Winemaker Notes
This Bonarda shows a deep violet color with bluish reflections. The nose is intense and complex. Intense aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberries, raspberries, black cherries, chocolate and liquor, with some spicy notes of fresh herbs provided by the Cabernet Franc appear. The taste has a sweet impact with silky tannins and aromas of ripe black and red fruits with notes of licorice and vanilla. Its natural acidity is refreshing. By its concentration and complexity the finish is long and persistent. Enjoy this wine alongside roast lamb, empanadas, and light pastas dishes. Blend: 85% Bonarda, 15% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A medium-to full-bodied red with aromas of blackcurrants, stewed blackberries, licorice and ash. Firm, creamy tannins and a plush, velvety texture. Very typical for a bonarda.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The aromatic and floral 2018 Bonarda also has 15% Cabernet Franc blended with the Bonarda, which might explain the very different profile when tasted next to the other four single-vineyard Bonardas. It's very fresh, herbal and fine-grained, very elegant and with some fine tannins. The Bonarda comes from El Mirador in Rivadavia but feels completely different from the bottling of the pure Bonarda from the same vintage. It matured in ancient oak vats for 15 months.
Rating: 92+ -
Wine Spectator
Big, rich and well-spiced, with structured dark fruit flavors that feature dried savory spice accents. Underbrush notes line the minerally finish.
Bonarda is a name given to a handful of distinct grape varieties, mainly growing in Italy and in Argentina. In Lombardy’s Oltrepò Pavese and Emilia Romagna’s Colli Piacentini zones, the grape called Bonarda is actually Croatina. In Novara, Bonarda Novarese, often blended with Spanna (Nebbiolo), is actually Uva Rara. DNA profiling shows that most of the Bonarda in Argentina is actually identical to California’s Charbono—and Charbono is actually the Douce Noire grape from Savoie. Somm Secret—Bonarda Piemontese, an aromatic variety, is the only true Bonarda. Before phylloxera, it covered 30% of Piedmontese vineyard acreage.
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.