Winemaker Notes
This wine has a dark and intense color. The nose reveals aromas of dark fruit such as blackcurrant and blueberry. On the palate, the wine is well-balanced with a good concentration and persistent freshness. The ripe and well-integrated tannins contribute to the harmonious feel of this wine. The finish is smooth with subtle notes of oak.
Blend: 76% Malbec, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Made by the Catena Zapata and Rothschild families with grapes from Paraje Altamira, Caro 2018 is an exquisite assemblage of 76% Malbec and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18 months in barrels made by Domaine Rothschild in Pauillac. Thanks to an excellent season, offers extraordinary elegance with its aromas of dark fruit, mountain herbs, violets and lavender. Velvety in feel with an inviting texture, good freshness and polished tannins.
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James Suckling
Beautiful, complete aromas of currants, sweet tobacco and iodine with some crushed cement, following through to a medium to full body with fine, linear tannins and a chewy finish that lasts a long time. Finesse with structure. Give it two or three years to soften. Try after 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The harmonious, classical and elegant 2018 Caro was produced with 76% Malbec and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the two grapes feel very integrated and complementary of each other. It has a very classical vinification and élevage in French barrique for 18 months. The oak is neatly integrated and folded into the fruit, the nose is complex, clean and elegant and the palate reveals a velvety texture with juicy fruit and round tannins. It should integrate the notes from the barrel with a little more 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.