2014 La Violeta
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Tasting notes
Sweet liqourice, chalk, blackberry pie, damson, espresso, touch of reduction keeps things subdued for a moment, followed by an explosion of flavours, this is great quality, and distinctive with orange peel lift and acidity on the finish. Winemaker Marcelo Pelleriti makes the wines across Henri Parent's estates in Pomerol and Argentina. 100% hand destemmed, old vines from a high altitude site at 1,200m in the Uco Valley. Held back at the estate until ready to drink making this its first release, second year of sale through the Place de Bordeaux. Heavy bottle.
Critic scores
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Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
More reviews and scores
The oldest of the two vintages I tasted of the top wine, the 2014 La Violeta reached 15.5% alcohol, less than the previous wine I tasted and more than the following vintage, 2017, that I tasted next to this. This comes from stony soils with limestone, and the grapes from hand-destemmed grapes fermented in French oak barrels that are rotated with a manual pigeage. It matured in (40%) new barriques for two to three years and then was let to rest for five years in bottle before being released. Marcelo Pelleriti told me the changes started with this vintage when he used 7% Cabernet Franc, and they used only 40% new barrels (in the past it was 100% new oak) and also a gentler vinification to extract less. These wines are not going to be released until their 10th birthday, and they should be long lived and develop in bottle. But they will always remain generously oaked, textured, powerful and full-bodied. 8,800 bottles were filled in November 2016.