Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Dos Aguas red is 50% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec, aged for 21 months in mostly used French oak. It comes in at 13.5% alcohol. At the reasonable end of the price scale, this focused red blend is well done and a bargain. Showing fine concentration relative to its level and its region, it adds some complexity of flavor, including a hint of beef and black fruit. The fruit is nicely supported by moderately ripe tannins. This slowly awakens with air. As the fruit emerges, the blend demonstrates a brighter, fresher feel and the flavors become more expressive. This seems refined, sophisticated and understated, a bit cool, but carefully constructed. If this were released now (early March), I'd tell you to wait a few months more, but, sourced from 21 and 22-year-old vines, this will not be released until September 2017. By then, it should be in good shape. Finally, I do wonder if this will hold form over a decade or so—that is my only hesitation. I'm still leaning up just now. For the moment, it is very impressive and it over-delivers.
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.
A far-reaching peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the city of New York, the Long Island appellation includes The Hamptons and North Fork AVAs. With a maritime climate and conditions not unlike that in Bordeaux, the region excels in the production of Bordeaux varieties, namely Merlot and Cabernet Franc.