Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Concentrated style with a dense palate and intense fruit, but it remains dry and rich with tension and power. Needs three years to soften. Better in 2018.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The top of the range is the 2012 Fabre Montmayou Grand Vin, a blend of a majority Malbec from Vistalba, with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This is a classical Bordeaux blend that is nicely oaked and has good concentration, flavors and aromas of cigar box, graphite, scorched earth and blackberries with plenty of spice and smoke. The palate is full-bodied with an abundance of tannins, good concentration and stuffing to age in bottle. In fact, it still needs some time to digest the effect of the élevage. This is mostly Malbec with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot from the old vineyard next to the winery that produces naturally concentrated, powerful wines. This should age into a classical red blend.
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Wine Enthusiast
With an opaque purple color and grapy, full aromas of blackberry Kool-Aid and cassis, this ripe Bordeaux blend is plump, chewy and a touch soft on the palate. Toasty but largely generic black-fruit flavors finish blackened, with a note of creosote, heat and drawing tannins.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
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.