Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of wild blackberry, tobacco leaf, peppercorn and asphalt. It’s full-bodied with firm, tight tannins and fresh acidity. Structured and concentrated with a refreshingly cool, inky finish. Very fine tannins. Spicy clove and black pepper to the black fruit.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There were jammy notes of raspberry in the nose of the 2019 Laborde Double Select Syrah, produced with grapes from a massal selection made by Luis Laborde. It matured in French oak barrels, 35% of them new, for 12 months. It has ripe fruit and faint varietal notes of black olives and violets. It's medium-bodied, and the tannins are fine. It finishes with a faint bitter twist. 37,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020.
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.