2011 Arietta On The White Keys Artists' Reserve
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One of the highlights in this first flight, the 2011 On The White Keys is dense and phenolic in personality to the point it almost feels like a red wine. But what comes across most is the wine's power and overall intensity. The 2011 is gorgeous, especially if served at the dinner table. There was quite a bit of botrytis in the Sémillon, which came in late that year. The 50% new oak is impeccably balanced. What a gorgeous wine this is.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Altre recensioni e punteggi
(this bottling receives an extra year of barrel aging): Bright, pale yellow. More obvious oak on the nose than the "regular" On the White Keys but also quite vibrant, with a scent of mandarin orange complemented by resin, smoke and vanilla nuances. More backward and serious too, thanks to a penetrating vein of acidity; a step up in texture and depth. Less fruity in the mid-palate today but finishes with an explosion of citrus fruits.
(79% sauvignon blanc and 21% semillon; bottled in July of 2012; one-third malolactic fermentation; aged in a combination of new oak, neutral oak and stainless steel barrels; the sauvignon blanc comes from three vineyards on Sonoma Mountain and the semillon from Hyde in Carneros): Bright yellow color. Pungent aromas of pineapple, lemon drop and botanical herbs. Tactile and glyceral-rich, but with the racy energy of the vintage giving verve and lift to the citrus and floral flavors. Really steely and fresh--and built to age. A faint note of dried fig from the botrytized semillon adds complexity to the finish.
Andy Erickson has done a great job with these new releases from Arietta. The 2011 On The White Keys, Sauvignon/Semillon blend, floats from the glass with hints of lemongrass, nectarine, sage and mint. This Graves-inspired white is especially beautiful in 2011, a long, cold growing season that allowed the fruit to ripen fully while maintaining lively acidity. The 2011 is mostly Sauvignon from Sonoma Mountain, with about 20% Semillon that in this vintage had some botrytis.