Trumpeter, Rose de Malbec Sparkling 2007, By Rutini Wines, USD 18
www.rutiniwines.com
A malbec from Tupungato Valley vinified into rosé and then into sparkling by champenoise methode (also named 'méthode traditionelle') with lees contact for 16 months.
Here´s a really attractive sparkling that cleverly combines technique and malbec. A soft salmon red with toaches of brownish shades. Quite straight nose with aromas of lees and red cherries or ripe plums. Delicate and atractive palate with soft malbec´s fruits and surrounded by a toasty toach. It keeps a very good balance of a champenoise and adding nicely the malbec beauty in rosé balance. A 90 point spark very impressive and unique. A must for malbec lovers.
Ricardo Santos, Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, By Ricardo Santos, USD 13
www.ricardosantos.com/ (site under construction)
A signature wine By Ricardo Santos from somewhere in Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Sweet and delicate even preserving the ABC of a Cab with black cherries, nice undertones of roasted red bell pepper, and a subtle spice like black & green peppercorns. Very soft oaky stuff. An 88 point CS that should improve something next 3-4 years as it grows older. Good value all in all.
Marcelo Pelleritti, Reserva Malbec 2010, USD 19
didn´t find any www.
A signature wine by Marcelo Pelleritti from somewhere in Uco Valley.
Actually a tipical Uco´s Malbec with bunch of ripe black cherries and berries, sweet and quite atractive from the first sip on. Soft chocolaty note too. Not very complex though although straight and simply attractive.
I´d say an 89 point malbec atractive like a confit of black cherries & berries. Probably best before 4 years old. Good value.
Malbec de Angeles 2008, By Bodega Viña 1924 de Angeles , USD 19
www.malbecdeangeles.com
A single vineyard malbec from Vistalba district of Lujan de Cuyo Dpt in Central Mendoza.
Dark black and sour plums dominate the scene with beautiful dark chocolate 80-90% cocoa. Quite nicely balanced and attractive. An allspice moving around very softly. Wide and seductive palate lingering nicely after. A malbec to enjoy best before 6 years old to my palate. A 92 point malbec and a great value. One of the top ten at 20 bucks premium level.
Monteagrelo Bressia, Cabernet Franc 2010, By Bodega Bressia, USD 19
www.bressiabodega.com
A Cabernet Franc from Lujan de Cuyo Departament in Central Mendoza.
Impressive by its delicate structure and finesse. Red and black fuits in balance with an herbal toach very soft. Round and smooth with a noce toach of chocolate preserving the overall sweetness. A 90 point red I´d rather drink before 4 years old given its delicate structure. Great value too.
Eral Bravo, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007,By Eral Bravo SA , USD 17
www.eralbravo.com/
A single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from high Agrelo district in Lujan de Cuyo, Central Mendoza.
Juicy and attractive Cab with fresh and ripe black cherries and a beautiful oak with chocolate and toasty undertone.There show up an alluring peppery and herbal toach to make more complex and enjoyable. It doesn´t take much to drink it easily. A 90 point CS now, and ready to express the best 6-8 years of born. Great value.
Las Perdices, Bonarda Reserva 2009, By Viña Las Perdices, USD 15
www.lasperdices.com
A Bonarda from Agrelo District of Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza.
A beautiful red combining grape tipicity and terroir expression. Nice red cherries and red plum too.
Deliously round and fine with a super elegant structure. Soft chocolaty and taosty notes. A 90 point elegant red. A rather straight red not complex yet attractive. Probably best before 4 years old. Good value.
Finca de la Nubes, Cabernet & Malbec 2011, By Las Nubes SRL, USD 19
www.bodegamounier.com
A single vineyard and signature wine Cabernet Sauvignon based with 20% Malbec from Cafayate Valley, Salta Province (Northwest Argentina). A very high altitude terroir (1,850 mt, 6000 ft) on the Andes Mountains.
Nice red although simple. Well cored around red plums fruitiness. Palatable and balanced but not complex neither very expressive. Nice concentration with toasty red bell peppery notes but lacking some vivid structure. An 88 points red blend a little bit out of competiveness given its almost 20 bucks price (at least here!).
Clos des Andes, Reserva Malbec 2006, By Bodega Poesia, USD 30
www.bodegapoesia.com
A malbec (with 40% of Cabernet Sauvignon) from a single vineyard in Mayor Drummond district of Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza.
Astonishing malbec based red that catches your palate right off the first sip. Not to mention the great nose and aromas at the beginning. Deep and powerfull with very expressive black fruits and sweet chocolate. There is a complexity toward spice and peppery notes. The wine opens up completely after 40 minutes. I don´t imagne this one better in any time of the future even though the tannins are realy firm and vividly strong. Thinking of 6 to 8 years for a momentum is reasonable. A 94 point malbec based blend born to be a supergreat wine and Argentina´s value.
Rosa de los Vientos, Pinot Noir Rose Nature, By Bodega Familia Schroeder, USD 19
www.familiaschroeder.com
A sparkling nature made from Pinot Noir grapes grown and harvested in San Patricio Valley, Neuquen Province, North Patagonia.
Nice and well structured rose. Palatable style stressing on red cherries reminisce. Nice acidity and global balance without any overt sweetness. An 87 point sparling worthwhile trying. It´s not quite attractive to me like most, if not all of them, 'nature' sparklings.
Familia Cecchin, Carignan 2008,By Pedro y Jorge Cecchin SRL, USD 9
www.bodegacecchin.com.ar
An organic certified Carignan from Russel district in Maipu Departament ,Central Mendoza.
Quite unusual wine for our palate and usage. Mix of red cherries closer to Sangiovese and Pinot Noir with that traslucent deep red with a supernice toasty edge from oak. A wine to palate every sip. It goes addictive to my taste. It shows tannins to endure quite well 4 to 6 years. A 90 point red and a supergreat value. It reminds me some premium Zin but somehow stronger on tannins than those.
Marcus Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc 2008, by Bodega Canale, USD 32
http://www.bodegahcanale.com/
A Cabernet Franc from Rio Negro Valley, Rio Negro Province, North Patagonia. From the oldest Patagonian Winery alive (born 1909).
Impressive red with all the balance and beauty of a Patagonian CF. Sweet black berries and roasted red bell
peppers on a toasty chocolaty envelope. Small hints of vanilla and smoke to make it more interestingly complex. Even so the wine is quite straight and clearly attractive. A 93 point red with its best point in time somewhere between now and 2 years ahead. Great value. A must to grasp Patagonian CF. Not easy to find given the small production.
Montequieto Elegido Tanque 9, Malbec 2005, By Bodega Montequieto, USD 19
www.montequieto.com
A Malbec from Agrelo district in Lujan de Cuyo, Central Mendoza.
An impressive malbec pure terroir expression. Mature and round with aged black small fruits and plum
on a high alcohol level and a licorice chocolate quite impressive. Great backbone. Ths wine is unique in terms of its terror and balance.A 92 point malbec that couldn´t be better than this. A great value.
Andeluna Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, By Andeluna Cellars, USD 18
www.andeluna.com.ar
A great CS from Tupungato Valley in Mendoza.
Full body and fully expressed red. Ripe black sweet berries with chocolate and a perfect balance.
An ABC wine from Tupungato Valley. A 92 point red probably best 6-8 years of vintage. A great mendoza´s value. A must CS to see the power and beauty of a Tupungato red.
Centenario, Cabernet Sauvignon 2005-2007-2009, By Goyenechea SA, USD 8
www.goyenechea.com
A single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Finca La Vasconia) from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza.
Three vintages of a same spirit in a bottle. The ABC a Cab should bring on is here. Nice red ripe fruits
on a soft peppery edge and an undertone of chocolate are all there. From the more fruity and young to the more compoted and brownish 2007. Same guy passing through three ages smooth and gentle. Adorable. The three brothers pose 87 points. Good value as I expect from San Rafael´s Cabs and the great job of this winery.
Desierto 25/5 La Pampa, Sauvignon Blanc 2010, By Bodega del Desierto, USD 7
www.bodegadeldesierto.com
A Sauvignon Blanc from Rio Colorado Valley, La Pampa, North Patagonia.
A great SB pressing on those new world accents. Freshy and herbal with a nice citric tone make this white
worthwhile trying. Crispy acidity makes it more attractive. An 88 point SB at unbeatable price value. A great great value.
Ultramar, Sauvignon Blanc 2010, By Bodega Oceano, USD 12
www.bodegaoceano.com
A Sauvignon Blanc from Viedma Valley in Rio Negro Province, North Patagonia. A ripe SB with wide palate and a shift toward peach and tropical notes from a full blown grapes. The citric grapefruit undertone is realy weak but attractive anyway. An 88 point SB nice and round.
Good value.
Nube Negra, Malbec 2008 By Eduardo Vidal, USD 32
http://www.nubenegrawines.com.ar/
A signature malbec from a single vineyard in Uco Valley, Mendoza
Nice and round malbec well balanced but not very attractive and competitive at 30 bucks level. The cork was inked half way up to the surface which surely means some unwanted oxidation.
An 89 point malbec with a weak (or weakened?) structure but even so preserving some premium beauty. Anyway I won't spend 30 bucks twice to see how much was the cork and how much the nature of the wine.
Esencias de la Tierra, Moscatel de Alejandria 2010, By Jorge & Pedro Cecchin, USD 6
www.esenciasdelatierra.com.ar
Muscat of Alexandria from Russel district in Maipu Departament, Central Mendoza with organic certification. You taste a simple white wine with weak peachy note and an earthy counterpart quite noticeable.Slightly sweet and gentle it goes fast way on the palate. I wouldn't go more than 80 point with this drinkable and simple white. A good exercice of varietal learning at no money at all.
Paz ,Malbec 2009, By Finca Las Moras , USD 16
www.fincalasmoras.com.ar
A malbec from 'Valle del Pedernal' in San Juan Province.
Soft and weak malbec with all the basics but lacking character for an above premium price. Nice plum and red and black little berries ripe and sweety with a taoch of toast and chocolate too. Balanced and not jagged. An 88 point malbec that I feel acceptable for a 12-14 bucks price range. I wouldn´t cellar it more than 4 years.
Familia Cecchin, Graciana 2007, Organic Wine,Pedro y Jorge Cecchin SRL,USD 9
www.bodegacecchin.com.ar
A Graciana grape grown and vinifed organically certified in Russel District of Maipu Departament, Central Mendoza.
An interesting wine if you go interested before hand on it, otherwise won´t go far away.
A simple and straight red with nice soft but dark trasluscent color. Nice nose of toasty red dry fruits like strawberries and raspberries. Palatable taste with nice sourness and fruitiness. This wine is closer to zin,pinot noir and sangiovese than to a argentinian malbec or cabernet. I´d say an 87 point red and a very good value with great Maipu imprints. A nice wine to show an unusual variety in Argentina with a tipical Maipu imprint. It looks like there are tannins for 6-8 years of plateau.
I don´t feel it very attractive though, neither I feel it for its Rioja father anyway (at least as single variety wine). The organic nature of the wine might deserve further consideration, but I confess my ignorance on that point.
SonVida, Malbec 2009, By Casa Altamira SRL,USD 32
www.sonvidawine.com
A malbec from Altamira distric in La Consulta city (San Carlos Departament), Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Full body and ripe malbec not far from any first brand around (Achaval Ferrer,La Celia,O.Fournier,some Catena wines,etc). Beautiful acidity and balanced alcohol for this malbec full of ripe small black berries,black california plums and a nice soft oak toach. The wine is very nice now, but surely much better somewhere between 4 and 6 years old. A 92 point malbec now and 94 in a couple of years of progressive muturity. A great value.
La Celia Heritage, Cabernet Franc 2006, By Finca La Celia, USD 34
www.fincalacelia.com.ar
A Cabernet Franc from (Eugenio Bustos district ) San Carlos Departament in Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Wonderful red, full of delicatessen. Black cherries with a deep roasted red bell pepper and a nice herbal undertone quite nice. Chocolate and smoke on a moderate complement. Deep and attractive at 'first sight' as Uco´s used to do. A 93 point red at its best point in maturity and may linger so 2 to 4 years more (like 8 to 10 years from harvest) without loss. A great value and one of those wnes to get by a case.
A Lisa, Malbec 2010, By Bodega Neomia de la Patagonia SA, USD 24
www.bodeganoemia.com
A malbec from 'Valle Azul' district of Rio Negro Valley, Rio Negro Province in North Patagonia.
A tipical malbec from North Patagonia with all the usual richness and attraction of deep red berries,wide palate and a nice smoke and dark chocolate in a comtinum.
Full and delicate at the same time but not weak at all. Nice concentration but not overexpressed.
It grows fuller after an hour uncorked. This malbec is complete and round now but may get more complex close to its 4th year. A 91 point malbec that might reach 93 at its best time. A great value. One of those wines to enjoy several times picking apart its components.
Kinien, Malbec 2008, By Bodega Ruca Malen, USD 24
http://www.bodegarucamalen.com/
A superpremium malbec from Agrelo distric (Lujan de Cuyo Departament) Central Mendoza.
I found great tipicity and an old traditional local style of malbec. Soft and delicate with smooth fruit mostly plum and red cherries in marmalade tone of sweetness. Nice chocolate and toast from mild oak imprints.
A wine to best enjoy 4 to 6 years old, like most fine 'above premium' malbecs. A 90 point malbec and a good value for Argentina´s values.
