Winemaker Notes
The word Chimera has two different meanings, and both have an intimate relationship with this wine. In Greek mythology, the "Chimera" was a beast made up of the parts of three different animals. This is a clear connection with the fact that it is a cut wine. Still, the second meaning of the word is the one that best represents wine. A Chimera is an impossible search, the search for the unattainable. This is the mentality that everyone has in the vineyards and the winery every year when they produce this wine: without following any rules or tradition, the goal is to produce the best possible blend every year. Chimera is design and architecture, an intimate discovery, a search for perfection.
Blend: 48% Malbec, 13% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A very ripe and generous Quimera here with some mocha, ripe blackberries and baked plums. Plush, rich and generous on the juicy, medium- to full-bodied palate with a flattering finish.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Quimera was the only Malbec from the winery that wasn't 100% pure, and it now turns into a range of blends, including the original Quimera. I tasted the 2020 Quimera, when they reduced the new oak to around 60% (in 2020 there'll be around 40% only, and they also bought larger foudres) to keep the blend of varieties done before putting it in barrel, where it matured for 13 months. This is 48% Malbec, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot from many zones of Mendoza, Medrano, Lujan de Cuyo, Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos. It's dark, ripe and juicy, with 14.8% alcohol, soft and voluptuous, with the varieties nicely integrated and the oak in the background. Tasted next to the 2019s, it shows how the vintage is ripe and the tannins are not as fine-boned. This is slightly riper and more rustic, but it should get more polished with some time in bottle.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.