Variance Within a Bottling?

[winecollector]

I've experience a lot of bottle variation, both with younger wines as well as aged wines, but I tend to find it more common with aged wines. When drinking aged wines, there have been plenty of times I've opened wines from the same case and have had some taste like they were on top of their game, and others tasting tired and old.

Also, in regard to recently released wines, you hit on a couple of good points too... wine made in different vats or batches, and how the wine was handled until being sold at retail. I think the handling can be a major factor in bottle variation. There is a wine store in West Virginia I am careful of what I buy there, because I've had a considerably higher rate of "bad" wines I've purchased there in comparison to other sources.