Susana Balbo Signature Brioso Red Blend 2020
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep, bright ruby red color. Aromas of dark berries, spices and notes of vegetables, contributed mainly by the two Cabernets (Sauvignon and Franc). The fruity aromas continue in the mouth, followed by excellent tension due to its natural acidity. The other varieties provide texture and roundness to the blend. It has an elegant and lingering finish. This wine has great aging potential and can be stored for up to 20 years.
Blend: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 19% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Racy and layered with black and red fruit, black chocolate, black olives, blueberries and a mineral accent. A tangy, elegant and juicy palate, rounded by dusty tannins that melt into the fruit. Long and refined. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 23% malbec, 19% cabernet franc and 6% petit verdot. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The nose of the 2020 Brioso transports me directly to Agrelo and to a warmer year when tasting it next to other wines from cooler vintages in the Valle de Uco. It's therefore more classical, with the floral Lujan de Cuyo aromas of violets and herbs from the varieties—52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 19% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. It achieved 14.5% alcohol and matured in new barriques for 15 months, which lent it abundant tannins and some oak aromas and flavors that are going to require some more time in bottle to be melted. Best After 2024
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Wine Spectator
Offers a deep base of violet and spice flavors that meld with a generous, juicy core of blackberry, plum and cassis elements, which lengthen nicely around fine herb–laced tannins and hints of cocoa powder on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2033.
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Wine Enthusiast
All grapes for this blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 19% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot were sourced from Susana Balbo’s estate in Agrelo. It’s lively with elegant acidity and plush tannins. Aromas of cherry, raspberry, licorice and rosemary rise from the glass. This wine has a core of redfruit flavors wrapped in light notes of green bell pepper and coffee.
Other Vintages
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Susana Balbo graduated from Don Bosco University in Mendoza in 1981 and established herself as Argentina’s first female enologist and, since then, has been considered one of Argentina’s top winemakers. Three times her industry peers elected her to the Presidency of Wines of Argentina because of her work ethic, innovative winemaking techniques and dedication to the worldwide success of Argentine wine.
After working for twenty years as a consulting winemaker, Susana founded her own brand in 2000. In 2001, she broke ground for her winery in Agrelo in the Luján de Cuyo district of Mendoza. There, she makes her Susana Balbo “Signature” line of wines, as well as wines under the Crios, Nosotros and BenMarco labels. Her winemaking approach for the wines that bear her name is to seamlessly apply her human touch and enhance the grape’s innate character.
Over several decades of winemaking in Argentina, Susana has earned a reputation for a pioneering spirit and innovation. She is known for experimenting with various barrel sizes and aging regimens, fermentation of wine in egg-shaped concrete fermenters, and wild yeast fermentations. The Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez dubbed her groundbreaking barrel-fermented Torrontés one of the “10 Argentine Wines to Drink before You Die.”
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.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.