SA Cabernet
March 06, 2007
My customers are the best! Really, you should be
commended for your open-mindedness and willingness to try the new wines I have
been suggesting. For you, variety and diversity are the spice of
life.....and feed your passion to learn about wine on your own
terms. Yes, believe it! Everyday we open a bottle of wine, we
can make a conscious decision to explore the wine producing terroirs
of the world. Traveling vicariously through fine wine....maybe a new
motto!
You are probably suffering from a little South
American burnout about now. I think it is safe to say in wine
thought...Argentina and Malbec have become synonymous. But last week
I mentioned how winemakers in Argentina's Mendoza region have
been experimenting very successfully with many Malbec based blends.
For instance, Carlos Puenta's
signature 2003 Vistalba Corte
B is a perfect example of a majority led
Malbec, harmoniously blended with 3 other varietals (except for the
Bonarda)....kind of an Argentine "meritage". It sold out at the tasting
bar last Saturday, but I have another (final) 7.5 cases arriving this
week. Underrated by the Wine Spectator at only 90 points....the
editors should have judged it with some "melt in your mouth" grilled
beef!! I promised to pour it again this Saturday.
That said, here's a revelation for you!! Most
Americans are not willing to accept the fact that Argentina knows how
to make great Cabernet Sauvignon too. I knew that might get your
attention! Kind of like stepping on the toes of some other great
wine producing regions!! What? No reviews or ratings yet to
check for any comparisons? NO, you need to try for yourself!! And
guess what....save some $$$!!
I could find no better example than
the 2003 Luigi Bosca's GALA
II. Not a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon,
as some purist would require. Rather, it is a classic
Bordeaux blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5%
Merlot. These grapes were specially selected from three different
estate vineyards within Mendoza's "honey pot" Lujan de Cuyo region:
Vistalba, Carrodilla, and Los Compuertas. This wine is carefully blended
to showcase the outstanding attributes of each grape's true varietal
character without sacrificing the contributing unique terroir. I
remember our first night in Buenos Aires when we had a splendid alfresco
dinner at Katrine's overlooking the dikes in the new Puerto Madero
district. There we enjoyed our first encounter with the lucious
GALA I. After dinner, we had the pleasure of meeting
the chef, as well as a Buenos Aires wine merchant from a neighboring
table. Both were impressed with our selection, but the merchant
nudged me and said in excellent English, "If you are lucky enough to find the
GALA II, the Cabernet Franc
component makes it a very special wine not to miss"! So for
the next two weeks, every lunch and every dinner we looked for the GALA II with no luck, until we dined at
Francis Mallmann's 1884 restaurant (recently voted the 7th best
restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine) in the Godoy
Cruz district of Mendoza. We paid 183 pesos ($61 American
dollars) for this very memorable bottle that married perfectly with
the outdoor wood burning oven roasted kid goat. And then, I knew our
new wine merchant friend had done me a great favor and established his
credibility!! Now it's my turn!! I have commandeered
what are to be the very last bottles in the US
market.....and will share them with you at only $32.95 a bottle.
DO NOT DELAY!
ORDER NOW!
2003 Carlos Puenta Vistalba - Corte B -
$23.95 NET
42% Malbec, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Bonarda, 10%
Merlot. Twelve months in medium toast new French oak. Great texture,
concentration and flash! Mocha and
blackfruits.
2003- Luigi
Bosca GALA 2 - $32.95 NET
Unfiltered - Cabernet Sauvignon 80% Cabernet Franc 15%
Merlot 5% - 14 months new French oak. Mesmerizes with its cache
of spicy, exotic Cabernet Franc perfume.
Black fruits in total harmony and
balance. Serious, with a long and steady
finish.
Yes, the good news! The burros have
arrived with the 03 Familia Cassone Malbec Reserva Obra
Prima.....the reorders are already beginning. We expect another
pallet in early April..... Let us know if you wish to be included!!
If you missed
this serendipitous travel adventure
> http://www.thewineconsultant.com/newsletter/277
HEADS UP!!! This Saturday, among other great
wines, I will have the Montes "Purple Angel" (ultra premium Carmenere/Petit
Verdot blend) from Apalta Valley - Colchagua Valley, Chile open at the tasting
bar - $62.95. > http://www.thewineconsultant.com/wine/984
Stay tune world travelers! For your reference,
we will be e-mailing a list of recommended links to hotels,
tour/destinations, restaurants, tasting bars, and wineries visited on our recent
trip to Argentina and Chile.
Eric Stumpf
The Wine Consultant
8039 Greenback Lane
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
(916) 721-WINE (9463)
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