Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of dried berries, currants, dried lemon zest, nutmeg, tobacco and earth. Cherries, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Intensely flavorful with plenty of dark spice and a juicy finish. Beautiful, linear and bright character. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I find beautiful aromatics in the 2019 Grand Mère Pinot Noir, a single-vineyard Pinot Noir from vines planted at 1,120 meters in altitude in Tupungato. All wines are delicate and perfumed, produced in a very careful way and aged in used barrels to avoid interferences with oak. This is truly impressive and floral with citrus freshness, a classic and elegant Pinot Noir, with red fruit, such as cherry and strawberry, aromas, grainy tannins and natural acidity. The name honors Laura Catena's grandmother.
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Wine Enthusiast
Dr. Laura Catena chose high-altitude vineyards planted two decades ago in Tupungato, Uco Valley for this flavorful Pinot Noir. The nose displays cinnamon, vanilla bean and a touch of aniseed. Fine tannins and balancing acidity provide a good frame for notes of black tea, bay leaf, ripe plum and wild cherries, with a touch of salt and oak spices.
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.