Winemaker Notes
This blend show a dense purple color, with intense aromas of red and blackberries, showing many layers of silky and round with a silky palate and soft rounded tannins with notes of blackberries, spices, truffles providing aromatic complexity for an Exquisite finish. Goes excellent with red meats, red sauces, cheeses and chocolate.
Pair with grilled meat, cheese and chocolate.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Redcurrants, spices, boysenberries and some underbrush and gentian. Medium body, fresh acidity and a fruity finish. A blend of malbec, syrah and cabernet sauvignon.
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Wine Enthusiast
A saturated purple color and dusty but concentrated blackberry and cassis aromas set up a lush palate that's stacked with fruit. Plum and berry flavors are big and fruity, while this blend of Malbec and Syrah with a touch of Cabernet is steady and smooth on a plump dark-fruit finish.
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Wine & Spirits
This is Bousquet’s flagship wine, nearly equal parts malbec and syrah with five percent cabernet sauvignon. It’s dark and plummy, the fruit fresh and vibrant despite the wine’s considerable oak influence. The peppery notes suggest a match with steak au poivre. Best Buy
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.