Viva, Malbec 2008 & Merlot 2008, By Famiglia Peano, USD 13
www. no internet here, not even a phone number
Two reds from 'Valle Azul' district in Ro Negro Valley, North Patagonia.
The malbec is just beautiful and expressing perfectly the North patagonia´s imprints. Nicely dense and tannic without any bothering acidity. Sweet and round like a perfect compote of red cherrries red plum and quince (membrillo). Nice soft envelope of dark chocolaty and smoke from oak complete on the palate. The wine opened to its best during the few days uncorked reaching a nice 92 point from the starting 90 point. A greart value to enjoy once and again.
The merlot counterpart is fresh and fair but not even close to this beauty. It reaches an 86 point with variety and terroir tipicity but lossing everything one day after uncorked.
Calafate Cosecha Tardia, Torrontes 2009, By Bodega Universo Austral, USD
www.universoaustral.com
A Torrontes late harvest from Añelo Valley in Neuquen Province, North Patagonia.
Beautiful wine with great and straight aromas from the very begining. White and pink flowers with a toach of lemony quite alluring. The palate is wonderful, full of expression and a balanced sweetness. Grapefruit and light rude plant soft and delicate with a nice edge of dry leaves and woody honney bee.
A 92 point late harvest torrontes delicious. Great value. Unfortunatedly this is a 'special ediction' which means we may not have it every year.
Ruca Malen Reserva de Bodega, By Bodega Ruca Malen, USD 13
www.bodegarucamalen.com
A Cabernet Sauvignon (Vistaflores) based blend with some Malbec (Altamira) Syrah and Petit Verdot (Agrelo). A juicy and round red nicely cored with red and mostly black fruits, plums and hints of herbal and peppery notes. Softly oaked too. An 89 point blend, very good value and probably best around its 4th birthday year.
Juan Manuel Fangio, Legend 2009, By Conquest Winery, USD 15
www.conquestwinery.com.ar
A Malbec blending less than 20% Cabernet Franc from Maipu Departament ,Central Mendoza.
A 90 point malbec, wide and delicate palate with red cherries, mildly peppery and herbal undertones. Chocolate and toast.
This is not a potent and overexpressive wine even quite balanced. Good value though. I wouldn´t cellar it more than 4 years, and a good instance of a delicate Maipu red.
Seleccion de Enologo 2009, By Bodega Navarro Correas, USD 19
http://www.ncorreas.com
A blend third of each Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec from somewhere Mendoza.
Oaky red wth nice sweet and soft fruity core. Black currant,blueberries, plum and black cherries dominate and only overpassed by a chocolaty coffee sea of toasted oak. Only a twist of herbal notes. It pairs well a wide sample of dishes and food palates (sure,this is my imagination). A 91 point blend with strong oak but keeping a nice line of components to enjoy. Probably nicer first 4 years old. Great wine to invite friends around.
Tapiz Syrah 2010, By Fincas Patagonicas, USD 10
www.tapiz.com
A syrah from Agrelo district in Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza
Quite interesting red, close to malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon in beauty. Ripe black cherries and plum with some toaches of prunes ,chocolate and an exotic spice like juniper. Realy attractive red. I´d say better first 4 years of life. A 90 point red and a great value. Worth trying more than once.
Enclave Sur, Malbec 2011, By Grupo Trafen, USD 10
A Malbec from ´middle valley´ sub-area of Rio Negro Valley in Rio Negro Province, North Patagonia.
This sub-area of the Rio Negro Valley is warmer and lower in altitude even though the land,wind,sun and cool nights are pretty the same. A beautiful malbec, rich ,juicy and naturally concentrated with that twist of sour tannins deep and sweet at the same time ,bigger and wider than Mendoza´s. There is a push on red wild fruits too that coupled with a chocolaty oak stuff go pretty well. An 89 point Malbec ready for prime time game. Absolutedly a great value. Probably best before 4 years old and one of the best at premium price (even though so many Argentinian wines are walking that level of quality lately that I shouldn´t say 'one of the best' anymore).
FIN Malbec 2008, By Bodega del Fin del Mundo, USD 25
www.bodegadelfindelmundo.com
A single vineyard Malbec from San Patricio Valley in neuquen province, North Patagonia.
Elegant and straight malbec with smooth notes of oak. Delicate balance of red berries with ripe red plum and quince marmalade. A very nice tannin, velvety and well expressed at the same time. Not as deep and complex as the 07 vintage but a 90 point malbec anyway. Great value from Patagonia.Probably best somewhere between 4 and 6 years old.
You may sneak in the previous 2007 vintage tasting notes : HERE
Tapiz Merlot 2009 By Fincas Patagonicas SA, USD 10
www.tapiz.com.ar
A merlot from Agrelo District (actually around the own winery) in Lujan de Cuyo, Central Mendoza.
A nice and approachable merlot yet not bright as the Malbec, Syrah and Cabernet brothers from the Tapiz series (in terms of 'fast attraction' capacity).
Fruit driven mostly cherries and ripe red plum with a beautiful chocolate and extremely balanced.
Beautiful red like few at this price level. An 89 point merlot worth trying more than twice. Great Argentinas´s value to enjoy the best out of it young (like before 4 y/o)
Paz , Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc 2008, By Finca La Moras, USD 17
www.fincalasmoras.com.ar
A Cabernet blending Sauvignon and Franc 50% each from San Juan Province
Nice and rich balance of fruits (red cherries, plum and black currants) and bodiness with only a pinch of spiciness. Following that line there is a soft oaky toach with chocolate and vanilla quite appropiate for the overall balance and attrativeness immidiatelly toached on the palate. A 90 point red and a great value. I wouldn´t cellar it more than 4 to 6 years.
Altamira Blend 2008, by Vistaflores Estate, USD 30
www.vistafloresestate.com
A blend made a third each Malbec, Merlot (from La consulta Departament) and Cabernet Sauvignon (from Tupungato Departament) of Uco Valley, Mendoza.
A delicate yet expressive red well balanced and attractive. Not bombastic neither memorable. Good fruity core mostly red and black cherries with a nice pinch of oregano and fresh bayleaf. Smooth tannins and nice passage through the palate. An 89 point red probably walking plateau by 4-6 years old.
I feel it a little bit overpriced as payed here, but this is my bias.
Familia Cecchin Organic Wine, malbec 2008,By Pedro & Jorge Cecchin SRL, USD 15
www.bodegacecchin.com.ar
A triple A quality commitement organic wine and USDA accredited
A malbec with zero free sulphite harvested in Maipu Departament ,Central Mendoza.
A delicate and elegant red where red cheries slightly toasted dominate. A soft malbec very perfumed and delicate yet attractve. I´d pay more than twice to enjoy this malbec on sensitive moments and companions. I feel it a great value, different, and likable. A 90 point malbec to enjoy the best first 4 years old but may plateau up to 6 years without much loss.
Postales Merlot 2011, By Bodega del Fin del Mundo, USD 6
www.bodegadelfindelmundo.com
A Merlot from San Patricio Valley in Neuquen Province, North Patagonia.
Basic and nice merlot from Patagonia. Nice fruity ,mostly red cherrires and red plum, tipicaly soury and balanced like North Patagonia brings on. Realy palatable at 6 bucks level to go along most lunches and diner without striking brightness. An 85 point red and a very good Argentina´s value.
Synthesis Sauvignon Blanc 2010, By Finca Sophenia SA, USD 24
www.sophenia.com.ar
A Sauvignon Blanc harvested in Tupungato Valley, high Mendoza.
This time a peachy & buttery white with wetty and mineral edge I find not attractive. Not a bad SB even though it´s not of my kind. Specially saying those wetty and mineral notes don´t attract me at all even though some tasters find them alluring. I´d say an 88 point white a little bit expensive to my wish list.
Andeluna Malbec 2011, By Andeluna Cellars, USD 9
www.andeluna.com
A malbec from Tupungato Valley part of Uco Valley, Mendoza expressing the beauty and balance of its terroir. Black fruit dominant (like Uco Valley does it) malbec ,young even balanced and attractive at once. Sweet yummy black berries marmalade unusual for any other malbec and usual for Uco´s reds.
Good alcohol and acidity neither one bother at all. A 89 point malbec and one of the best at the premium level. If you need to taste Uco´s malbec, Andeluna and Tapiz go first off. This time a malbec to enjoy at plateau maturity of 3 or 4 years old.
Black Tears, malbec 2007, By Fincas Patagonicas, USD 40-50
www.bodega-tapiz.com.ar/
A single vineyard Malbec (finca san pablo) in Uco valley, Mendoza.
I haven´t tasted a malbec like this before. Full body with astonishing balance and beauty. All the things malbec might bring off are here. The fruit is ripe, deep and strong without over expression. The oak is entangled in between nicely. Wide, wide, and delicious. Multilayered is a nice mental image. I simply don´t remember any Malbec so complete and quintessential. A 97 point malbec and for sure a 99 in a couple of years. I wouldn´t go further of 8 years age on most malbecs, but this is my personal palate and bias.
fn: this wine was tasted blind with friends (lets say knowledgeable people in tasting wines), before eating, and only with white soft cheese and against Hess Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Mendocino & Napa), Purple Angel (Carmenere 2007, Colchagua Valley,Chile) and Riglos Gran Corte 2007 (Uco Valley, Mendoza). A few liked more the more oaky Carmenere, some the more complex Riglos or Hess. But the mayority ranked first Black Tears Malbec 2007. So, like many other things, the ranking here was a personal bias on 4 super reds.
Riglos, Gran Corte 2007, By Finca Las Divas SA, USD 40
www.bodegariglos.com
A single vineyard (finca las divas) blend from Gualtallary in Tupungato Departament, Uco Valley, Mendoza with 70% malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 % Cabernet Franc.
A nicely complex red with bunches of red and black cherries quite delicate and fine and at thr same time ripe and sweet. Very good acidity and alcohol with fine oak too. Not dominant for sure. The palate is realy attractive and balanced. A mature red yet probably best at 6-8 years old. A 94 point red now and surely a couple of years ahead. Great value and only subtly more complex than its Gran Malbec and Gran Cabernet brothers. One of the top ten Arg reds to my palate.
