Tasting N^o260. The Best wines of 2023  December 12, 2023 with an address by Juan Luis Colaiacovo on Club del Vino development

December 12, 2023, 12:30

Capri Ristorante, McLean VA         

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Objective and Overview

The objective of this tasting is to revisit the best wines from this year. We will enjoy the best white wine and will be able to compare the three best reds selected from the tastings of 2023.

Type of tasting: Semi blind

Presenter: John and Lucia Redwood

Participants: the list will be added after the tasting

Participants: S. Ardila; R. Arroio; M. Averbug; J. Claro; C. Estrada; M. Fryer; J. García; N. Marzella; A.&C. Perazza; J.&L. Redwood; C. Santelices; R. Santiago; G. Smart; P. Turina; L. Uechi; R. Zavaleta; and G. Zincke

The Menu

• Asparagus soup
• Spinach and white cheese agnolotti with tomato sauce
• Beef medallion with brown sauce and roasted potatoes
• Coffee, tea and dessert

Wines Selection and Tasting Procedure

The methodology to select the wines was very simple: among the more than 40 wines tasted during 2023, all but those presented in May were rated in quantitative terms by the participants, regarding their quality (“best wine”). The numerical quality ratings for all the wines (whites and reds) sampled on 10 monthly tasting events during the year were ranked; the white wine with the highest rating and the three red wines with the highest ratings were selected. An interesting common feature of the “best of the best” wines selected is that, while they were evenly divided between Argentina and Chile, all four wines are blends rather than single varietals.

The tasting will follow the following procedure:

• Blind tasting of the 3 reds in random order.
• Participants may try to identify the red wines and will rank the wines by order of preference (subjective ranking).
• The preferences will be aggregated and informed to the participants
• The wines are revealed, and prices are disclosed.
• Participants select ‘best value’ wine.

The Wines

The following wines were selected from the best wines in 10 tastings. The vintages may be different from the wines originally tasted because of availability in the market.

♦ Catena – Appellation White Clay, 2022 (2020 no longer available) – February 2023

The Producer: Bodega Catena Zapata located in Mendoza, Argentina.

• Year – 2020
  • Varietal: White blend Semillon 60%; Chenin Blanc 40%.
  • Region: Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza
• Aging: Eight months in French oak barrels
• 13% APV

Tasting notes: Deeply aromatic with expressive citrus and peach with a rich and mineral finish. Pairs well with vegetables, pasta and grilled white meat.

“The grapes were harvested quite early and then fermented in stainless steel, managing to keep the alcohol to 13.5% in this warm and dry year. It’s balsamic and medicinal, with notes of yellow fruit and some spicy smokiness, as 35% of the wine matured in new barrels for seven to eight months. It’s soft and creamy without excess, combining volume and tasty flavors and a bitter twist in the finish” (Wine Advocate).

♦  Seña, Aconcagua Valley, 2020 (2019 no longer available) – March & April 2023

• Vintage: 2020
• Varietal: Bordeaux Blend: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec, 15% Carménère, 7% Petit Verdot
• Region: Aconcagua Valley, Chile
• Vineyard: Close to the sea with the benefit of coastal winds and long hanging period.
• Farming: Biodynamic and hand harvested.
• Ageing: 22 months in 90% French oak barrels (80% new) and 10% foudres.
• 5% APV

Tasting notes: A deep and beautiful garnet-red color with violet hues, the 2020 Seña presents complexity on the nose with multiple layers of fresh red-fruit aromas such as cherries and raspberries accompanied by violets and pleasing touches of dill and rosemary, all framed by light notes of sweet spices. The palate shows young fruits, more sweet spices, and smooth balsamic tones. It is fresh and juicy with elegant fine-grained tannins that create a silky and pleasing sensation. The 2020 vintage shows elegance and balance with an ample and profound finish.

The 2020 Seña is a blend from grapes harvested early, the second week of March, and fermented mostly in stainless steel and 10% in concrete eggs. It has a moderate 13.5% alcohol and good freshness. It’s subtle and layered, not only fruit but with more spice; it has polished tannins and very integrated oak after 22 months in barrique, 78% new, and with 10% of the volume in large Stockinger barrels. …This wine has intensity and complexity, with no herbal or mint notes; it is spicy and juicy, with energy and depth. It has structure, color, stuffing, and acidity to develop nicely in bottle (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate).

♦  Salentein Numina Gran Corte 2019 – Valle de Uco, Argentina – June 2023

The producer: The Bodega Salentien, located in the Uco Valley, Chile.

• Vintage: 2019
• Varietal Composition: 65% Malbec, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Merlot and 5% Cabernet
• Region: Tunuyán, Valle de Uco, Mendoza
  • Vinification: Hand harvested, fermentation in 7,000L oak casks. The varieties of this blend were made separately and after 6 months aged in barrels, the barrels were emptied and the blend was made, which came back to the oak barrel to finish the ageing process. The total ageing time was 16 months.
• 5%APV

Tasting notes: It displays a bright, intense and deep purplish color. The aroma is complex and elegant with notes of tobacco, cassis, blueberries, spices as well as notes of vanilla and caramel. In the mouth, it is a wide and intense wine with full body and tannic structure and a long finish.

Purple in the glass. The complex nose offers clearly defined notes of cigar box, vanilla, fresh plum, blackcurrant and bay leaf with hints of ash. Lean and juicy in the mouth with refined tannins, the flavors are driven by the oak (Vinous).

♦  Clos Apalta, 2018, Colchagua Valley, Chile – August 2023

• Producer: Clos Apalta, Aconcagua Valley
• Vintage: 2018
• Varietals: Bordeaux Blend: 64% Carménère, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot.     Alcohol Content: 15% vol.
• Region: D.O.  Apalta
• Fermentation Type: 75% in 75hL French oak vats, 25% in new French oak barrels
• Ageing:  25 Months in French oak barrels. 87% new French oak barrels, 13% in second use.

Tasting notes. Deep and inky purple red robe with dark blue edges. Intense, spicy with layers of red and black fruit on the nose, with cedar notes. Elegant tannins open towards a mid-palate that combines finesse and concentration, round and fresh. Exceptionally long finish.

CV Members Rating

The tasting took place before revealing the wines and their prices. 14 participants rated them from to Exceptional. The combined results established the preference order during the tasting.

Clos Apalta, 2018 was rated the Best Wine and Salentein ‘Numina Gran Corte, 2019 the Best Buy. The following Table presents the details of individual ratings and combined results.

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Laughing matter: 

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