Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Domaine Nico Grand Mere opens with red cherry and strawberry fruit aromas. As it opens up, a little black fruit combined with a spicy character of black pepper and cinnamon. Medium acidity with horizontal mouth.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Attractive violets and spicy cherries with a wealth of richness, good fragrance and detail. There’s a very seductive feel to the fine, juicy palate with succulent red cherries and spicy blueberries, holding fresh. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Grand Mère Pinot Noir shows more ripeness than its siblings, with notes of red cherries and spices. It's juicy and fresh, quite straightforward, pleasant and easy to drink. There is a touch of spicy oak here that makes it quite attractive. This comes from Villa Bastías.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
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.