Maipe Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
-
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
A ripe, fleshy style, with blackberry and fig sauce notes laced with bittersweet ganache. Powerful and layered, with classic Cabernet aromatics. Dark and ripe, with a nice loamy edge lurking on the finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made from 100% hand-harvested Cabernet Sauvignon, two-thirds of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve spent 12 months in French oak and one-third in concrete. It is a classic Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon from alluvial soils. Maipe owns significant acreage in two main vineyards, Agrelo and Alta Mira. Classic notes of creme de cassis, cedarwood and vanillin are accompanied by a wine with a beautiful, full-bodied texture, deep, rich, concentrated flavors and a long finish. For $15.00, it is impossible to find a Cabernet Sauvignon this good from anywhere else in the world.
Other Vintages
2017-
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Suckling
James
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
"Alberto Antonini (think Altos Las Hormigas) is a consultant at Maipe which in and of itself is an indicator that the winery is focused on quality." - Wine Advocate (Dec 08)
The wines are produced from grapes grown in Agrelo and Luján de Cuyo, in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level. Agrelo is a cool climate region in Argentina’s premier grape growing area. Each bottle captures the expression of the grape variety, showing its adaptation to the local soils and climate. The vineyard is planted with 18 hectares of Malbec and 32 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon. The soils are deep and textured, which facilitates plant development and confers great body and structure to the wines. Classified among the best areas within the province of Mendoza, year-long sunny and dry conditions permit almost organic viticulture practices. Its outstanding feature is a great daily thermal amplitude, with mild days and cold nights that allow a particular richness of polyphenols that improve the wines’ flavors and color.
Maipe was the Lord of the Winds for the ancient Andean people. Argentineans still invoke his name to clear the skies after a heavy rain or to temper the summer heat. These wines, children of the Sun and the Winds, are produced from grapes grown at the foothills of the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level. The intense color and aromas capture the expression of the soils that gave them birth.
Argentina of course is heralded for its Malbecs. But in the last two decades Cabernet Sauvignon has been drawing increased attention from winemakers there, and is now the third most planted variety. It is grown in the Mendoza region in the Andean foothills, especially in Maipú and Luján de Cuyo, at altitudes between 2300 and 3100 feet. Here the climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters. It is very dry and sometimes quite windy, with runoff from the snow-capped Andes providing irrigation. These Argentinian Cabernets offer dark fruit, spice notes, full body and often a voluptuous style.
Another source within Mendoza is the higher altitude Uco Valley, at 3300 to 5000 feet. Up at this level grapes ripen more slowly, despite the bright sun. But that enables them to develop bright acidity levels, giving the wines a fresh quality to go with intense fruit flavors. Another source of good Cabernet Sauvignon in Argentina is Cafayate, in the Calchaquí Valley. North of Mendoza, these vineyards are even higher, at about 5700 feet! These Cabernets carry notes of spice, herbs and menthol to go with dark fruit. Like those from Uco Valley, they show concentration and great vibrancy.
A few producers to look for are Catena, Viña Cobos, Pulenta and Altocedro. Salud!