Tasting 149 – November 18, 2013 – Wines from Argentina – Capri Restaurant
Contents of this post
- Presenters and Participants
- Wine List
- Menu
- Wines Details
- Información sobre el Malbec
- The Argentine Wine Industry
- Wine Ratings by the Members
Presenters:
Clara Estrada, Jaime Estupinan and Emilio Labrada
Participants:
2. Wines List
(this is not the presentation order, it is a blind tasting)2012 Dominio del Plata Torrontés Crios de Susana Balbo. Mendoza. ABV: 13.5% $ 13
2010 Malbec Single Vineyard, Luigi Bosca DOC. Lujan de Duyo, Mendoza. ABV: 14% $ 18 to 25
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon III , Pulenta Estate. Agrelo, Mendoza. ABV: 14.5% $ 19 to 22
2010 Malbec Reserva, Bodega Norton. Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza. ABV: 14.3% $ 18 to 22
3. Menu:
- Sea Food Salad
- Gnocchi with Salsa Aurora
- Carne a La Parrilla, Potatoes and Green Beans
- Postre and Coffee
4. Detailled Information and Tasting notes on the Wines
All wines from Agentina, purchased in shops to be announced:
4.1 2012 Dominio del Plata Torrontés Crios de Susana Balbo. Mendoza. APV: 13.5% $ 13
Winemaker description of this wine: Dominio del Plata website: “Enticing aromas that are strikingly similar to Viognier, with hints of white pear, white flowers and citrus fruit. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with enticing fruit flavours that keep you coming back for another sip. Plenty of body for a wine that shows such delicate aromas and flavours. Fruity, floral and yet still quite dry.
Pairing: Best enjoyed in its youth either by itself, or as a wonderful partner with smoked meats, mild to medium-strong cheeses and seafood (especially crab, prawns, raw and marinated fish). It’s also a delicious wine to pair with Asian food and sushis and a surprising partner with goat cheese.” Wine Technical Data Sheet at the winemaker website Dominio del Plata
Critical Acclaim: Rating: WA 88 IWC 88
88 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): “[$15 list] The 2012 Crios Torrontes comes from Cafayate in Salta, Altamira and La Rioja from 33-year-old vines. It has much more presence and vivacity than the Chardonnay, with scents of lime, peach and melon that are well-defined. The palate is well-balanced with a prickle of white pepper on the entry. It displays moderate length in the mouth, while the finish is crisp and taut. with notes of pear, bruised apple and dried orange peel. This is worth seeking out for the price. Drink now-2014. (Oct 2012, Wine Advocate)”
88 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): “Pale, bright silver-yellow color. Highly perfumed aromas of lemon drop, white flowers, peppermint and white pepper. Supple, pliant and easygoing, with citrus, herbal and floral flavors joined by a hint of licorice. Shows a touch of heat on the finish. Offers good weight in the mouth but seems less intense than the 2011. Susana Balbo declassified a lot of fruit in the difficult 2012 harvest, making this wine mostly from Mendoza vines planted to the Salta clone of torrontes, as she finds the Mendoza clone’s flavors too fleeting. (Mar/Apr 2013)
4.2 2010 Malbec Single Vineyard, Luigi Bosca DOC. Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza. ABV: 14% $ 18 to 25.
Wine Maker description (click HERE): Luigi Bosca Malbec D.O.C. es un genuino varietal de un profundo color violáceo y se caracteriza por sus aromas a cerezas y ciruelas maduras. Es, además, especiado, con notas a café y moras, y cierto tostado producto de su crianza en barricas de roble. Su estructura es sólida y su paso por boca, jugoso y elegante, con acidez equilibrada y gran redondez. Un tinto con fuerza pero con sutilezas, además de excelente tipicidad.
Additional information on the Winemaker website.
Critical Acclaim: Robert Parker 89
The Wine Advocate Author: Neal Martin – 88 points
Date: Thursday, November 1, 2012: “The 2010 Luigi Bosca Malbec D.O.C. comes from 70-year-old vines in La Linda, Vistalba and sees 14 months in new oak. The nose is high-toned and a little volatile at first, with black cherry and raisin aromas. The palate is better with firm, ripe tannins and graphite-tinged black fruit. It seems a little pinched towards the finish, when it needs to fan out.”
Wine Spectator Author: Nathan Wesley – 89 points
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 “This rich red features a dark core of roasted plum, black cherry compote, spice, mocha and hot stone. Medium tannins add support to the round finish.”
Award: Awarded “Commended” by the International Wine Challenge UK 2013. Video of awards ceremony highlights:
4.3 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon III , Pulenta Estate. Agrelo, Mendoza. ABV: 14.5% $ 19 to 22
Winemaker Note: “Su color rojo profundo e intenso revela la calidad de la materia prima. Sus notas e pimiento frutos be bosque y algo de mermelada de frutas rojas en equilibrio con aromas proveniente del roble logran una gran complejidad en nariz. Su fuerte y a la vez armonioso carácter típico be la zona de Agrelo. Sus taninos se perciben suaves y sedosos mostrando un trabajo detallado de su maceración y guarda. Es un vino con gran personalidad y sumamente agradable”. more at the winemaker website en español.
Critical Acclaim: Stephen Tanzer I.W.C.: 89
WE: 83 by Michael Schachner Green, tom atoey and strained as a whole. The nose initially smells like marinara sauce and field greens. Mouthfeel is the saving grace; it’s elegant and fresh. But back to the flavor profile, which delivers pizza, herbal overtones and tomato. Cabernet does not seem to be this winery’s cup of tea. (12/31/2011) — 83 more
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4.4 2010 Malbec Reserva, Bodega Norton. Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza. ABV: 14.3% $ 18 to 22
Winemaker Tasting Note: Deep red colour with hints of purple. Expressive on the nose with notes of ripe black fruits, violets, and tobacco. Long finish. More details on Bodega Norton website.
WS 90 WE 92
This wine made the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines list for the second time in 2012 and it’s easy to see why. Bold but supple with richness and depth, this Reserve Malbec has the stuffing to go the distance. Sourced from older vines averaging 30 years of age and given extended maceration of 25 to 30 days. Aged 12 months in French oak barrels. The Spectator scored it 90 points and Wine Enthusiast Magazine made it an Editors Choice with a 92 point score saying “Opaque purple and thick in the glass, this wine has inky, supercharged aromas of ripe blackberry and spice. It feels amped up but balanced, with more intensity and clarity than what most other $18 reds offer. The flavors of wild berry, mild herb and chocolate finish in a rich, toasty wrapping.”
Read the full Bodega Norton 2010 Reserva Malbec, Mendoza review in Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Buying Guide
Información resumida sobre el vino Malbec de Argentina
- La uva es una cepa de origen francés muy extendida y propia de la vitinicultura Argentina.
- El malbec se originó en Bordeaux, Francia, pero por su susceptibilidad a enfermedades, su popularidad disminuyó en esa Región. Sin embargo, ha tenido una buena adaptación al ambiente de Argentina que ofrece mejor la protección de las plantas contra pestes y enfermedades.
- En Francia es común mezclarlo con Cabernet Sauvignon, Melrot y Petit Verdot, en los vinos Bordeaux. En Argentina se usa sin mezclar.
- Es un vino de cuerpo medio y taninos dulces y amables, con notas florales y especiadas. Su aroma recuerda a frutas como la ciruela, el casis, guindas, frutillas (fresas) y violetas. Con la crianza aporta notas de cuero, vainilla y chocolate. Se combina muy bien con carnes rojas, cordero y de animales de caza (ciervo, jabalí).
- Es un vino que mejora con el añejamiento y se puede guardar por largos periodos.
- Según el Wall Street Discovery Club, el Malbec de Argentina se considera un gran fenómeno del vino en los años recientes, surgiendo de lo desconocido para transformarse en el vino mas comentado por los gustadores de vino en todo el mundo.
The Argentine Wine Industry
Introduction
from: http://www.argentinawineguide.com/resources/industry.html
Argentina is currently the world’s fifth largest wine producer by volume – after France, Italy, Spain and the USA in that order – a position it has held for many years.
Yet it is only very recently – perhaps over the last ten or fifteen years – that the industry has really begun to develop the methods, attitudes and will to become a serious player in the international wine market.
High volume, low quality vines are being replaced by premium varieties. Formerly struggling bodegas are attracting the backing of major international wine companies. Product quality is soaring, and every year the industry balance shifts further from cheap table wines towards exquisitely crafted drops that are increasingly recognised as being amongst the best in the world.
The Argentine wine industry is reaping the benefits of its heritage – old vines, unique geographical conditions – with new technology and a mix of modern and traditional methods. It’s come along way since the first vines were planted in Mendoza more than 400 years ago. more much more http://www.argentinawineguide.com
Also deserves a visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_wine Rich information with good level of detail.
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Lujan de Cuyo and Agrelo
The Lujan de Cuyo department, is an administrative title which handily covers some of the best viticultural land in Argentina. The wine-producing zone of Agrelo slopes upward from the town toward the Andes, with the highest (and most desirable) vineyards in the west reaching up to 3300ft (1000m) above sea level. The lower-lying eastern part of the area is closer to 3000ft (900m). Agrelo has a dry, desert-like climate due to its position in the rainshadow of the Andes.
The altitude in Agrelo, while not at the extreme of Argentinean viticulture, is sufficiently high to have a pronounced effect on the quality of the grapes grown here. At this height, sunlight is more intense than in lower-lying areas and so grapes have hot sun during the day to help them ripen. These warm, sunny days are followed by much cooler nights due to cold alpine winds that sweep down the western side of the perpetually snow-capped Andes. It is this diurnal temperature variation that is the star of Agrelo’s terroir, extending the ripening period and balancing crisp acidity and complex flavors in the grapes.
The soils in Agrelo are generally sandy loam with a deeper layer of gravelly stones, made up from eroded, mineral-rich material from the slopes of the Andes. These soils have exceptional drainage, and careful irrigation during summer is an essential part of the viticultural process. Using drip irrigation, viticulturists are able to carefully control yield and vigor, and produce small berries with an excellent concentration of sugars, acids and tannins. The wines that result from these grapes are firmly structured, with great complexity.
Ratings by the members
1. Dominio del Plata Torrontés Críos de Susana Balbo. Mendoza, 2012;- Alcohol: 13.5%; Price $ 13.
Average Score: 88; STD: 3
Comments: Good pairing with seafood, aromatic, pale yellow with hints of green, easy to drink, citrus and minerals, hints of sauvignon blanc, good balance. Good value for money.
2. Cabernet Sauvignon III – Pulenta Estate. Agrelo, Mendoza;- 2010
Alcohol: 14%; Price $19 to 22.
Average Score: 89; STD: 1
Comments: light plum color, aromas to red fruit and “green”, intense aroma, flavor layers to black and red fruits with hints to chocolate, good structure, pairs well with steak.
3. Malbec Single Vineyard, Luigi Bosca DOC. Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza;- 2010
Alcohol: 14%; Price $ 18 to 25
Average Score: 89; STD: 2;
Comments: Deep red ruby, fruity and silky, good balance, burgundy style, light tannins, good and long finish, not bad.
4. Malbec Reserva, Bodega Norton. Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza.- 2010;-
Alcohol: 14.3%; Price $ 18 to22.
Average Score: 88; STD: 3
Comments: Intense red ruby, lots of fruit and body, lasting taste, good finish, will improve in future, may be too early to drink it now, excellent wine.
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Club del Vino - Washington DC area 