A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Syrah, the 2001 Variation One exhibits sweet, flowery, blackberry and cassis flavors with chocolate and leather in the background. This big, full-bodied, opulent, layered, multidimensional 2001 needs 2-3 years of cellaring. It should drink well for 1-2 decades. Winemaker and part owner, John Kongsgaard, produces these wines in partnership with auctioneer, Fritz Hatton. They are all fashioned from fruit grown in the “H Block” of the Hudson Vineyard, the highest point on that large ranch. The vineyard is planted in white volcanic ash-dominated soils. The Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend is the Arietta and the Syrah/Merlot blend is named Variation One. These striking offerings have a European sensitivity for elegance, structure, and delineation, but are clearly products of California, as evidenced by their prodigious ripeness as well as intensity. They are expensive, but impressive efforts that should be long-lived. Fax (707) 963-4512