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Chile Argentina Uruguay Brazil Chile Maipe Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Mendoza, 2009 ($16.99) - Best known for Malbec, Argentina also produces some terrific Cabs. This one is very impressive with lovely aromatics, fine balance, complexity, some structure, and a hint of new French oak. Parker: 90 "Similar in style [to the non-reserve] but more structured and revealing slightly more oak. Full-bodied and dense with abundant notes of creme de cassis, chocolate, espresso roast, spice box, and tobacco leaf, it is a layered, succulent, hedonistic Cabernet to drink now - 2014." Los Vascos Cabernet Reserve, 2008 ($18.99) - I’ve always been a fan of this Chilean wine and regularly put a few bottles away for myself. (I just opened a bottle of 1995!) Made by the wine-making team that fashions Chateau Lafite Rothschild, it tastes very much like a Bordeaux. Drinkable now, but will improve. Argentina Alex Elman Torrontés, 2010 ($12.99) and Malbec, 2010 ($12.99) - We first met Alex through her stepfather, Basil Winston. Basil was a real character with a love for life, a long history in the wine industry, and a long association with Beekman's. Born in Atlantic City in 1934, he traveled to Europe after college. There he studied wine and was trained by Alexis Lichine (a huge presence in the wine industry as an importer, the owner of Chateau Prieuré-Lichine and part-owner of Ch. Lascombes in Margaux, and the first to compile a wine encyclopedia) before returning to the states to work in the import end of the wine business. We knew Basil in his many guises, first as a representative of Shaw-Ross, one of the few serious wine importers in the 1960s and 1970s, then as a representative for Bodegas Lan (Rioja), and finally as a trader of fine wines. Many of the older gems that we have came from him before his death in 2008.Growing up with her mother (a Brazilian chef) and later with Basil, Alex was encouraged to experience the world, spending time in Brazil, France, and New York. Although she began to lose her eye sight in her early 20s, she went to work for Perrier-Jouët Champagne in Epernay. Returning to the U.S., she worked in Basil's trading business further developing her palate and wine knowledge. Undeterred by her blindness, she started her own import business and now travels with Hanley, her seeing eye dog. She refers to herself as "the blind wine chick." Torrontés is the unique grape of Argentina with Muscat-like character. Long thought to be the Spanish (Galicia) grape of the same name, recent DNA evidence shows that there are several distinct Torrontés varietals that are separate crossings between Muscat of Alexandria and Mission (Criolla Chica). Luscious, refreshing, and lightly floral, this wine has notes of orange citrus, peach, and apricot with good acidity and a long finish. The bouquet promises sweet, but the wine delivers dry. Try it with salads, citrus-accented foods, light fish, and semi-soft cheeses. The Malbec is typical for its price range. It's well made with lots of fruit without going overboard. Renacer Punto Final Malbec Clasico, 2008 ($11.99) and Punto Final Malbec Reserva, 2006 ($17.99) - Originally from France, Malbec produces richly flavored, fruit-filled wines on the high desert plain of Mendoza, Argentina. Many less expensive examples are made in a pleasant, soft style that is none-the-less simple. Renacer’s entry-level Malbec is more serious with good structure and a very dry finish that requires food. Jay Miller, who writes for Parker’s Wine Advocate, really liked it: 90 "The unoaked 2008 Punto Final Clasico contains 97% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc aged for 10 months in stainless steel. It was sourced from own-rooted vineyards over 50 years of age. Made in a late-harvest style, this deep purple-colored wine reveals a nose of spice box, incense, and black cherry. Layered and rich on the palate, it conceals some ripe underlying tannin that should allow the wine to provide pleasure over the next 4 years. It is an amazing fruit bomb." The Reserva is simply spectacular. Fragrant and bearing excellent fruit intensity, this balanced wine avoids the over-ripeness (and excessive alcohol) of many of the high-end Malbecs. Jay Miller, writing in Parker’s Wine Advocate, loved it: 92 "The 2006 Punto Final Reserva contains 99% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc aged for 10 months in French oak. It was sourced from vineyards over 50 years of age with low yields. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up a fragrant bouquet of cedar, scorched earth, lavender, and black cherry. Layered, dense, and concentrated, it has tons of savory black fruit, spice notes, and excellent balance. Enjoy this lengthy effort between 2009 and 2012." CAOBA Malbec Reserve, 2010 (reg $16.99; intro $14.98) and Cabernet Reserve, 2010 (reg $16.99; intro $14.98) - The popular but light CAOBA Malbec is now joined by much more substantial, bold, and fruit-filled reserves at a very attractive price. Dolce Stefania Malbec, Mendoza, 2008 ($14.99) – Rich yet nicely balanced, this hearty Argentine wine combines a focused structure with an explosion of sweet, juicy fruit flavors held in check by zesty tang. The nose delivers dark chocolate, mint, and cherry. The dense and concentrated flavors include black currant, dark raspberry, and spiced black plum. Dolce Stefania is a brand produced by Naiara Winery. Germans Vichera and Guido Meldini bought this winery in 2002. The building dates to the late 19th century in Maipu, Mendoza, when it was used as a fort by the Argentine army during the early years of independence. Vichera and Meldini restored the facade to its original state, leaving the classic and historical exteriors while converting the interior into a winery. Los Lirios de Los Andes Malbec, 2006 ($16.79) - The great values coming out of Argentina have made Malbec more and more popular. Although most wine lovers think of these wines as simply good and cheap, there are also examples that explore the higher reaches of quality and price. This one is made by the highly respected Bodega E Cavas Weinert. Winemaker Hubert Weber aged it in French barrique, and it has depth and intensity that belie its modest price.
Layer Cake Malbec, 2006
($15.99) - American Jayson Woodbridge (Hundred
Acre) teamed up with fellow winemaker Philippe Melka to make the wonderful
Australian Layer Cake Shiraz that we won’t have until the next vintage
is released, probably in the fall. Expanding on the success of the Shiraz,
the team is sourcing fruit from around the world to make three additional
wines under the Layer Cake label. None of these wines will be available
year round, for the production is limited. Like the Italian Primitivo, the
Argentine Malbec is terrific. It distinctly shows Australian and
Californian influences, but it has the rich gutsiness of the best Malbecs.
This delicious wine is stylistically similar to the Shiraz. The flavor
profile is, of course, different. Bodegas Caro Amancaya, Mendoza - Argentina, 2009 ($19.99) - Bodegas Caro is a joint venture between the famous Domaine Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) of Bordeaux and the almost-as-famous Nicolas Catena of Argentina. (The name is based on the names CAtena and ROthschild.) This blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Malbec was aged for twelve months in 20% new barrique. The 2009 vintage was a good one, and this wine is astonishingly good. It is a big, oaked, lush wine that is just delicious. Tanzer reviewed the 2008 which was a 50/50 blend of Cab & Malbec: 91 "Bright red-ruby. Subtle, fresh, and wonderfully aromatic nose offers complex scents of recurrent, blueberry, strawberry, tobacco, mocha, graphite, leather, and cedar. Penetrating and claret-like, with superb delineation to the red current and tobacco flavors. Perfectly integrated acidity and an intriguing herbal nuance give this wine a light touch. Finishes with tactile, dusty tannins and lovely lift and persistence. Offers compelling complexity and class for the price." The 2009 has not yet been reviewed, but we loved it! Bodegas Salentein Malbec Reserva, 2009 ($18.99) - As wonderful as the regular Argentine Malbecs are, the reservas are even better. This one shows deep color as well as dense and layered blueberry, black cherry, and fig flavors on the palate. Vanilla toast enhances the juicy fruit, and fresh acidity keeps it bright and enhances its excellent length. Bodegas Salentein is an award-winning gravity-flow winery situated on a high plateau (1100 meters) in the Uco Valley within Mendoza. Alluvial soils here lay atop a gravel bed with good permeability and drainage. Salentein made the Finca El Portillo Malbec featured in our March newsletter. Santa Faustina Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo (Mendoza), 2006 ($23.99) - The best Argentine Malbecs are dramatically good. Cuttings of Malbec vines (also called Auxerrois or Côt Noir) from Bordeaux thrived in Argentina, and Malbec became the country's most popular red wine. Argentina's best Malbecs come from the Mendoza district, a high desert plain (most vineyards are planted between 2000' and 3600'). This impressive wine comes from the Lujan de Cuyo subdistrict, the first controlled appellation in Mendoza. The Alto Lunlunto vineyard (2800') is the source of this wine. A 21-day maceration was followed by aging in one-third French oak barrels. This big and complex wine was bottled unfiltered. Bottle aging has given it refinement.
Uruguay
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