Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fascinating aromas of ripe fruit, terracotta and iron. Full body, soft tannins and a flavorful finish. New wood is showing at the finish. Clay soil comes through here in the wine. But will come together nicely in a year or two. Malbec from the subregion of Agrelo.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Malbec Lauren's Vineyard is from a vineyard in Agrelo where the soils are a little deeper and there is a good expression of fruit. It was harvested at the same level of ripeness as the Jamilla's, but feels riper, or perhaps I should say more fruit-forward with aromas of ripe plums and dark cherries plus hedonistic touches of violets intermixed with some toasty oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied but does not feel heavy at all (I'd recommend serving this at 15 C and let the wine warm up and open up in the glass). It also has good grip and very fine tannins. It's an immediate wine, showing its character straight away.
Casarena is forging a different path from the other wineries in Mendoza. Instead of searching for undiscovered terroirs in new places like the Uco Valley, it is discovering the hidden gems in its home region of Lujan de Cuyo—a place full of rich tradition, potential, and unique micro-terroirs. Casarena has purchased as well as planted vineyards in several distinctive sites, and they control all aspects of winegrowing and winemaking in order to maximize the flavor expression of these terroirs.
The name "Casarena" is a creative merging of the Spanish words "casa" (house) and "arena (sand), and is a tribute to their restored 1930s winery made of sand-colored stone and the sandy soil that their estate is built on. All theses features gather together unbeatable height, climate and soil conditions to cultivate premium vineyards. The Wine Making team is headed by Michel Rolland.
Most distinguished and celebrated from Argentina’s Mendoza, Malbec has seen runaway success since the early 2000s. Mendoza’s agreeable, continental climate with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters allows the perfect conditions for growing outstanding Malbec. This grape is easy to like for its lusty, deep flavors and aromas of blackberry, plum, red cherry, autumn spice and tilled earth. It’s easy to find delicious, fruit-driven, affordable everyday examples and in prices beyond, quite exceptional ones with dense, supple textures that make them capable of aging.