Winemaker Notes
#39 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2024
Deep red ruby with dark tones. Aromas of sweet spices, roasted red pepper, clove and black chocolate. On the palate it is balanced and juicy with sweet tannins and long finish.
Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 1% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Robust and lush notes of Bing cherry, black pepper, and cigar leaf create a profile that's more athletic than muscular in this magnetic blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, and 1% Syrah. Chocolate-covered violets are succulent on the lengthy finish.
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James Suckling
This almost-Bordeaux-style blend includes 72% cabernet sauvignon, 21% cabernet franc, 5% malbec and 2% syrah. It offers deep, dark black cherries, blueberries, umami and subtle savory notes on a mouth-filling, moderately tannic texture. Great structure comes with a lively through-line of acidity. It’s hearty and sophisticated at the same time.
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Wine Spectator
A medium-bodied red, with a graphite and cigar box underpinning to the generous core of plum and cassis, which lengthens around fresh acidity, adding notes of dried sage and anise on the long finish around precise tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Syrah. Drink now through 2036.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Cocodrilo Corte is composed of fruit from Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley and aged for 15 months in 40% new French oak. It opens with a harmonious nose of red and black fruits with accents of dried herbs, tobacco and coffee beans, followed by a supple, polished texture and a fresh, pleasantly drying finish. It's a blend of 72% Cabernet, 22% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 1% Syrah.
Viña Cobos makes wines that are authentic expressions of the terroir from which they come. Paul Hobbs, founding partner and winemaker at Viña Cobos, has worked since 1988 in the exploration of the different terroirs of Mendoza, looking for the most distinguished regions in Luján de Cuyo and the Valle de Uco, to produce wines that uniquely express their origins.
Sustainable farming methods in the vineyard contribute to consistent yields of healthy fruit. In the winery, careful treatment of the grapes and meticulous winemaking techniques result in complex and elegant wines of subtlety and balance.
With the inaugural vintage of Cobos Malbec in 1999, Viña Cobos marked a milestone in viticulture, defying existing standards and firmly positioned Malbec and Argentina on the international wine scene. Since then, our prestigious wines have been recognized around the globe by critics and consumers alike.
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.