Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Laborde Double Select Syrah (named after viticulturalist Luis Laborde and his unique vineyard) was sourced from 47-year-old ungrafted vines and aged for 14 months in 50% new French oak. Purple in color with a delectable nose of smoked meat, Asian spices, incense, blueberry, and blackberry, on the palate this layered effort is ripe, succulent, and incipiently complex. Give it 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2012 to 2024.
-
Wine Spectator
A dense, ripe Syrah, with a meaty core of macerated black plum, linzer torte and fig paste notes that display nuances of game, spice and tar. Light tannins lift the long, lingering finish.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Pretty aromatics include balsam wood, blackberry and blueberry. The palate is lush but well structured, with bullish berry, chocolate and creamy oak flavors. Minty and super spicy and long on the finish, with a lasting dark toastiness.
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.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.