H Block is Arietta’s flagship, and the core Cabernet Franc comes from one tiny, shy-bearing spot: a volcanic, southwest-facing slope in the Hudson Vineyard in Carneros, one of the New World’s finest places to grow Cabernet Franc, with Merlot from adjacent Hudson blocks. The estate was founded in 1996 by John Kongsgaard and Fritz Hatton, with winemaking from Andy Erickson. The 2017 is a roughly even split of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, co-fermented, aged about 20 months in French oak. Cool-climate Napa red blend with both power and lift. Drinking well now, and good for the cellar.