Lot 28
Old School Musical

1 – 6 Liter 2006 Arietta White Wine “On the White Keys”
1 – 3 Liter 2005 Arietta Red Wine “H Block Hudson”
1 – 3 Liter 2005 Arietta Red Wine “Variation One”
1 – 3 Liter 2005 Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon
Special musical dinner with Fritz Hatton for up to eight (8) at the Hatton Victorian in St. Helena
Three (3) nights for one (1) couple in a suite at the Mandarin Oriental, New York, including a tasting dinner for six (6) in the private dining room with Richard Hales, the hotel’s Wine Director, who will pour a special vertical of Arietta wines

The passions of Naples are best expressed in a set of Neapolitan ariettas. To stoke - and assuage - these passions, Arietta owners Caren and Fritz Hatton offer a vocal quartet - four specially engraved bottles of Arietta wines. While “Arietta” may be Italian for a little aria, there is nothing small about this lot - each of its finest wines is presented in mammoth large bottle formats. 
 
A love of music inspired both Arietta’s name and its label - a portion of the Arietta movement from the original manuscript of Beethoven’s final piano sonata is printed on each label. Arietta’s goal is to create small lots of handmade wines from magnificent microclimates in Napa. One of winemaker Andy Erickson’s first compositions for Arietta was the creation of an unctuous Bordeaux-styled blend of hillside Sauvignon Blanc and old-vine Semillion – “On The White Keys.” 
 
The most extraordinary bottle within this quartet is an Imperial of the 2006 “On The White Keys.” Only three bottles of this size were produced in this vintage and this is the only one which will be offered for sale. Complex and vibrant, the wine's Semillion contributes super-concentrated notes of lemon drops and minerals, while the energy of its Sauvignon Blanc balances and lifts the wine to a superb coda. 
 
Rounding out the quartet is a trio of the Arietta red wines from the marvelous 2005 vintage in Napa, each in engraved Double Magnums. Best known is Arietta Red Wine “H Block Hudson,” a Saint Emilion-style blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Lee Hudson’s Ranch. This dark and captivating wine was recently praised effusively by Stephen Tanzer, who called it “an uncanny combination of opulence, power and cut.” 
 
From low-producing “miracle” blocks within the same location, come the grapes for Arietta’s unusual and distinctive blend of Merlot and Syrah, Arietta’s “Variation One.” This New World blend is lush, thick and sweet, a compellingly deep wine, whose Syrah provides a wild and penetrating quality. The third red, Arietta’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, is made from grapes grown by celebrated viticulturist David Abreu on Howell Mountain. Abreu’s meticulous practices assure perfectly ripe fruit, and it shows in the wine’s texture of velvet. 
 
Fritz and Caren would be delighted to host the winning bidder and up to seven guests for a musical-themed tasting and dinner at their Victorian home in downtown Saint Helena. Depending on the weather, the group will take up residence in the shade garden out back, or in the “turn of the century before last” ambience of the dining room. Jollity will reign, piano and song by Fritz will be available upon command and Arietta library wines of your choice will flow.  

As a harmonious encore to dinner with the Hattons, one couple will spend three nights in the luxurious Mandarin Oriental in New York, recipient of the prestigious Mobil Five-Star award for 2007.   This lavish hotel provides a stunning blend of modern design and oriental flair in the heart of Manhattan – with views over Central Park and the City skyline that are simply breathtaking.  While there, enjoy a tasting dinner with four of your closest friends.  Hosted by Richard Hales, the hotel’s Wine Director, you’ll sample a special vertical of Arietta wines. 

Bravo! 

Insider’s Info: Airfare to Napa Valley or New York not included. Trip to be scheduled on a mutually agreeable date.  Mandarin Oriental, New York visit subject to availability; blackout dates include February 12-19, 2008 and December 1-20, 2008.  Gift certificate must be presented at time of redemption, is non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for currency.  Mandarin Oriental, New York gift certificate must be redeemed by January 26, 2009. 

DONORS: Caren & Fritz Hatton of Arietta and Mandarin Oriental, New York