Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Beso de Dante is a blend of 50% Malbec and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon from La Consulta, and 5% Cabernet Franc from Altamira. It has a complex bouquet of classical aromas like tobacco, graphite and dark cherries. It has the proper ripeness of the Bordeaux varieties and here they provide for ripe aromas and a terse, vertical texture, with some gripping tannins and very good freshness and length. This is a great Bordeaux blend, in need of some bottle aging. Drink 2015-2020.
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Wine Spectator
A powerful red, with dense dried berry and dark plum flavors, supported by impressive tannins. Accents of tar and smoke mix with bittersweet chocolate notes, leading to creamy hints on the finish.
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Wine & Spirits
This focuses on the decadent, seductive sweetness of Malbec (55 percent of the blend, with 45 percent cabernet sauvignon). It's as soft as melting chocolate, covering all corners of the palate with its enveloping ripeness. Try it with a pork curry.
Laura Catena is a fourth generation winemaker who grew up in a traditional Argentine-Italian winemaking family in Mendoza. Laura splits her time between Mendoza and San Francisco, California, where she is an emergency physician, university professor and occasional tango dancer. Laura had the vision of creating a new breed of Argentine wines: small quantities, artisan quality, and true to their individual terroirs. A pioneer of small-grower relations in Mendoza, Laura's incredible, limited production wines come from some of Argentina's best fruit from low-yield, high-elevation, family-owned vineyards. The wines are named after her children - Luca, Dante and Nicola - and symbolize her love for her family. The background of the label is the McDermott coat of arms of her American husband, Daniel McDermott.
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.