2009 Goulart Torrontes Mendoza – Torrontes grape
“Very pale, green-tinged yellow. Subtle aromas of pear, mint and white flowers, with a minerally nuance. Bright, supple and quite dry, with modest complexity but good purity to the lemon and floral flavors. A rather laid-back Torrontes that’s very easy to drink.” Rated 87 Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar
2008 O. Fournier B Crux Sauvignon Blanc Valle de Uco Mendoza – Sauvignon Blanc grape
“Pale, bright yellow. Clean, pure aromas of grapefruit, lime peel, quinine, flowers, mint and anise. Very fresh, dry and bright, conveying an almost salty impression of extract. In a bracing yet tactile style, with a gripping finish that shows refreshing citrus pith flavors and a touch of minerality. This has been a consistently excellent Sauvignon Blanc in recent vintages.” Rated 89 by Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar
2007 Lamadrid Bonarda Reserva Mendoza – Bonarda grape
Bonarda is a grape that was widely planted in Argentina before Malbec stole the show, but was mostly used for unexciting bulk wine. While many winemakers ruthlessly pulled up all their Bonarda to make room for the Malbec boom, a few forward-thinkers like the Durigutti brothers (creators of this bottling), decided to work on crafting great wine from their beloved Bonarda grape as well. Slightly lighter and juicier than Malbec, Bonarda is easy-drinking, mellow and food-friendly…and just may be the next “big thing” out of Argentina. “Bright ruby-red. Black fruits and dark chocolate on the slightly inky nose, with a whiff of violet providing lift. At once silky and strong in acidity, with very good intensity and a light touch to the extremely primary flavors of dark berries, licorice and menthol. A very polished Bonarda with atypical perfume for the variety. Relies as much on its acids as on its tannins for structure. I was reminded of a Barbera or Dolcetto made in tank.” Rated 88 International Wine Cellar
2008 Urban Uco Malbec-Tempranillo Uco Valley – Blend of Malbec and Tempranillo grapes
“The 2008 Tempranillo (50%)-Malbec (50%) has an intriguing bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, violets, and ground coffee. Ripe, layered, and sweetly-fruited, this flavorful wine over delivers in a big way. Drink it over the next 5 years.” Rated 90 The Wine Advocate
2007 Bodegas Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza – Malbec grape
“The purple-colored 2007 Catena Malbec spent 12 months in 35% new French and American oak. The nose reveals balsam wood, vanilla, mocha, cassis, and black cherry. Plush on the palate, this medium-bodied Malbec has layered, spicy flavors, with a touch of tobacco and leather making an appearance. Balanced and lengthy, it will evolve for 2-3 years and offer prime drinking from 2011 to 2019. Bodegas Catena-Zapata remains the reference point for Argentina wines.” Rated 91+ Wine Advocate
2003 Achaval Ferrer Quimera Mendoza – Blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes
“A blend of 40% Malbec, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc; this spent a year on its fine lees and was bottled without fining or filtration) Saturated ruby. Blackberry pie, black cherry, licorice and spice cake on the nose. Juicy, primary and sweet, with very ripe, intense black fruit flavors. Firm acids give the wine a penetrating, slightly clenched quality. Very pure and focused, but still youthfully tight. Much sweeter and stronger than the basic ’04 Malbec but in need of a couple years of cellaring. Italian enologist Roberto Cipresso is a partner here and in charge of winemaking; he has been instrumental in creating single-vineyard Malbec bottlings to discover how this variety expresses its terroir in various sites. This fruit is picked two or three weeks before the rest, notes Santiago Achaval, which enables the wine to keep very good acidity.” Rated 89 International Wine Cellar