Winemaker Notes
Grape Varieties: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 8% Petite Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Elegant and richly spiced, with plush flavors of dark plum, blackberry and boysenberry, flanked by plenty of dark chocolate notes. The midpalate oozes with tar, black olive and cocoa powder elements, and the tannic finish is rich with Asian spice and forest floor hints. Best after 2022.
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Wine Enthusiast
This Bordeaux-style blend is inky, reduced and heavily oaked up front, with aromas of sawdust, vanilla and jammy black fruits. Interestingly, it is somewhat sharp and shrill on the palate, with lively acidity. Flavors of raw oak, coconut, vanilla and blackberry finish savory and briny, with shearing acids and choppy tannins. Drink through 2019.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
With vineyards tretching along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains from Patagonia in the south to Salta in the north, Argentina is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic wine producing countries—and most important in South America.
Since the late 20th century vineyard investments, improved winery technology and a commitment to innovation have all contributed to the country’s burgeoning image as a producer of great wines at all price points. The climate here is diverse but generally continental and agreeable, with hot, dry summers and cold snowy winters—a positive, as snow melt from the Andes Mountains is used heavily to irrigate vineyards. Grapes very rarely have any difficulty achieving full ripeness.
Argentina’s famous Mendoza region, responsible for more than 70% of Argentina’s wine production, is further divided into several sub-regions, with Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley most noteworthy. Red wines dominate here, especially Malbec, the country’s star variety, while Chardonnay is the most successful white.
The province of San Juan is best known for blends of Bonarda and Syrah. Torrontés is a specialty of the La Rioja and Salta regions, the latter of which is also responsible for excellent Malbecs grown at very high elevation.