2010 Arietta 88 Keys Cabernet Sauvignon

Arietta was founded in 1996 by wine specialist and auctioneer Fritz Hatton, his wife Caren and winemaker John Kongsgaard and his wife Maggie. Starting with a small block of vineyards on the Hudson Ranch in Napa/Carneros, Arietta has added other vineyards in the decades since then. The label features a few bars of the musical manuscript of Beethoven’s Arietta movement from his last piano sonata, which was Opus 111. Arietta’s founders are music lovers. Andy Erickson is the winemaker today and estate produces Bordeaux style blends, including a white wine.

Coombsville AVA is one of Napa Valley’s newer appellations, having received its official designation only in 2011. Tucked just to the northeast of Los Carneros and a few minutes’ drive east of downtown Napa, the Coombsville appellation is relatively large at a total of 11,000 acres. The elevation varies from 100 to 1,000 feet, and the climate is moderated by marine breezes from the San Pablo Bay. The main grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.