Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Incredible color-you could use it in an inkwell! Dense and concentrated but never loses its ability to exude the red and black fruits and spice that are the true expression of Malbec in Mendoza. This is a huge wine that is a blend of old-vine grapes from 3 of Mendoza's most respected growers, located in three different districts. Only 4 barrels produced. While you certainly could drink this now, it will improve considerably with 3-5 years in the bottle.
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Wine Spectator
Exotic, with intensely concentrated but remarkably creamy fig, raspberry, boysenberry and currant fruit, seamlessly stitched with mocha and fruitcake notes. A nice bittersweet ganache twinge and a racy graphite underpinning on the finish helps keep it all honest. Very impressive. Drink now through 2015. 100 cases made.
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.
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.
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.