Cavas de Crianza Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
REGION: La Consulta, Uco Valley, Mendoza
VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
WINEMAKING: Made by a husband and wife team at one of Mendoza’s most award-winning boutique bodegas, 30% of this wine is aged in oak barrels for 6-8 months and blended with the remaining 70% that is held in stainless steel. The wine then rests for 6 more months after bottling.
TASTING NOTES: A shining indigo red, this highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon lives up to its reputation. With complex fruit-driven aromas and a palate that is full of ripe plums, it is lush yet focused and coats your tongue with velvet.
FOOD PAIRING: Beef Brisket with mashed sweet potatoes
DRINKING GUIDE: Drink now through 2012
Marcela and Ramiro take you on a great tour through The Vines of Mendoza experience!!
Join us in our downtown Mendoza tasting room, Tuesday – Saturday from 3-10pm.
Cheers!
Saludos from Mendoza!
Here at The Vines of Mendoza, we are slowly entering low season and fall, although with beautiful warm sunny days it has not felt like fall at all. Activities are winding down in the vineyard, preparing the vines for the winter season.
We are very excited to see how the wine from our fist harvest is evolving. Michael, Pablo and Santiago are trying it weekly to check its development. So far we are very pleased with the results.
Weather
April in Mendoza was extremely warm – it did not feel like fall at all. Average temperatures were the highest in the last decade with average values ranging from 55º F / 12º C (minimum) to 80º F / 26º C (maximum). Now in May we are experiencing colder temperatures but expect some mild days interspersed.
Vineyard Development
We have had very warms and sunny days, but the nights are now longer and colder. In this wide thermal amplitude weather, the plant is stimulated to preserve is nutrients in the root system and trunk in preparation for the dormancy period in the winter.
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In the frame of the London Wine Fair, the results of the International Wine Challenge and of another competition of big relevancy, the Decanter World Wine Awards, were revealed. Argentine wines obtained four Trophies. Malbec and Torrontés, were the two most rewarded varieties. Below, all the winners.
Steven Spurrier and Sarah Kemp, Publishing Directors of Decanter, opened the ceremony, highlighting that the main objective of this competition was the consumer.
“We believe a tasting should not be an academic exercise, but instead its purpose should be to influence the people who matter the most; the consumer, the people who buy the wine “, said the publishers during the opening of the contest.
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It’s another Wednesday and we would like to celebrate with one of Argentina’s Syrah’s. This syrah is interesting in complexity with lots of earth notes and underlying spice. On top of that it is organic so we are going green for the day!
Check our twitter account every Wednesday for a new wine: www.twitter.com, vinesofmendoza
Happy Wine Wednesday!
DON DIEGO 2004
REGION: Fiambala, Catamarca
VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Syrah
WINEMAKING: This Syrah is one of the most highly recognized wines from the region of Catamarca in the north of Argentina. The winery is eco friendly and made from natural local materials; it is the only one of its kind built with bricks of sun-dried native clay. The vineyards are organically certified and located 1,505 meters (almost 5,000 feet) above sea level.
TASTING NOTES: This wine is the dark ruby red of ripe raspberries. The bouquet is full of rich forest fruit, and the soft palate contains blueberry and dark cherries with just a touch of oak and a lovely integrated acidity that carries through to a protracted finish.
DRINKING GUIDE: Drink by 2011
FOOD PAIRING: Grilled marinated flank steak
Why, you are asking yourself, did we name this flight the flying flight? Well for those of you not well versed in spanish, these three wines will take you flying.
Ala Negra = Black Wing
Mil Vientos = Thousand winds
Las Peridices = Partridges
So off you go- try them out… not all at the same time or you really will be flying. Saludos!
REGION: Lunlunta, Maipù, Mendoza
VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Malbec
WINEMAKING: Ala Negra, produced by the Corvalan Jufre family of Mendoza natives, is a is a tribute to family tradition going back more than 100 years. It is aged 12 months in French oak and 10 months in the bottle to reach a perfect harmony of flavors before being released to the market.
TASTING NOTES: This wine overflows with the concentrated aromas of ripe dark fruit like plumb and rhubarb. The lushly textured palate has essences of tea, and a satisfying, dusky finish. It is round on the palate, easy to drink, and great for a dinner party!
FOOD PAIRING: Drink through 2011
DRINKING GUIDE: Perfect with grilled, marinated flank steak
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REGION: San Juan
VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Torrontés
WINEMAKING: From Bodega Merced del Estero, Mil Vientos is produced in San Juan Province north of Mendoza. Although the Rodriguez family has been working the land since 1897, the vines for this wine were re-planted in the early 1990’s. Their small state-of-the art winery was built in 2004 to produce top-quality wine with a true expression of the local terroir.
TASTING NOTES: Crisp and aromatic, this is a perfect wine to enjoy on a spring day in the garden amongst the blooming flowers. Tropical fruit and lemon cream mingle with streamlined honey and white flowers. Bright acidity fills the mouth with a fresh finish. A lovely example of Torrontés.
FOOD PAIRING: Pad Thai
DRINKING GUIDE: Drink now
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REGION:Barrancas, Maipú, Mendoza
VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% CABERNET SAUVIGNON
WINEMAKING: Named after the partridges that inhabited the vineyard in Maipu, this wine was harvested manually with yields of 3 tons per acre (7.5 tons per hectare). The temperatures were closely controlled during the fermentation and an extended maceration of 15 days. The wine was then aged for 6 months in French and American oak barrels.
TASTING NOTES: Ruby colored with brick accents,its aromas of dried green herbs and currant compliment the soft mouth with sour cherry and cassis flavors. Earth flavors abound in the finish. This Cabernet Sauvignon is perfect for pairing with food.
FOOD PAIRING: Grilled beef tenderloin
DRINKING GUIDE: Enjoy now
RICOMINCIARE ALTISIMO CABERNET FRANC 2006
REGION: La Consulta, Valle de Uco | VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 100% Cabernet Franc
Although long-time grape growers in the Uco Valley, this is the first time the Catena Jorge has bottled wine under his own label. This varietlly-pure wine smells of charred green pepper, right off the grill. The palate is full of ripe berries, with some black pepper spice. Up there with Argentina’s best Cabernet Francs.
PULENTA ESTATE CABERNET FRANC 2006
Low yield in the vineyard to obtain excellent polyphenolic ripeness. Long macerations to get rounded tannins and complex wines. Use of complete malolatic fermentation to achieve a balanced acidity, greater softness and elegance “This wine offers a deep re-purple colour, an intense aroma of red pepper, eucalyptus and spices. Once in the mouth, it is sweet and pleasant due to the presence of rounded, ripe and soft tannins. Its 12 months aging in new frech oak barrels grants ir an elegant and long finish.”
URRACA RESERVA 2005
VARIETAL COMPOSITION: 36% Malbec, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot
WINEMAKING: After making wine in California, in 2005 the Langly family came to Mendoza to realize their dream. Currently building their winery, this wine is made by famed Mendoza winemaker Walter Bressia and was aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels.
TASTING NOTES: Concentrated and rich flavors of plum and red quince are underscored with bright bing cherry and violet accents. The rich mouthfeel has hints of tobacco, dark chocolate, blackberries and subtle yet persistent tannins. This wine is for that special dinner- a wine to show off.
We asked Santiago Achaval of internationally recognized Achaval Ferrer winery and the Vines of Mendoza Private Vineyard Estates wine consultant to pick several boutique Argentine wine selections for our fans.
Or enjoy any of these wines separately at 15% off retail price. (Through May 31st)
Right now Argentine wines are the darling of the wine world with good reason! Leslie Sbrocco, top wine goddess, correspondent, and consultant was here in Argentina for the Argentine Wine Awards and tasted through hundreds of wines. She highlights several in her May Picks for Epicurious.com.
“Last year sales of Argentine wine soared nearly 40 percent due to quality and affordability. The country’s wine sales are growing, but so is tourism. As an international judge at the recent Argentina Wine Awards, I was impressed by the number of American wine tourists. Wineries are within easy reach of Mendoza – Argentina’s wine capital – where you can stay at modern hotels and visit spots like The Vines of Mendoza, a unique tasting facility pouring 90 boutique wineries’ brands.
Can’t make it down to experience this hot spot? May’s picks offer a virtual visit.”
Check out her suggestions and also be sure to visit The Vines of Mendoza Online Store for wine selections that you can’t find at your local wine store or supermarket! Viva el Malbec! (And Torrontes, and Bonarda, and Sauv Blanc, and Cab Sauv…)
