Winemaker Notes
Pairs perfectly with stews, meat, hard cheese, grilled meat, casseroles, pasta, pizza, spicy dishes, and desserts.
Blend: 81% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Bonarda
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Tight and focused with chewy yet polished tannins and a lovely texture. Shows tension and intensity. Medium to full body. Flavorful finish. Drink now or hold.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Malbecs in this sweet spot are some of the hottest wines in the marketplace. The US market continues to buy these wines at an incredible rate. The 2015 Vistalba Corte B is an excellent wine in this category. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits beautifully ripened black fruit aromas and flavors. Its oak accent makes it even more charming and a great pairing mate with unadorned grilled beef. (Tasted: May 1, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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.