Winemaker Notes
A superb display of tasty new oak, lilac, spice, and black cherry, Finca Mirador has personality and structure.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Finca Mirador offers up a kinky nose of wild berries, brier, underbrush, and exotic spices. Already complex with superb depth and intense flavors, this is an exceptionally lengthy offering that will benefit from 3-4 years of additional bottle aging and should be at its best from 2013 to 2023.
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Wine Spectator
Superrich and still quite tight, displaying a strong charcoal and graphite spine that holds the core of dense plum skin, anise, blackberry and Black Forest cake at bay. The long, grippy finish lets Turkish coffee and licorice notes flesh out. Best from 2011 through 2015.
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.