Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This shows such fabulous aromas of flowers, chili, spices, minerals and licorice. Juniper. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a refined and fresh finish. 60% malbec and 40% cabernet sauvignon. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Caro is a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from Agrelo, Gualtallary and Altamira and is raised in French oak barrels (75% new). It has a very elegant bouquet of dark cherries, boysenberry and cassis fruit that marry with oak stylishly. There are touches of sandalwood and game that lie underneath and these should develop in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple tannins. It is beautifully balanced and pure, with blackberry, graphite, and cedar wood and briar. It glides across the palate towards a very focused, precise finish. Excellent. Drink 2014-2025.
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Wine Enthusiast
Caro is a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage is balanced from the beginning. Black fruit, oak, balsamic complexity and floral hints define the bouquet. The nose is backed by a firm palate with plump edges and dark, oaky flavors of blackberry, vanilla and spice. Some heat rises up on the finish; drink through 2018.
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Wine Spectator
Compact, featuring concentrated cassis, wild berry, spice box and aromatic tobacco notes wound with full yet fine tannins. Full-bodied and complex, delivering a long aftertaste of fruit and sweet spice.
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.