2003 Arietta Variation One

Community Tasting Notes (33) Avg Score: 92.2 points

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  4/14/2018 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Nicely integrated and balanced. Not a huge amount of Syrah popping through, (I’ve had other years that showed more leather) but a great combination of the two grapes. Still got a year or two of stuffing left in it - our bottle came from the winery’s cave this winter.

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  2/1/2018 - bnord81 wrote: 95 Points

  Robert Parker-The stunning 2002 Variation One (70% Merlot and 30% Syrah) exhibits an exotic, opulent personality with a deep purple color, and sweet aromas of cocoa, new saddle leather, black raspberries, cassis, and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, with beautifully integrated oak (all of these wines are aged in 100% new French wood), wonderful sweetness, tremendous delineation, and laser-like clarity and transparency of character. A beauty, it is ideal for drinking over the next 10-15 years.

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  11/2/2017 - Peech Likes this wine: 94 Points

  very ripe and sweet on the nose. Later on really fragrant and oaky, and jammy and rich. Tannins still strong. Wine held up for more than 3 hours after opening, but after 3½ hours tannins felt more astringent and became more prominent. After 4 hours, showed some coffee notes on top of smoke.

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  1/6/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:

  I very much enjoyed this and wish we had more bottles. Drank next to a Pierre Usseglio Mon Aieul and in comparison this was more the new world, fruit forward (but I'd say muted compared to other Cali wines). Richer dark red fruit, but still a bit of balance with the more savory characteristics (both wines had a similar flavor profile, but in the PUMA the savory dominated and in this one the fruit did). Great with steak.

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  9/8/2016 - lachord Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Still plenty of life in it. Dark berries with an earthy, mulchy undertone.

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