Chacra 32, Pinot Noir 2007, Patagonia, USD 55 Soft and delicate with red berries and cherry aromas with slight smoke deep in it. Shortlasting and not very impessive. I won´t go more than 84 points and seems to me quite overpriced.

Catalpa, Pinot Noir, Uco Valley 2008, USD 24 No tipicity with dark fruit and much spicy stuff not related to Pinots. An aggresive red not very pleasant with deep blue color. It won´t reach 79 points in a blind tasting for my palate.

Cloudy Bay, Pinot Noir, Marlborough, NZ, USD 36 Matured pinot with nice notes of well aged wine. Fruits somehow less impressive and unpolished in barely well matching with price. I´d say 83 points. If I try it again it´l be curiosity.

Don Diego, Syrah 06 ; Nina, Petit Verdot 06 ; Monteagrelo Syrah 07

Don Diego, Syrah Castaño 2006, Catamarca. USD 22 Castaño barriques (chestnut). Nice syrah´s tipicity without attraction. Nice beginning but short palate with soft smoke and spicy insinuate. I´d say kind of 82 points wine not worth the price.

Nina ,Petit Verdot 2006, Valle de Aminga La Rioja, USD 17 Showed bitter herbaceous notes and black berries more than red ones. Only a soft smoke and spicy end. I´d say 83 points not worthing the the price in anyway. Don´t think it´s going to improve anylonger.

Monteagrelo, Syrah 2007, Bressia , USD 28. Nice syrah with much oaky in vanilla and coconut aromas from the first nose´s pick. An attractive wine but overwhelmed by american oak. Clear black fruits and black pepper spiciness. I don´t go more than 84 points here.

Lágrima Canela, Bressia 2008, one of the top ten

Lágrima Canela, Bressia 2008, USD 40

An assemblage mostly chardonnay from agrelo district of Lujan de Cuyo,Mendoza.Pale yellow with greenish fade. Nice aroma with peach and traces of honey and smoke.The palate widens the onset on the nose with clear velvet butter and vanilla from oak. Interesting bitter at the final palate. Fairly complex with some hebaceous tones. I´d say a 92 points white. Great Value.

Kaiken Ultra, Cab Sau 05; Petit Caro 2006; Pacual Toso,Reserve Oak aged, Malbec 2004

Kaiken Ultra, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, USD 23.

Great Cabernet from Lujan de Cuyo. Red & black rape fruits with nice acidity and some spiciness like mint or oregano and black pepper.Some oaky stuff probably over the top but nicely appended. In any case I´d say an 89-90 points with great value for the price. Must say the malbec Kaiken Ultra 2005 is much richer and fine wine.

Petit Caro 2006, Cab Sau and Malbec. USD 23.An excelent wine from Lujan de Cuyo. Very balanced and elegant. No awkward components

nither overexpressed stuff. The wine goes well above 90 points.

The only minus would be its softness but the palate is quite complete.

Pacual Toso,Reserve Oak aged, Malbec 2004, USD 23. The best of the bunch. Very fruity but also balanced and complex. Very drinkable and attractive.The grapes are from Tupungato (close to Uco Valley). A super great value for the price. Some mild spicy in it like mint and eucalyptus make it more interesting. I´d say 92 points

Altimus 2005, From High Cafayate Valley

Altimus 2005, Cafayate Valley, Salta. USD 50

A mostly malbec with some tannat,syrah and Cab. Delicious wine with sweet blackberries and wild cherries on a vanilla and tabacco oaky envelope. Easy to drink. Nice lasting along the palate. Smooth but impressive. I´d say 90 points wine with excelent value for the price. A little oaky and spicy hot for my palate but very attractive for most of us.

Malbec de Ricardo Santos 2007, premium malbec

Malbec de Ricardo Santos 2007, USD 15

Great value. Sound Malbec from Russell district of Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza.Nice brilliant bordeaux with tipical plum notes on a sweet ,smooth and round red.Easily goes sip after sip. I´d say 87 points for my palate. Somehow a simple wine lacking some complexity but nicely well balanced.

Andeluna Res. Lim.,Malbec 04, Cuvelier Los Andes Gran Vin 06, M Escorihuela Gascon 05a

Andeluna Reserva Limitada Malbec 2004, USD 63

Impressive malbec from Uco Valley Mendoza. Great and clear acids and rape fruits pop out nicely. A deep wine from the nose down. Every sip spreads out complexity. It goes all the way the palate touches and lingers a good aftertaste.I woudn´t say less than 93 points.The wine is mature and I wonder how better it may get with some nice aging a couple of years away. Very easy to buy for the price.

Cuvelier Los Andes, Gran Vin 2003, USD 36

Very concentrated blend from Uco Valley, clear Rolland´s style. Rich in fresh red and black fruits like plum,cherry and wild blackberries. Some smoke around but not oaky. Strong early and middle palate. I guess It´l go better in a few years ahead. For now 92 points.A great value at +30 bucks wines.

Miguel Escorihuela Gascon, blend 2005 (malbec mostly,but some cab & syrah) USD 47 (int´l soldas Presidential´s Blend). Complete wine with spicy notes tailing the tipical malbec´s plum and red berries. Some oak stuff softly mixed. Long finish and attractive early and middle palate. I´d say 90 points wine.Accordingly priced.

Salentein Reserve, Merlot 2005. 10 Years in Mendoza

Salentein Reserve, Merlot 2005. USD 15

Excelent merlot from Uco Valley High Mendoza. 92 points for a balanced and potent red. Strawberries and raspberries with strong tannins plenty of roses and cherry from the beginning. Great middle palate with mild smoky finish. Complete Merlot with fruit, acidity, tannins and alcohol. Quite balanced though. It´l be no doubt better in 3-5 years (I know it from previous vintages !!). This merlot from Uco´s and Infinitus Merlot Gran Reserva 05 from Patagonia one of the best Merlot Argentina´s producing.

Finca Los Gigantes, Añelo Blend 2004 fron Neuquén Northpatagonia, USD 25 Good black cherries jam with strong tannins and alcohol. Great early and middle palate with mostly Cab stuff like green bell pepper sweet entangled with plum from Malbec. I´d say 85-86 points. Must say the cork was inked up to one third.

Alizarine Single Vineyard, Alta Vista, Malbec 2006, USD 32. An extreme wine full of complexity with plenty of fruit. Raspberry,strawberry and blackberries in a jammy mix. Species like black pepper and thyme with clear tabacco and vanilla at the end. A very concentrated wine from Lujan de Cuyo I guess by technique rather than by nature. I´d say 89-90 points wine.

Andeluna Reserva , Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, from Uco Valley, USD 18. For my palate the best of the bunch.Full body with clear plum and cherries in a sweet and slightly sour base. Some tabacco and tost add to balance and complexity. Great +90 points and a great value too.

Structura ,Navarro Correa 2003, USD 30. Over cooked fruit like compote mix with strawberries and blackberries. Balanced and long to finish. Some oxidation component not very attrative for me. It´s a blend with Cab Sau & Malbec .I´d say 88-89 points.

A poutpourri from North to South Arg: Patrón Santiago 03, Colomé 05, Mainqué 07, Enamore 07

Patrón Santiago, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot 2003 from Maipú district in Mendoza (along with Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley the best of Mendoza) 20 USD. Showed some fruit compote on a well aged bottle. Good acidity and alcohol. Nice oxidation with some animal component and mineral deep taste. Soft and thorought but in some way plain and giving a quick plateau. I´d say 86-88 points.

Colomé, Malbec 2005 ,Cafayate Valley (Salta), USD 23; Darker and harder but fruity and complex with deep black cherries,plum and violets flowers. Long palate only a bit short at the end. Far the best of the bunch. Typical Cafayate Valley. Strong in a sense of naturally concentrated wine. I´d say +90 points. I don´t like older than this. Now this wine is strong, mature and balanced.

Mainqué, Merlot 2007, Rio Negro. USD 32. Good merlot from Patagonia, somehow inexpressive though. Dark bordeaux with opaque tone typical of northpatagonia. Red acid fruit with strong tannins that gives a big early palate but short middle and end. Mild final toast from oak.I´d say 87 points with a better place for a price range 15-20 USD.

Enamore 2007, Bodega Renacer, USD 25. A mostly Malbec and Cab Franc made with `apassimento´technique of sundrying the grapes after the vintage. Nice and balanced red. Soft and delicate with fruits and elegant tannins throughout the palate.It may have a short end. I´d say 88-89 points but overpriced.

Catena Zapata ´Estiba Reservada´04, Riglos ,Gran Malbec 07,Flecha de Los Andes, Gran Malbec 07

On this oportunity Miguel P & Gutavo C brought in the bottles

Catena Zapata ´Estiba Reservada´ (sold itn´l as Nicolás Catena Zapata, 120 USD) 2004

Superb wine from a to z. Complete and round palate with attractive soft finish. Fruity and deep with a touch of smoke and tabacco.The aftertaste is long and very pleasant.The evolution is perfect with no oxidation neither excessive terciary notes. I´d say a 95 points for my palate. The vinery´s technical sheet says it´s a blend of three Cab Sau from Uco Valley and Agrelo (Lujan de Cuyo) Mendoza.

Riglos ,Gran Malbec 2007, a great wine from Uco Valley too. 30 USD Less impressive than CZ Estiba Reservada but more balance and smoothness to feel it slowly in a long sip. The other one calls you up to get sip after sip in a chain of sips. I tried the 2005 recently and it was better with more notes of good evolution. This time I´d say 92 points just because is too young, probably 94 if more aged in bottle.

Flecha de Los Andes, Gran Malbec 2007. USD 25 USD, again a Uco Valley Malbec. Much more concentrated and dark with black berries and plum, little smoke and vanilla with a broad middle palate.Tipical `Clos de los Siete´ Rolland & friends wine. This one has an extraordinary price for the value. I´d say 90 points just because I don´t appreciate much concentrated wines.

Luigi Bosca Malbec DOC Luján de Cuyo 2003 & 2007

Luigi Bosca, Malbec DOC, 2003 & 2007, USD 25

The two are Lujan de Cuyo D.O.C. (Denominación Origen Controlada) from Vistalba

district. High lands with great CS & Malbecs. Lets say Lujan de Cuyo, Maipú and Uco Valley are the three best places for superb wines in Mendoza.

Malbec DOC 2007 showed a great balance with violet flower, acid little berries and quince jam. Some spicy component is entangled. Little oak vanilla and smoke envolve.The palate is short and frustrating. Sweet tannin and soft but extremely evanescent.Lets place it in 88 pts , 93 or more if body pushed longer.

The 2003 bottle showed some oxidation in it (the cork was dry but without filtration) and a little evolution toward complex maturity but it doen´t go better than the 07.I´d say 84 pts

Kinien,malbec 07; Benegas,sangiovese 06 ; Viña Amalia Cab Sau 05. Three fine wines

Kinien, Malbec 2007, USD 30, from Vistaflores Uco Valley,Mendoza

Impressive amalgam of gentle fruit mostly red cherry and plum

mermelade good acidity and alcohol. Some Cab´s components like

spicy black pepper and sweet red bell pepper. Soft tannins and a big

middle palate. I´d say 90+ pts for a rich and complete malbec.

Benegas, Sangiovese 2006, USD 23, Cruz de Piedra, Maipú, Mendoza

Great fruity nose with touchy initial and middle palate. The fruit is

mostly malbec´s type like plum and violet flower but shows a clear hint of

red cherry and raspberries. Smoke at the end. Rich and attractive wine that hardly reminds me a Sangiovese. I´d say a 89 pts wine ,much lower if you keep in mind the sangiovese tipicity even in Argetina terroir.

Viña Amalia, Reservado, Cab Sau 2005, USD 25, La consulta, Uco Valley, Mendoza.This is a tipical CS fron Uco Valley in Mendoza. Bunch of red and black fruit with spicy black pepper and sweet red pepper nicely kept with smoke and tabacco.Not an original wine but beautiful and attractive and gentle. I´d say 89 pts

Two beautiful Merlot from Añelo ,Neuquén

Finca Roja & Calafate Twins from Añelo,Neuquen

Both Merlot same vineyard but different owners.

Finca Roja Reserva Merlot 2005 and Calafate ,Reserva Merlot 2006 (both UDS 8-9).

Very few Argentina´s Merlot reach this deep in the grape´s beauty.

Sustained brilliant red with a potent nose of black rose,quince and

red berry and rosehip jam.

The palate touches the wine from the biggining through middle and to end with a clear smoke and dark chocolate deeper. The 5 year old some oxidation and the 4 y/o more vivid. The youngest improved after two days opened (probably telling some slot to evolve).

I´d say 88 pts for Finca Roja ,and 89 pts for Calafate with an outstanding value for the sale.

A good value and one of the best merlot from Argentina thinking of everyday wine.

Angelica Zapata Alta, Cab Sau 2005 the short

Compare tasted in a tasting group of bottles back in February 20th, 2010 a much better performance for my palate.

Angélica Zapata Alta, Cabenet Sauvignon 2005, 23 USD (sale outside Argentina as Catena Alta) Good tipicity with clear red bell pepper and sweet marmalade. Hardly any oak stuff. Fine and attractive with good middle and late palate but weak early palate. I´d say 87-88 points. Day after opened no change (like some others that show quite amazing improve). I expected much more out of this brandname and previous vintages were much better.

Los Quinteros, Malbec Reserva, Uco Valley

Los Quinteros, malbec reserva 2008, USD 8-9

grapes from Uco´s Valley Mendoza by Mauricio Lorca. Very interesting wine,tipicity included is a Uco´s malbec with red and black berries in a soft smoke support with gentle body and a eucalytus hint. Excelent buy. I´d say 86+ points.