Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2005 H Block, which is 100% from the Hudson Vineyard, is a co-fermented blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. This is one of the finest I have tasted from Fritz Hatton, and it has put on considerable weight since I had it last year. An exceptional nose of white chocolate, espresso, tobacco leaf, and raspberries, in addition to red currants and even blacker fruits, are present in this complex wine, which is fragrant, medium to full-bodied, and seamlessly textured. It is a beautiful, highly nuanced, strikingly elegant wine to drink over the next 10-15 years.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.