Winemaker Notes
Aromas of smoky oak and cherry. Mouthwatering, penetrating flavors of ripe red and black cherries, red berries. Quite rich and velvety on the palate, and finishes with just enough grip to make it a real winner with food. This is some seriously sexy Malbec.
Pairs well with grilled or smoked meats such as beef, pork, and lamb. Also complements dishes prepared with cheese or cream sauces.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Deep with lots of wild dark berries, violets, waxberries, tree bark and graphite. A full-bodied, fleshy malbec filled with juicy fruit and wild herbs in the middle. Nicely chewy and juicy. Drink or hold.
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Wine & Spirits
Tikal sources the fruit for this wine from vineyards in Paraje Altamira, aging the juice for a year in 50 percent new French and American oak. As one panelist pointed out, with intense black fruit, toasty oak notes and a luscious finish, it would make it a perfect steakhouse wine. Decadent and satisfying.
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Wine Spectator
Bold and muscular, this red boasts heavy slate, smoke and spice notes up front, which are inlaid with cassis. Unfurls around rich blackberry and plum flavors, with molasses and dusty cocoa accents. Ends with firming tannins. Drink now through 2036.
There are few wine brands that reflect the sensibilities of their owner more than Tikal. A skilled horseman, fashion designer, software developer, and book editor, Ernesto pursues all that gives pleasure in life. This hedonism (in the best sense of the word) shows through in the wines. It is a style meant to provide enormous pleasure rather than provoke contemplation; an expression of emotion rather than intellect. He has named his wines with passion in mind: Patriota (Patriot), Corazon (Heart), Amorio (Love Affair), Jubilo (Rejoice).
Luis Reginato is the winemaker at Tikal as of the 2002 vintage. Luis is young, but is already a highly trained and respected vineyard consultant and winemaker with long experience at his family's winery in Mendoza. Truly an up and coming talent, Luis and his wines are already garnering high praise from U.S. wine critics. Definitely a winemaker to watch.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.