Benegas, Libertad Vineyards 2005, By Benegas Winery, USD 20
www.bodegabenegas.com
A single vineyard blend of a third each Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Cruz de Piedra District in Maipu Departament (high mendoza river bank), Central Mendoza.
Beautiful mix of red ripe cooked berries and cherries, red bell peppers and a nice chocolaty and toasty envelope quite delicate. Also an interesting middle palate herbal edge. A little bit weak globaly even though the tannins are soft and well balanced. I´d say a 91 point mature and tipical Cruz de Piedra red on its best time point. A very good value though.
Malma Universo Blend 2007, By Bodega NQN, USD 20
www.bodeganqn.com.ar/
A malbec based blend from San Patricio Valley in Neuquen Province, North Patagonia.
A beautiful red ,both complete and complex, showing a great Patagonian terroir and work over it.
Red ripe and sour cherries with red plum and boisenberries on a soft oak base of chocolate and toast.
Nice alcohol and better balance. A 92 point red that may grow complex next few years. A great value and second only to Mendoza in quality and personality.
You ay see the July 2011 taste HERE
Septima Gran Reserva 2008, By Bodega Septima, USD 25
http://www.bodegaseptima.com/
A multigrape red showing Agrelo´s beauty to imprint wines of great quality. Actualy we tal about high Agrelo which closer to Uco in terms of altitude and black berries dominance. If Romans added honney to wine to make it more attractive, this perfect balance of of fresh ,ripe and sweet fruit wl make them fall for it. Very delicate and fine oaky notes. Better than most Barossa I tasted. And the best is still to come. A 93 point red that may give its best close to 6 years old. Great great value.
See the Feb 2011 tasting HERE
Vicentin, Blend de Malbecs 2010, By Vicentin Family Wines, USD 18
www.vicentinfw.com
A malbec blending Agrelo, Tupungato ,La Consulta, Chacras de Coria and Vistalba from Central Mendoza and Uco Valley.
An intermixed malbec with half and a half tipicities. Red cherries and black cherries with plum in the middle. Fresh and ripe fruity core with chocolate and coffee in between. Solid and balanced. Atractive and modern like a California or Australia or Chile star. Any common sense palate. A 90 point malbec and one of the basic players on an international scenario. Great value. Probably best in 4-6 years old.
Melipal Blend 2009, By Bodega Melipal, USD 19
www.bodegamelipal.com
A blend from Agrelo District, Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Cental Mendoza with 60% Malbec,
30% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc.
Beautiful and complete blend keeping the fruity core ahead. You´ll find a fruit punch of ripe red and dark cherries, plum and a beautiful toach of herbaceous red and green bell peppers (at some point tastes like oregano and sage). Nice toasty coffee beans and choco too. Well structured and delicious. A 92 point red and a great value. Quite competitive worldwide for the standard palate (if such a thing does exist...). Probably the best by 3 to 5 years old as I like it. Fortunately I got a few bottles more to keep.
Chacayes Malbec 2004, by Bodega Lurton S.A., USD 60
www.jflurton.com
A well structured and long lasting single vineyard malbec (Chacayes Vineyard) from Tunuyan Departament, Mendoza.
Wide and chewable malbec with a good palette of fruits, sour, fresh and compoted in a single wine. The plummy and red cherries taste compoted and the black berries and currants more sour and fresh. Well blended chocolate and very soft licorice. A wine to unfold slowly. A 92 point malbec on its slowly downhill plateau.I guess drinkable 4 years more but not as vivid and complex as right now. One of those great wines showing a malbec ready to live 8, 10 years with a less impressive style yet more long lasting and wide based wine. A great Argentina´s value made completedly under some French tradition.
Finca El Origen, Malbec Reserva 2010, By Bodega y Viñedos La Esperanza, USD 14
www.fincaelorigen.com
A beautiful malbec from Tunuyan Departament in the middle of Uco Vallley, Mendoza.
Full of tipical black fruits like cherries, berries and currants that you expext from Uco Valley. Nice and round with a bit of chocolate and spice. The alcohol and acidity run smooth and make the wine easy to drink. Easy to love malbec with the basics of Uco´s and malbec´s so the bottom line is clear. An 89 point red easy to reach 90 or 91 in a couple of years cellar where the 'adulthood' maturity may bring some nice terciary note (as I feel it and personally like it !). Even so a malbec to better see it before 4 y/o.
Tapiz, Chardonnay 2010, By Fincas Patagonicas SA, USD 12
www.bodega-tapiz.com.ar
A chardonnay from Uco Valley (Tupungato and La Consulta District), Mendoza.
Nice white displaying sweet peach,toast and mild citrus notes. Quite balanced on acidity and alcohol. Not bombastic neither overepressed. Good companion of many dishes or by itself on a beautiful evening. It may keep itself on plateau for 4 years. An 89 point chardonnay and a very good value to enjoy every time.
Zorzal Pinot Noir 2009, By Zorzal Wines, USD 19
www.zorzalwines.com
A Pinot Noir from Gualtallary district in the highest Tupungato Valley, Mendoza.
Fresh red cherries and raspberries with a nice and delicate toasty tone. Like most Uco´s reds you find a black cherry undertone too. Balanced and well structured keeping in line with Pinot tradition and uco´s imprint. A 90 point red ready to enjoy but interesting to watch over at 4 to 6 years old. A very good value.
Masi, Passodoble Tupungato 2009, Malbec & Corvina, By Vigneti La Arboleda S.A., USD 15
www.masi.it
A blend of Malbec and Corvina from Tupungato and with a tachnique of 'apassimento' typical of Amarone Wines (sundrying before fermenting)
Nice and basic with red soft fruits and some timid concentration of Uco Valley with delicate oak chocolate. The wine shows a translucent shade unusual in Mendoza´s malbecs. A correct wine but soft and poorly complex. A style I expect from most Italian reds rather than Uco´s reds. Some people may like this style,
most problably won´t. An 86 point red I feel it overpriced and non competitive unless you like the usual Italian style reds (but in such case you´ll probably prefer and genuine Tuscan born and raised).
It may be a palatable curious Italian red made abroad. Its not a bad wine but it doesn´t serve mendoza´s best interests.
Avarizza, Blend 2009, By Avarizza, USD 16
www.avarizza.com
A blend of vintages 67% malbec (2010 vintage from Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo) and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon (2008 vintage from Villa Seca, Maipu)
both Central Mendoza 'Primera Zona'. A really impressive red full of fruit, ripe and delicious. Medium body and nice alcohol and acidity. To palate every second it lasts. Red cherries, black currants, red bell pepper, chocolate are some descriptors I may use in any secuency and only make clear the oaky elements are soft giving room to the complex arrange of fruits and 'natural vegetables'. The wine´s really attractive and balanced. I´d say a 91 point red that I wounld´t cellar more than 6 years old given the beauty the fruit poses o it. Great value.
Rutini Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, By Rutini Wines (La Rural), USD 50 (cellar price)
www.rutiniwines.com
Probably sold itn´l as 'Rutini Reserva'.
A cab listed in vineyars of Tupungato Valley but with some elements of Central Mendoza like red cherries and some wideness usual of Agrelo district or some other central Mendoza´s district.
Well balanced and overall delicious. Toasty and complex on the palate. Beautiful tannis now a little bit weakened by age. Now a 92 point Cab, sometime before a 92-94 for sure. A good value and a traditional wine in terms of Argentina´s style.
Synthesis, The Blend 2008, By Bodega Sophenia, USD 60
www.sophenia.com.ar
A Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend from Tupungato Valley (in Uco valley).
A wide and complex red where ripe malbec seems to dominate. Nice mix of cherries and currants with
fine oak elements like vanilla and chocolate. Probably best by 4 to 6 years old. I feel it expensive and overpriced. But this is a personal bias. Twenty to 40 bucks is a more competitive level of price. A 93 point red.
Riglos, Gran Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, By Finca Las Divas S.A., USD 22
www.bodegariglos.com
A wonderful Cab fron a single vineyard (Finca Las Divas) in Tupungato Valley (part of Uco Valley).
Full body red with ripe fruits, mostly black cherries, sweet plum and confited quince like 'membrillo'.
Beautifull balance of alcohol and acidity with a astonishing equilibrium. I wound´t go less than 95 point on this Cab, and one of the best Argentina´s I´ve ever seen. I feel this Cab is best like it is now and all through its plateau of 4 to 8 years. I don´t feel it´ll be better with more terciary notes, but this is personal bias.
Primus, Chardonnay 2006, By Salenteine Wines, USD 60
http://www.bodegasalentein.com
A single high altitude vineyard chard from Tunuyan Departament, Uco Valley.
Impressive and dominant tannins with high alcohol and oak notes on the palate. A mix of peach,pineapple and citrus with a strong bitter backbone of 'soaked grape stems'. Great and deep color start off a magnific chard. A 92 point chard a little bit overpriced and expensive that shoud sell for 20-30 bucks, so at 60 bucks level I don´t feel it like a great value.
Tierra Tehuelche, Malbec 2011, By Bodega Tierra Tehuelche, USD 8
www.bodegatierratehuelche.com
A Malbec from Senillosa City, Neuquen Province, North Patagonia. A spot of sandy terroir giving deeply concentrated and colored reds with more black cherries than anyone in Northpatagonia.
Deep blue with violet shades exposing a very young malbec. Nose full of sweet blueberries and black cherries, and always a violet perfume. Little if any oak stuff. Extremely young and somehow lactic but with great potential to improve, even from the vineyard on. An 84 point Malbec with way more room to improve and reach a great value. Lets see what the future brings. I personaly love the terroir, the design, and the respect this wine pays to the Tehuelches.
Payana, Malbec 2011, By Payana Wines (Vicentin SAIC), USD 10
www.payanawines.com.ar
A malbec from Mendoza with most of Uco´s quality and descriptors. Deeply concentrated and ripe fruity body. Dark cherries and plum only like high mendoza may bring.Chocolate and a toasty note very nice. Straight,delicious and fast conquer of anybody. Not complex for sure yet impressive. A 90 point malbec that will grow nicely next few years plateau-ing close to 4 y/o. A great great value. That wine to impress anybody.
Nuscaa, malbec 2011, By Bodega Dominio del Plata, USD 10
www.dominiodelplata.com.ar
A malbec from Agrelo District in Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza.
A light body malbec round and attractive, easy and fully aromatic. Plum and black cherries dominate the fruity stream. Nice chocolate and sweet coffee like a Guatemala Starbuck (medium body) whole bean coffee. Not complex neither long on the palate but immediatelly satisfying. An 88 point malbec and a very competitive wine at a premium level. Great Argentina Value. Most palates will enjoy it a keep a good memory of it.
Konantu, Merlot 2007, By Bodega Chacras del Sol, USD 12
www.chacrasdelsol.com
A merlot from Rio Negro Valley, General Roca, Rio Negro Province.
A memorable Merlot at a premium value, although a personal bias is absolutelly acting here. All because I love Patagonian Merlot. Quite perfumed and aromatic with ripe red cherrirs and red deep rose a beautiful edge malbec doesn´t bring in anyway.
Sweet and sour with not overt alcohol. A red to sip over and over again. Round chocolate and toast. A 90 point red that might be best 4 to 6 years old.
A great Argentina and Rio Negro Valley Value even though the name from Mapuche culture is not quite native and some of us don´t take well the exterminaton of native Tehuelche culture by the mapuches.
Mantra , Cabernet Sauvignon Roble 2008, Edicion Limitada, By Secreto Patagonico, USD 23
A Cabernet from San Patricio Valley, Neuquen Province, North Patagonia
www.secretopatagonico.com
A beautiful Cab with nice ripe black plum and black currants all wrapped up by new oaky stuff like cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla. Adecuate acidity and alcohol to make sure these tannins evolve for 8 years at least. A 90 point red and a great value from Patagonia.
I found a nice complexity and at the same time and easy Cab without nothing over the top.
Salentein Cuvee exceptionnelle Brut Nature, By Salentein Wines, USD 12 (launching vintage)
www.bodegasalentein.com
A sparkling wine made hard to pronounce given the long and many tags. Sixty % Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir from Tunuyan in Uco Valley.
and vinified by Charmat methode. The wine is realy nice and attractive with the traditional balnce of a Champagne style sparkling. Nice mix of red cherries aromas and tropical pineapple and peach fruits. Good acidity and alcohol, proper sweetness without much toasty spice added. An 88 point sparling and a great value for the price.
Profuso, Encabezado de Malbec 2006, By Bodega Trapiche, USD 17 (500 ml)
www.trapiche.com.ar
A malbec Port-like (fortified) from Maipu Departament, central mendoza, with 18 % vol alcohol and 11,8 gr residual sugar. 24 months in oak barriques.
This time not less than a magnificent red where the sweetness is complely balanced by chocolate and dark dry cherries and blueberries. Something like toasted fresh figs with dark sugar. A 90 point fortified malbec complex and balanced.It will live sound more than 10 yeras for sure.
Kaiken Ultra, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, By Kaiken Wines SA, USD 20
www.kaikenwines.com
A Cab from the first zone (perdriel, lunlunta and agrelo), Central Mendoza.
Ripe and complex Cabernet with all the attraction any red should have for itself.
Cassis and black cherries dominates the fruits bunch. Fully ripe with beautifull eucaliptus aromas quite delicate. Perfectly enchained oaky vanilla and chocolate. The wine is fully expressive of mature youth now and it´s got tannins to evolve beautifully terciary next 2 to 4 years.
A 92 point CS ready to enjoy the best of its youth now but room to something else walking its 6-8 years old. Great value. One of those wines to invite friends and celebrate whatever.
Abel Furlan, Malbec Reserva 2006, By Famlia Furlan, USD 13
abelfurlan@hotmail.com
A signature malbec from Tupungato Valley (part of Uco Valley)
Round and wide malbec with nice and dominant toach of vainilla coconut and exquisite dark chocolate. Even so, the fruit is present first toach and quite concentrated. Red cherries and forrest cherries with strawberries too. Nice balance of alcohol and acidity. A 90 point malbec with 6 to 8 years span of plateau. Great value no doubt but a style that some may not enjoy given the dominant oaky stuff. I like it and enjoyed a lot.
Zorzal, Malbec Reserve 2010, By Zorzal Wines, USD 17
A malbec from Gualtallary Distric in Tupungato Departament, Uco Valley, Mendoza.
www.zorzalwines.com
An impressive malbec by its potential. Very concentrated by nature; Full of ripe black cherries and currants,
a little more attractive tha the usual Uco´s malbec. A nice spiciness and chocolaty note. quite ripe and chewy
This malbec harbors a great ageing potential and a better structure than Uco´s standard. Wide in palate and mouth filling like few. This time showing a little bit shortness that I imagine might be related to a young age vineyard. On in on a 90 point malbec that sholud get much more better in 4 to 6 years old. I think its a great value.
Enclave Sur, Sauvignon Blanc 2011, By Grupo Trafen, USD 10
enclavesur@grupotrafen.com.ar
facebook: HERE
single page site: grupotrafen.com.ar/
A single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from Middle Valley of Rio Negro.
Delicate and at the same token straight Sauvignon Blanc. I mean ripe grapefruit with peach and a rude plant toach quite nice.
Not if any minerality, which I admit is not welcomed (the minerality in delicate white wine is not an attribute I admire). Not oak whatsoever.
Fresh and satisfying white,even good structure and body. An 89 point white hard to get at 10 bucks level. This is a small producer, quality focused winery. Great great value. Best before 2-4 years.
Miras ,Pinot Noir 2009, Signature Wine by Marcelo Miras USD 30
A single vineyard Pinot Noir from Rio Negro Valley, North Patagonia (Rio Negro Province), only 900 bottles from selected vines.
Probably the best compose ever I seen for a Pinot Noir from Argentina. There is no overt oak neither fruity explosion.
Deep, round, well aged and matured tannins make the backbone of this wonderful Pinot. It won´t fit if you look for a bombastic and explosive red. If you like to discover and enjoy the slow, smooth and deep structure of a Pinot, you will find it here. A 94 point red for me, probably better in 4-6 years old.
A great value (and to my taste above the others I tasted up to this post) that I´d pay whenever I needed a high quality Pinot.
Melipal Cabernet Franc 2009, By Bodega Melipal, USD 18A Cabernet Franc from Agrelo District in Lujan de Cuyo Central Mendoza.
www.bodegamelipal.com
An attractive red with some of the mixed stuff of a beutiful CF, I mean fresh cherries and currants with blueberries and nice toasty notes. Also you may find mild herbal and peppery notes wich make it more complex.
The wine got better after an our opened (or I got better fine tuned to it, who knows?). In any case the wine get the 90 point score
with good room for improve in 2 to 4 years from now. So it may be a better wine in 6-8 years form born. Good value no doubt.
Cabernet Franc reach a very complex and attractive structure in some districts of Central Mendoza.
Malbec is the prime minister of Argentina, but don´t miss all the others and you´ll find wonderful wines to please your palate whatever that be.
Altocedro Malbec 2011, By Bodega Altocedro SA , USD 16A malbec from La Consulta district of San Carlos Departament, Uco Valley.
www.altocedro.com.ar
A top and wonderful terroir giving not less than magnific wines. Full of tipicity spreads plum and fresh black cherries
like few. Just balanced alcohol and acidity it may plateau around 4 years of careful life. An 89 point young malbec with fair price by quality even I don´t know if its competitive marketplace. I would personaly buy it frecuently becuase I love San Carlos´s wines. (well, I´d say like I love Central Mendoza´s, San Rafael´s, Patagonia´s, and actually a long ist outside of Argentina).
Conalbi Grinberg, Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, By CG Casa Vinicola, USD 15
http://www.conalbigrinberg.com/
A CS from somewhere in Mendoza showing a nice backbone even its 12 years´ walking.
Good balance of alcohol and acidity with soft and easy tannnins that have some nice memories of a very good Cabernet Sauvignon some years before. An 87 point red reaching beyond 89 a couple of years back. Good value though.
El Celador, Malbec 2008, By Cielo y Tierra, USD 16
http://www.cieloytierrasa.com.ar/
A single vineyard (finca La Luna) Malbec from Lunlunta district of Maipu Departament, Central Mendoza.
Ripe red and black plum with cherries and black currant dominate. Impressive oak like chocolate and coconut.
Nice and attractive passage though the palate. A 90 point malbec easy to please anybody given the ripe fruit and the strong oak.
Very good value. A malbec to enjoy best first 4 to 6 years old.
Tapiz, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, By Fincas Patagonicas, USD 10
www.bodega-tapiz.com.ar
A wonderful Cab from Agrelo (Lujan de Cuyo) ; Tupungato (Uco Valley), Mendoza.
Impressive balance and attractiveness. Black currants and cherries, ripe and sweet. Not overexpressed. Close to Barossa in the backbone but more acid and firm. Close to Central Valley, Chile but less oaky in winery style. This is a premium level red so you won´t find much concentration and complexity. Even so we talk about an 89 point Cab best close to 3-4 years old from vintage. A great,great value.
This is one of those wines to testify the deeper and better reach and beauty of a fully expressed Cabernet than Malbec in Argentina (sorry!).
Postales del Fin del Mundo, Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, By Bodega del Fin del Mundo, USD 10
www.bodegadelfindelmundo.com
A Cabernet Sauvignon from San Patricio Valley, Neuquen, North Patagonia.
Very attractive and balanced Cab, sweet and fruity, round and complete. Mix of red berries and plum with mild notes of mamaralade and membrillo too. Very softly peppery. Mild chocolate. An 89 point red and a great value. Probably best before 4 years old. One of the best reds at 10 buck level wines, better than most Mendoza´s.
See Postales Malbec 2010, soon after the release in 2010: HERE
Trumpeter Malbec 2010, By Rutini Wines (Bodega La Rural), USD 7-10
www.rutiniwines.com
A Malbec from somewhere in Tupungato Valley (Uco Valley) displaying a basic beauty and enough to drink it everyday or with friends on casual meetings.
Fruity and balanced, dark cherries typical of Uco, sweet and mildly sour. Soft chocolaty note. Overall balanced and kept easy to drink. An 87 point Malbec quite appropiate for less than 10 bucks retail. Good value. To enjoy before 4 years old from vintage.
