of Andy Erickson, Arietta's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon starts with gentle herbal notes, adds masses of cassis and black cherries, then hints of vanilla and cedar. It's medium to full-bodied, concentrated yet silky, soft, smooth and elegant—not a huge blockbuster, but it's charming and harmonious, with a wash of softly dusty tannins on the finish."
ANTONIO GALLONI 95+ POINTS - "Longtime winemaker Andy Erickson presented an impressive range of wines at Arietta. The 2021s capture all the energy of the year, while the 2022s are promising. Overall, the wines benefit from a focus on cooler climate sites that lend savoriness in years like 2021 and serve to mitigate temperature extremes in warm years such as 2022. A number of these wines also feature unusual blends, which makes them true originals."
"The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with inky black fruit, grilled herbs, licorice, incense and scorched earth. This potent, explosive Cabernet is super-impressive. Even with all its natural intensity, the 2021 remains quite refined. All this needs is time to soften."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "Sourced from the Meteor Vineyard in Coombsville and made under the watchful eye of Andy Erickson, Arietta's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon starts with gentle herbal notes, adds masses of cassis and black cherries, then hints of vanilla and cedar. It's medium to full-bodied, concentrated yet silky, soft, smooth and elegant—not a huge blockbuster, but it's charming and harmonious, with a wash of softly dusty tannins on the finish."
