Arietta, Variation One, Napa Valley

Really beautiful - showing its unusual blend’s aspects really nicely. Not the most savory/leathery I’ve had, but totally correct.

2003 vintage

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.

2003 vintage

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.

2003 vintage

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.

2003 vintage

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.

2003 vintage

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

2003 vintage

Slow O'd for two hours. Scrumptious red and blue fruit; cool on the palate. Lots of character in this unusual, and very successful, Syrah-Merlot blend. Paired with pan-seared ribeye.

2003 vintage

very sweet and ripe on the nose, almost grapey. Very minty. Full-bodied.

2003 vintage

Slight signs of aging and customary bricking, but still fresh, lots of acidity and fruit. Wonderful wine! Needs a couple of hours of air prior to drinking.

2003 vintage

Heat damaged bottle? Wine smelled like shoe polish, Band Aid, stewed red fruit, aspirin.

2003 vintage

Still fresh, lively and good fruit. Tannins are still pronounced and this needs 2+ hours of air before drinking.

2003 vintage

Opened fully in short order. Explosion of overripe black and blue fruits with a few hard leather notes and a long finish. The wine was smooth enough but the tannins still showed some real backbone to make it a real mouthfilling wine. The alcohol almost took it down a point for me, but it was not that overdone to merit the deduction down to 92.

2003 vintage

The nose shows dark berries and plums with a touch of anise and a hint of earthiness. Still a little tannic, the palate shows dark fruit with touch of earthy dust. The wine could have used a couple more years in the cellar but was very enjoyable.

2003 vintage

Sampled 10/27/12. Very smooth. Opened in the glass in short order. Wonderful blueberries and black cherries. Well balanced A rich core of fruit that is elegant but overripe at the same time. Some vanilla Oak and some little soft leather too.

2003 vintage

Sampled 7/21/12. This was a potent fruit bomb of black, blue and red fruits. It opened within 30 minutes. The alcohol came through a bit, which I did not expect and it took a point of this wine for me. Still a richly layered bomb with some spice to it and sweet Oak.

2003 vintage

Really, really tight at opening. Cherry and cedar nose, slightly tannic up front, medium finish. Seems very tasty now but not sure how much longer.

2003 vintage

not as refined as I would have expected for a 2003 napa wine. tannins are not as rounded. very enjoyable without food, could use a couple more years in the cellar.

2003 vintage

Color is turbid, garnet medium +. Its cloudy and showing a bit of evolution in other words. Nose is clean with primary, fruit tobbacco; secondary, barrell, vanilla, clove; and tertiary aromas, forest floor, mushroom. The aromas are pronouced. The wine is developed. Based on the nose I personally would not let the wine aged farther but that is because I like my Napa Bordeaux based wines to show primary fruit in some fashion. Palate is dry with medium acidity. Tannin …

2003 vintage

Sampled 4/3/10. Another winner from Arietta. Red, black and blue fruits with herbs and a hint of spicey Oak. More life than I thought, as this wine could go for up to another 5 years.

2003 vintage

This is a big wine that needs more time. The tannins are too hot now and bit powerful on the fruit. I would wait at least 5 years if had any of this.

2003 vintage

Taste at the Elysian. Nose shows lots of herbal tea, dark rustic cherries and dark chocolate. Palate doesn't show as much weight as expected. Somewhat austere dried herbs on the palate with supple robust dark cherries.

2003 vintage

Arietta Blindtasting: 2000-2003 (Palo Alto, California) : Group's #1 (my #4) – 25 pts; 6 1st place votes, 1 2nd place votes, 1 third, 2 last places – Opaque dark red violet color; nice roasted fruit and tart plum nose, that changes over 30 minutes or so to bittersweet milk chocolate and blackberry nose; tight, but pure, black fruit, tart blackberry, charcoal with touches of pepper, bittersweet chocolate and roasted meat; medium finish 92+ pts. (60% Merlot, 40% Syrah; needs …

2003 vintage

Be sure to decant this wine -- it definitely needs to breathe for an hour at least.

2003 vintage

Excellent bottle. Rich, smooth, great balance and good fruit. Much more accessable at this age than normal Kongsgaard bottles.

2003 vintage

very tight, even after three + hours. Dark rich fruit, but a bit unbalanced. Fruit, oak, and good tannin, but never seemed to put it all together. A bit disjointed

2003 vintage

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Arietta, Variation One, Napa Valley

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