When you find a special wine you become excited that you have discovered a new wine that you were never aware of. When you find several wines from the same winemaker, well you become a fan. A selection of small production wines with classic European wine making and Argentina terroir made for exciting and lasting wine tasting. Headlined as “wines the were made from a miracle” and along with from “no man’s land” these unique small production wines were worthy to savor not just to taste. Marcelo Victoria, winemaker presented four wines for our group tasting along with a his chef abilities.
Marejada Chardonnay
2015-60 cases-Mendoza is under an extreme semi-dessert kind of weather which could be compared to Arizona but laying at high altitude. Rainfall level measured in a yearly basis rarely exceeds 6 in. but in 2 years in a row, 2015 and 2016, we had an unusual rainfall level that produced Botrytis Cinerea giving us the chance to get such and extraordinary and rare wine. Fermentation process took months in a 600 liters French barrique, using native yeast. The wine didn’t go through malolactic fermentation.-Notes from the Winemakers: Marcelo Victoria andnd Giuseppe Franceschini. “Most memorable Chardonnay in many years for us. Hints of Sauturnes in style as to dried and exposed apricots with mellowness, while slowly reinforcing the Chardonnay taste” Miami Wine Club tasting notes.
MDV Malbec 2016 / MDV Syrah 2016 –166/50 cases-Pedernal Valley is among Argentina’s New Discovery. Sorrounded by mountains lays on the slopes of the Pre-Andes range. Complexity that comes from pure limestone soils diversity. The quality of the light and TLC farming produces not only original nuances but balance and elegance- notes from the Winemakers: Marcelo Victoria Region: Pedernal Valley, San Juan. Altitude:4,950 feet above sea level DV Malbec: 100% Malbec / MDV Syrah:100% Syrah
Marejada Cabernet Blend 2015-112 cases-We found a extremely old vineyard, planted back in 1918, that for some reason the owner decided to sell it to a developer. We immediately fall in love with this chance so we bought the grapes and made 2 vintages with them during 2015 and 2016. The result this extraordinary complex Cab, that comes from these old vines that only produced a ton per acre so we needed 2 plant to make one bottle of wine. We used French new oak without filtering or fining. Vines are dead but these are the late witnesses of its Glory-Notes from the Winemakers: Marcelo Victoria andnd Giuseppe Franceschini. “The Cab blend came from vines planted in, get this 1918. They are located in the rain shadow of the Andes. The winemakers of old world heritage sought out to make a wine best described as New Old World. I believe they nailed it”. @jesus_drinks_wine
Cinco Sentidos Late Harvest Malbec-83 cases-Hand picked at 34.2 Brix with a residual sugar of 128 gr / lt, deep colors aromas of ripe figs prunes and raisins. 18 Months in new and second used French and American barriques. Region Luján de Cuyo Valley, Mendoza. Altitude:2,640feet above sea levelVariety:100% Malbec
One reply on “The Right Side of the Andes- Almavin Wine Tasting with Wine Maker”
First and foremost to say thanks to you all for these delightful moments. One requires a mind free of bias to taste something and don’t pay attention to where the wines come from. I thank you all, also for that. When I imagined these wines, with my mind, I landed in an imaginary land that I’ve so-called New Old World, there the New World’s power and potential meets Old World’s elegance. Everything is possible in that no man’s land and this is just the first flights in the quest of perfection we all now is not possible to reach but still strive for it!