Paso de Piedra, Malbec 2008, By Viña Alicia, USD 15
www.vinaalicia.com
A Malbec from Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza
Quite unusual malbec with dark tones of black fruits mixed with a spice and mint shade that we are definitely not used to in most malbecs. Oregano, mint and black peppercorn in right keep with sweet fruit is just an intriguing and pleasurable experience here. I would go close to 89 points only because I´m not used to it and feel it kind of strange. I understand its a great value. Probably best by 4-6 years given the tannins and basic structure.
Pulenta XI,Gran Cabernet Franc 2009, By Pulenta Estate, USD 36
www.pulentaestate.com
A Cabernet Franc from Agrelo district, Lujan de Cuyo Dpt, Central Mendoza.
A nice fruity and attractive red with ripe fruits albeit dominant at the palate with some peppery and herbal notes somehow branching off. Acidity and alcohol quite appropriate. Oaky stuff nice and delicate with
vanilla included. A 92 point red and a good value. I don´t feel ageing this red more than 4-6 years would bring a better wine,at least to my palate.
Finca Perdriel, centenario 2006, By Bodega Norton, USD 66
www.norton.com.ar
A Malbec based blend with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Perdrial Dictrict of Lujan de Cuyo Departament ,Central Mendoza.
A superwine expressing the highest level of quality. Plenty of concentrated and ripe fruits mostly black and red small cherries. An impressive and fine oak component with vanilla and dark chocolate. The overall impression is a fine and elegant wine with expensive attributes and virtues. A 95 point malbec based blend may be not sold international and probably close to 'Norton Privada' or 'Gernot Langes'. One of the best Argentina´s wines ever. Ready to be at its best at 8-10 years old.
Alfredo Roca, Dedicacion Personal, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, By Roca Wines, USD 18
www.rocawines.com
A Cabernet Sauvignon from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza.
Great and complete Cab like San Rafael often brings out. Full body with a nice core fruit and peppery surrounding. The herbal toach is quite mild like you see with fully ripe Cabs. Very attractive palate with mild toasty and chocolaty notes. A 90 point red and a great value. Probably best between 4 and 6 years old. This Cab introduces to the best Cabs from Mendoza, those from San Rafael Valley.
Intimo, Family Reserve 2010, By Bodega Humberto Canale, USD 18
www.bodegahcanale.com
A Malbec based blend with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc from Rio Negro Valley, General Roca, Rio Negro Province.(North Patagonia). A really attractive Patagonian blend with character and nice oaky stylish envelope. Ripe bunch of fruits, not overt in any way,
be that sugary, be that cooked one. Red and black cherrires, plum and peppery note. Spiciness and chocolate with vanilla a in all together in a nice balance.
A 90 point Patagonian. A great value to enjoy its best before 4 years old I guess.
Viniterra Carmenere 2010, By Viniterra Wines, USD 13
www.viniterra.com.ar
A Carmenere from High Agrelo District of lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza.
Nice and delicate like Carmenere uses to be. Red soft and smooth cherries with a nice and friendly acidity and a toach of toast
that gives the wine an exotic edge. Very mild spice and almost no herbal edge to it, both of which are fairly common in Chile´s Carmenere. A wine to enjoy complete before 3 to 4 years old
A wine most people will enjoy easily. An 88 point red and a great value too ,at the premium level.
Viniterra Malbec 2009, By Viniterra Winery, USD 13
www.viniterra.com.ar
A malbec from High Agrelo District of Lujan de Cuyo Departament Central Mendoza.
A delicious malbec at a premium level with balance and great attractiveness. A malbec expressed at a such a beauty level capable of disputing Cabernet´s reign as a complete grape. Red cherries merged with ripe red and black plums and a touch of chocolate and toast from oak to round it up nicely.Very smooth and complete perception at the palate. No herbal neither spice edges like you find in cabs and Merlot or syrah based wines. An 89 point red probably best by 4-5 years old. A great Argentina´s value. It shows why malbec should be one of the best, if not the best, choice to make single grape (great) wines.
Andeluna Merlot Reserve 2006, By Andeluna Cellars, USD 20
www.andeluna.com
A merlot from Tupungato Valley, part of Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Nice red cherries and black plum mix with a little overt acidity which departs a bit from the usual friendly sweetness I´m used to by ARG´s malbec. This is not a drawback but a educated taste I´m used to. Good balance and attractiveness all through the palate with nice aftertaste. Soft even expressive oak on sweet chocolate. A 90 point merlot and a good value. It probably will get better in a couple of years with more terciary and softer notes.
Algodon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, By Algodon Wine Estates, USD 17
www.algodonwines.com
A Cabernet Sauvignon from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza.
Round and mature CS even when it should get a little better next 2 to 4 years. Balanced fruits mostly boysenberries aom nd red ripe plums. Nice chocolate and toast also in there. Nice palate with a good palette of choices. Sweet roasted red bell peppers and slightly toated black peppercorns. A 90 point CS in keeping with the terroir standard and kindly treated on the barrique cellaring. Good value too. I liked more the malbec and bonarda from this series and the previous 2008 vintage.
CarinaE Cuvee Brigitte 2009, By CarinaE Bodega & Viñedos, USD 11
www.carinaevinos.com
A 72% malbec and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Cruz de Piedra District, Maiupu Departament, Central Mendoza.
A realy nice malbec based blend with strong terroir driven fruit and a balancing oak, mostly a beautiful (to me) dark chocolate (like 90% cocoa). Wide in palate displaying red berries and cherries with less plummy effect. Good red bell pepper and herbal toach too. Nicely balanced and attractive. An 89 point red fully expressed and balanced in the premium quality. Great value a that level.Probably better before 4 y/o of age.
Noemia Malbec 2006, By Bodega Noemia de la Patagonia, USD 120
www.bodeganoemia.com
A single old vineyard Malbec from Rio Negro Valley, Rio Negro Province, North Patagonia.
The best Rio Negro Valley Malbec expression. No better moment of maturity than now where balanced attributes dominate. Fruit and ageing roundness with tipical Northpatagonia´s imprints. Not even close to overoaky notes. Wide, wide on the palate with golden complexity more toward red sour Patagonia´s fruits. A 97 point malbec and also one of the top superstar.
Mauricio Lorca Inspirado blend 2008, By Bodega & Viñedos Mauricio Lorca, USD 75
www.mauriciolorca.com
A signature wine blend of Malbec, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon from Vistaflores district in Uco Valley (Tunuyan Departament), Mendoza.
Simply astonishing and complete. Everything is there, you name it. The best virtue is that you may say every fruit from each other, from red cherries and raspberries to black plum, blackcherries and blueberries. A nice spicy note with some black and green peppercorn and a minty toach too. Complex and not overexpressed oak. Same attractiveness as Cobos malbec but more complex and fleshy and a little less bright red carpet dressing stuff. A 98 point red blend that may gather more terciary notes next few years. One of the top superstar. Six to 8 y/o of cellar may bring the best.
Teho, Malbec 2010, Altamira mendoza, By 55 Malbec, USD 60
www.vinodelsol.com (USA importer)
A 90% malbec from Altamira distric of San Carlos Departament, Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Only a dash of petit verdot and cabernet franc. Quite impressive and seductive red showing all the Altamira´s beauty to a malbec.Bunches of ripe and round fruits, mostly black berries and plum. Good oak to it but not over the top.It reaches the point of impressive expression without overexpression, although this is somehow personal for sure. A 94 point malbec now and ready for a couple points more in a few years. Probably best at 4-6 y/o. A great value and one of the top for sure.
Cobos Malbec 2007, By Bodega Viña Cobos, USD 200
www.vinacobos.com
A single vineyard malbec located in Perdriel Distric of Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza.
Astonishing malbec with elegance ,complexity and attractiveness enough to conquer any palate. This particular bottle showed a bit of detectable oxidation. In spite of that, you get a very attractive malbec with mostly black and red berries (which I´m used to look after in a more higher malbec like Uco´s) , black plums in sweet ripeness.
Much chocolate and vanilla from french oak. Soft spices like dry black peppercorn,sage and fresh mint. A 98 point malbec that looks better somewhere 4 to 8 years old to splash along some accents. A superstar to conquer everybody at first sip.
Mantra Pinot Noir 2011, By Secreto Patagonico , USD 13
www.secretopatagonico.com
A Pinot Noir from San Patricio Vallley, Neuquen Province, North Patagonia.
A pure patagonian PN with nice maturity and expression. Sour and redish cheeries dominant with a beautiful toast and dryness quite impressive to my palate. It´s got tannins to endure but I don´t know if fuity enough after 4 y/o. A 88 point PN and a very good value from Patagonia.
Algodon Estate Pinot Noir 2008, By Algodon Wines, USD 17
www.algodonwines.com
A wonderful Pinot Noir from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza
A fully expressed PN with ripe fruits and chocolate. It expresses nice tannins with wide palate and a mix of red cherrries and black berries. Beautiful balance mostly expressed on the palate.
Probably best 4-6 y/o. One of the greatest PN along the line of Uco´s and Patagonia´s juices. This time kind of in the middle: not so black fruit driven as uco´s nor red fruit driven as Patagonia.
A 91 point PN to enjoy plenty. A must to appreciate some PN differences in Argentina´s imprints.
Alfredo Roca, Family Reserve, Tempranillo 2004, By Roca SA, USD 15
www.rocawines.com
A very nice and friendly Tempranillo red from San Rafael Valley ,South Mendoza.
Even though 8 y/o by now it brings fresh berries and confited black raspberries in that sugary structure tipical of Tempranillo far less acid and strong than most Spain brothers. Good maturity although it tastes a little bit weak. So probably before 6 y/o was its golden momentum the get the best. Now an 88 point red enjoyable and fair, surely once upon a time above 90 points. No doubt a San Rafael´s great value like mostly expected.
Las Perdices Reserve, Albariño 2011 (Limited Edition), By Viña Las Perdices SA, USD 13
www.lasperdices.com
A white grape from Portugal (albarinho) and Galicia (rias baixas) grown in Agrelo District of Lujan de Cuyo, Central Mendoza by Juan Muñoz Lopez and Family.
Impressive white with great structure and temper. White peach and a nice mix of white flowers,citric and yellow peach in a good balance with acidity and alcohol. Nice sip and attractive overall palate. A 90 point white ready to reach out popularity. Good value.
