Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fresh and aromatic red with blackcurrant, fresh flower and light stem character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a crisp finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As with most of the high-volume cuvées, the 2016 Felino Cabernet Sauvignon mixes grapes from different origins, mainly Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco. It fermented in stainless steel vats, with 10% of the volume matured in new American oak barrels, and they also slowly introduced French barriques, for around one year. It's very varietal and pungent, with strong herbal and peppery aromas, quite classical (what comes to mind is that it feels more "European"), with less volume and more tension, good freshness and the legendary refined tannins from the variety. Clean, focused and fresh. Another wine showing good progression. 121,200 bottles produced.
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.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.