By Vines Sommelier, Mariana Onofri

Happily, being a sommelier has not only given me the opportunity to enjoy amazing wines, but also to meet great people that share the same passion for wine.

I have to say it was a pleasure sharing a tasting with Steven Spurrier here at The Vines of Mendoza.

He asked us to prepare a tasting with wines that we thought represent the future of Argentina, and I have to confess that it was not an easy task to accomplish… many labels came to our minds, however it was hard to reach a final decision. We were eager to please him with every wine offered.

We finally selected three whites and seven reds we have available in our Tasting Room were interested in getting his opinion of the wines we had chosen…

It was a blind tasting and after each wine, he would talk about his impressions, guessing varietals, vintages, aging… and in every case he was not far from reality. It was great hearing his simple but so accurate descriptions of each wine we tasted.

So here is the list of the wines …his scores and his conclusions…

Enjoy!!
1. LURTON CORTE FRIULANO 2006

WINERY: JACKES & FRANÇOIS LURTON

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 80% Pinot Gris, 15% Chardonnay, 5%

Torrontés.

VINEYARD: Vista flores, Tunuyán, Valle de Uco.

TASTING NOTES: great floral character combined with delicate mineral notes. Oily ( “ in the good sense” ), perfectly balanced and prolonged finish.

SCORE: 17.5

2. LAGRIMA CANELA 2006

WINERY: WALTER BRESSIA

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Semillon

VINEYARD: Tupungato, Valle de Uco.

TASTING NOTES: Nice Semillon influence; providing a crisp interesting character. Attractive nose, medium bodied, nice persistence but lacking integrity.

SCORE: 16.5

3. ANGELICA ZAPATA CHARDONNAY 2003

WINERY: CATENA ZAPATA

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Chardonnay

VINEYARD: Tupungato, Valle de Uco.

TASTING NOTES: Flowery, first class lemonade, refine nose, great acidity and beautiful structure. Lingering finish. Beautiful!!

SCORE: 18

4. THE VINES OF MENDOZA RESERVA 2006

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% merlot, 23% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot.

VINEYARD: Vista Flores, Tunuyán, Valle de Uco ( CS – PV ) – General Ortega, Maipú ( ME, MB )

TASTING NOTES: Nice Spiciness, earthy, rustic, complex. Prematurely old though. Medium long.

SCORE: 16
5. QARAMY ALTO 2004

WINERY: QARAMY

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 60% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah.

VINEYARD: Tunuyán, Valle de Uco. 5 year old vines.

TASTING NOTES: Lovely nose and palate, fresh, nice complexity and beautifully made. Long Finish.

SCORE: 17

6. POESÍA 2002

WINERY: POESIA

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 60% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon

VINEYARD: Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza

TASTING NOTES: Broad, increased tannins presence due to oak aging, but really elegant and well made. Great aging potential, still needing some time though.

SCORE: 17

7. FINCA LOS NOBLES 2001

WINERY: LUIGI BOSCA

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: Malbec, Petit Verdot

VINEYARD: Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza

TASTING NOTES: Great attack, dry, natural fruit ripeness, smooth, honest, amazing finish!

SCORE: 18

8. ALPHA CRUX MALBEC 2005

WINERY: O’ FOURNIER

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Malbec

VINEYARD: La Consulta – El Cepillo, Valle de Uco, Mendoza

TASTING NOTES: Black currants, great structure but needing time. Very powerful mid palate and finish. Let’s wait for it!

SCORE: 17

9. BRESSIA CONJURO 2004

WINERY: WALTER BRESSIA

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 50% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot.

VINEYARD: Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza

TASTING NOTES: Beautiful nose, complex, elegant, polished, ripe fruit and seducing black pepper. Beautifully made!

SCORE: 18.5

10. ACHAVAL FERRER FINCA BELLA VISTA 2004

WINERY: ACHAVAL FERRER

VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Malbec

VINEYARD: Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza

TASTING NOTES: Black and rich black fruit, pewrful and dry finish. Remarkable!!!

SCORE: 18.5

Scores:

14 : Fair

15: Good

16: Very Good

17: Very Good +

18: Very Good ++

19: Excellent

20: Superb

Who is STEVEN SPURRIER ?
Wine Connoisseur of International Renown
Organizer, Judgement of Paris

· First English Wine Merchant in Paris and founder of l’Academie du Vin, France’s first non-government wine education program

· Creator of the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris wine tasting

· Founder, Christie’s Wine Course

· Chairman, World Wine Awards

· Ritz Carlton Millennia Lifetime Achievement Award