Rutini Merlot 2010
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2002-
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Spectator
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From the start, Felipe Rutini was guided by the motto “labor and perseverance”. This attitude shaped the development of his wines, which became synonymous with superlative quality. In 1925 the winery began to plant vines in the Uco Valley. From those first pioneering vines, the region continued to expand its plantings and become one of the primary wine-producing areas in Mendoza.
In the 1990s, the original Bodega La Rural facilities in Coquimbito were completely renovated, incorporating cutting-edge technology into the nineteenth-century structure. Today that property houses the Bodega La Rural Wine Museum, where visitors can learn about Felipe Rutini’s first forays into wine production and witness the evolution of traditional techniques and machinery. In keeping with its founder’s drive for excellence, in 2008 construction began on a new Rutini Wines facility in Tupungato, within the Uco Valley. This is where Rutini’s top level wines, such as, Apartado, Colección Rutini, Encuentro, and Trumpeter are currently produced.
The Uco Valley vineyards comprise more than 400 hectares at an altitude of between 1,050 and 1,200 meters above sea level. An additional 120 hectares of fields that are currently being planted with vines will expand the winery’s possibilities for producing unique wines that are carefully tended to and nurtured from the very beginning.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
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.