Arietta Variation One

VN94 Vinous Dec 2014

"Another rich, extroverted wine, the 2012 Variation One jumps from the glass with exuberant blue and black stone fruit, herbs and new leather. The blend of Syrah and Merlot works beautifully here. Powerful, explosive and enveloping, the Variation One will offer a wide window of pure drinking pleasure over the next 10–15 years. There is so much to like here." (94 pts.)

ST92+ Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar May/Jun 2014

"Bright, full ruby. Black raspberry, tar and earth on the expressive nose. Plush and chewy, even a bit youthfully muscular, with a distinctly savory quality to the raspberry and smoke flavors. Not a particularly gamey style of syrah. Very long and saline on the sweet, ripely tannic finish. A powerful wine in the making. There was no 2011 version as the Hudson Vineyard syrah was ruined by the cold, humid summer and harvest rainfall." (92–95 pts.)