Winemaker Notes
Deep red color with violet hints. Dark fruits and exotic spices with tobacco and mocha hints. Elegant, well balanced, harmonious, long persistence with chocolate flavors.
Blend: 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Red Blend Estate Selection is a blend of 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc (from Paraje Altamira, Gualtallary and Los Chacayes, respectively, all in the Uco Valley) and was 40% aged in used barrels and a third in foudres. Purple in the glass. The expressive nose presents notes of fresh fruit such as cherry and blackcurrant accompanied by herbs and a whiff of ash. In the mouth, it’s compact with a refined expression in which the freshness wins out before the long, fruity finish. Will improve in the bottle.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Estate Selection Red Blend was produced with 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc with 14% alcohol. It matured in 225- and 500-liter French barriques and oak vats for one year. It has aromas of violets, herbal notes and sweet spices, and the palate reveals good freshness and abundant, slightly dusty tannins.
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.