Winemaker Notes
Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Malbec.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2011 Cobos Volturno is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Malbec from the oldest ungrafted Malbec vines and 16-year-old Cabernet from the Marchiori vineyard in Perdriel (Lujan de Cuyo) fermented in inox and aged in new Taransaud oak barrels for 18 months. The wine shows very young, a little backward and reticent in the nose, where it takes some time to appreciate notes of black cherries, creamy oak, vanilla and sweet spices. The full-bodied palate shows a combination of the round, sweet tannins from the Malbec and the more austere ones from the Cabernet, with supple fruit, and a long, intense finish. A powerful Cabernet rounded by the Malbec. If you like powerful, concentrated wines, this is one of the best. Drink 2016-2025
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Wine Spectator
This dense red exhibits a creamy edge to the dark cassis, plum pudding, licorice and spice box notes. Mouthcoating yet fresh, with silky tannins marking the long, smoky finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Drink now through 2020.
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James Suckling
A very aromatic and floral red with rose petal, violet, delicate chocolate. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and extreme finesse and depth. Wonderful wine
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.