Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Decero bases all its wines on fruit from Remolinos, a vineyard in the highest part of Agrelo. This bottling is based on malbec (43 percent), which sets out a lovely layer of violet-scented cherry fruit, while cabernet sauvignon, tannat and petit verdot provide firmness and flavor detail. A complex wine to pour with rosemary-braised lamb.
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James Suckling
Perfumed and juicy with blackberry and cherry character. Medium body, firm tannins and a silky and refined finish. A blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and tannat.
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Wine Enthusiast
This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Tannat is rich yet it well balanced. Its jammy berry aromas are creamy but also a touch reedy. On the palate, dark black fruit flavors show their herbal, peppery side. It finishes plush. Drink through 2021.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and well-structured, with loads of minerality to the pepper-accented dried raspberry and red plum flavors. Hazelnut details linger on the plush, cream-filled finish. Drink now through 2020.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Refined in the tradition of a Bordeaux blend, the 2014 Finca Decero Owl & The Dust Devil exhibits a firm elegance on the palate. The wine's classic black fruit and savory earth flavors would be a beautiful match with a rare ribeye topped with finely diced shallots. (Tasted: December 1, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
The estate has followed an 'amano,' or 'by hand,' approach that is sensitive to natural differences, sustainable, and human. Their philosophy is to tread lightly in an environment they have come to know intimately, almost inch-by-inch, and allow the unique natural attributes of the Remolinos vineyard and of Agrelo shine to through in the wines. The vineyard at the estate is named "Remolinos" after the tiny whirlwinds in the area that thread their way along the vines, keeping the grapes dry and in perfect condition. The 110 hectare estate was planted in 2000 to Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot (unusual for Argentine producers) and Tannat. All the Decero wines come from this single vineyard, all from hand-picked fruit.
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.
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.