Wine & Spirits - February 2017 - 73


IMPORTED NEW RELEASES
90 | Catena Zapata

$52

90 | Mascota Vineyards

$15

2013 Mendoza Catena Alta Historic Rows
Cabernet Sauvignon ^ A gentle expression of
cabernet sauvignon, this comes from vines
planted in the 1980s in the sandy soils of
Agrelo. It melts into the palate, with sweet,
ripe flavors spreading into every corner of
the mouth. Pair with meat empanadas. § The
Winebow Group, NY
118797
2015 Mendoza La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ From a 40-year-old vineyard in Cruz de Piedra, in the heart of Maipú,
this is tight and intense, with savage tannins
ripping through flavors of dark cherries and
cloves. The texture asks for something meaty.
Try this succulent red with rosemary braised
leg of lamb. § Saranty Imports, Harrison, NY

PETIT VERDOT
119692

93 | Zolo

$40

2012 Mendoza Black Petit Verdot ^ Traditionally petit verdot is part of a blend, but
in Argentina there is a trend toward bottling
it on its own. At Zolo, a winery launched by
Patricia Ortiz in 2004, former Château Pétrus
winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet works as a
consultant with winemaker Fabian Valenzuela on this bottling, pulling the fruit from a
vineyard at 3,444 feet in Alto Agrelo. It has
all the herbal and black-cherry characteristics of the grape, as well as its firm net of tannins to hold up all those juicy fruit flavors.
Touches of earth give it some complexity and
extra charm. Enjoy it with something spicy
and meaty, like a Cajun jambalaya, or cellar
it for the next five years to let it mellow. § Vino
Del Sol, Corralitos, CA

RED BLENDS
119625

95 | Teho

$79

2014 Mendoza El Corte Tomal Vineyard ^
Viticulturist Alejandro Sejanovich discovered
a vineyard planted in 1945 in La Consulta, in
the Uco Valley. He's been working since 2003
to bring it back into healthy shape, and this
wine shows that his work has paid off. This
is a field blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon with a smattering of carignan and other
varieties-even white ones such as semillon-in the mix. The wine exudes bright, floral red fruit flavors, feeling simple at first-
but take a moment to note how the acidity
plays a major role, expanding those lovely
flavors, unveiling the earthy notes and the
spices hidden within them. A wine to decant
for game. § Vino del Sol, Corralitos, CA
119413

94 | Norton

$26

2014 Mendoza Privada (Best Buy) ^ Privada,
Norton's flagship, used to be a big wine, concentrated in ripe fruit and well oaked, but
this new vintage shows a new direction for
the company, one of the largest producers
in Argentina. A blend of 40 percent malbec,
30 percent merlot and 30 percent cabernet
sauvignon from different areas of Mendoza,
this is crunchy and vibrant in its ripe red fruit
flavors, the mineral tones giving it depth and
dimension. Radiant and young, with firm
tannins and acidity, it will stand up well to
grilled steak with chimichurri sauce. § Guarachi Wine Partners, Woodland Hills, CA
119113

94 | Tapiz

$30

2012 Mendoza San Pablo Vineyard Selección de Barricas Reserve ^ Despite the
warmth of 2012 in Mendoza, this is a vibrant,
refreshing red. A blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec with merlot, syrah and cabernet franc, it's grown at one of the highest
points in the Uco Valley, the relatively cool
temperatures allowing for a fresh dimension.
Cabernet sauvignon's sweet cassis fruit and
minty notes dominate while malbec shows
its violet and cherry notes with a flamboyant energy. It deserves a decade in the cellar
to reveal its complexities. § Vino del Sol, Corralitos, CA
118935

94 | Zorzal

$110

2012 Tupungato Valley Piantao ^ Winemaker Juan Pablo Michelini believes in the
potential of cabernet franc on the chalky
soils of Gualtallary-he likes how the soils
and the cool breezes coming down from the
Andes accent the grip of the variety's tannins
and its herbal notes. Here he combines franc
(90 percent of the blend) with malbec, cabernet and syrah, giving a wine with blackberry
juiciness spiced with herbs and black pepper. Tense with crunchy acidity and a long,
refreshing finish, it's a radiant expression of a
Gualtallary red. Time in the bottle will give it
new dimensions. § Brazos, Brooklyn, NY
118785

93 | Luigi Bosca

$169

2011 Luján de Cuyo Icono ^ Luigi Bosca's
flagship wine is sourced from the winery's
best and oldest vines (90 years old) at Finca
Los Nobles in Las Compuertas, the highest
spot in Luján de Cuyo. It's a classic Mendoza
red, a blend of malbec (55 percent) and cabernet sauvignon that delivers chestnut and
cassis aromas with flavors of dried fruit
and sweet spice. The wine tannic structure
remains firm and severe, predicting that this
will require a decade in the cellar to evolve. §
Frederick Wildman and Sons, NY

119764

93 | Caro

$63

92 | Chakana

$27

92 | Decero

$33

92 | Lamadrid

$20

2014 Mendoza ^ This joint venture between
Bordeaux's Domaines Barons de Rothschild
(Lafite) and Catena in Mendoza is now in its
fifteenth vintage; it's always a blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon. For this latest
release, winemaker Fernando Bucema relied
on malbec from old vines in Las Compuertas, a stony soil at the highest point in Luján
de Cuyo, and blended it with 35 percent
cabernet sauvignon from Altamira, in Valle
de Uco. The result is explosive in red fruit,
rich in malbec's violet tones as well as the
cassis of high-altitude cabernet. Still young,
it needs two to three years to gain in flavor
detail. § Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, NY
119769
2015 Mendoza Estate Selection Red Blend ^
A 60/40 blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon, this wine's fruit gains its freshness
and floral notes from a high-altitude, coolclimate site. Texturally round, it has a lovely,
creamy texture, with spices all over the palate. A charming flowery finish adds complexity. Think of grilled pork tenderloin to
go with it. § Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA
119088
2014 Agrelo Remolinos Vineyard The
Owl & the Dust Devil ^ Decero bases all its
wines on fruit from Remolinos, a vineyard
in the highest part of Agrelo. This bottling is
based on malbec (43 percent), which sets out
a lovely layer of violet-scented cherry fruit,
while cabernet sauvignon, tannat and petit
verdot provide firmness and flavor detail. A
complex wine to pour with rosemary-braised
lamb. § Vintus, Pleasantville, NY
119340
2015 Agrelo Las Vertientes Benchmark
(Best Buy) ^ Malbec provides this wine's bright
red fruit, while cabernet sauvignon delivers
gripping tannins. This is a fruity style, bolstered by some bonarda in the blend, but the
firm structure of tannins and acidity balances
it, the flavors lasting in seductive harmony. §
Vino del Sol, Corralitos, CA
WINE & SPIRITS

FEBRUARY 2017

73
http://www.pasternakwine.com/brand/bodegas-caro/
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - February 2017
