BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast

TORRONTÉS
88
Recuerdo 2011 Torrontés (La Rioja). Vanilla
cookies, peach and nectarine aromas work
the opening. In the mouth, there’s a nice and even flow
of acidity and pulpy tropical fruits. Flavors of tangerine,
melon and lychee are authentic and well balanced,
while the finish is musky, fresh and confirms the wine’s
high quality. Blackbird Vineyards. —M.S.
abv: 13% Price: $15
87
Colomé 2011 Torrontés (Calchaqui Valley).
Perfectly good, but seemingly more simple
and oily than in the past. Maybe that’s just perception,
but the perception is that this is a mild, tropically
influenced wine with a fleshy body and mild aromas and
flavors of lychee, green melon and lime. Finishes short
and pithy. Hess Collection. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $15
85
Caligiore 2011 Grazioso Made with Organically
Grown Grapes Torrontés (Mendoza).
Mild and powdery smelling, with inviting tropical
undertones. The palate mixes flesh with freshness,
and the flavors of lychee, green melon and white pepper
are straight from the textbook. Finishes mildly bitter,
which is natural for Mendoza Torrontés. Marquee Selections.
Best Buy. —M.S.
abv: 13% Price: $10
85
Fabre Montmayou 2011 Phebus Torrontés
(Mendoza). Stalky and strained on the
nose, with a burnt-hay aroma to go with more typical
tropical fruit and lychee scents. Citrusy and basic, with
oily flavors of peach and apple. Chunky on the back end,
with heat on the finish W.J. Deutsch & Sons. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $12
84
Espuela del Gaucho 2011 Gaucho Spur
Torrontés (Mendoza). Typically fragrant,
with floral aromas vying with mildly green notes of
lime and lychee. Feels tangy and downright citric, with
lemon, orange, lime and green apple flavors. Cleansing
and acidic on the finish, with lemony snap. Winery Exchange.
—M.S.
abv: 13% Price: $13
WHITE BLENDS
86
Alfredo Roca 2011 Roca Chenin Blanc-
Chardonnay (San Rafael). Basic apple and
straw aromas are not that intense but are, at the very
least, open and clean. Feels easygoing and nice, with
acidity giving it a lift. Tastes dry, with white pepper dust
mixed with tropical fruit flavors. Turns more stalky and
waxy on the finish. Hand Picked Selections. Best Buy.
—M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $11
85
Aconga 2011 Chenin Blanc-Chardonnay
(Mendoza). Floral and citrusy smelling, with
a lightness of being. Feels equally lean and light in the
mouth, with fresh, floral flavors revolving around lychee
and lime. Tropical and basic on the finish, with an
easygoing way about it. Winery Exchange. Best Buy.
—M.S.
abv: 12.5% Price: $9
42 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MONTH 2012
SPARKLING WINES
85
Hom NV Extra Brut (Mendoza). A little
sweet on the nose, with powdered sugar, vanilla
and white fruit aromas. Feels foamy but just fresh
enough, with apple, melon and controlled stalky flavors.
Finishes with dry apple notes. Good for Argentine sparkling;
70% Chardonnay and 30% Chenin Blanc. Mistica
Wines LLC. —M.S.
abv: 12.3% Price: $15
84
Coiron 2011 Extra Brut Chardonnay
(Mendoza). Smells clean and mild, with peach
and apple aromas. Rather foamy and rough feeling, with
tangy flavors of stone fruits, green apple and pineapple.
Light, juicy and fruity on the finish, but basic. Made
from 100% Chardonnay using the Charmat method.
Mistica Wines LLC. —M.S.
abv: 12.5% Price: $13
80
Hom NV Rosé Malbec (Mendoza). Oxidized
aromas are not inviting. After the doughy,
yeasty opening, the palate deals oxidized flavors of bitter
and sweet red plum. Bitter on the finish; barely worth a
look. Mistica Wines LLC. —M.S.
abv: 12.6% Price: $17
ROSÉS
86
Pulenta Estate 2011 La Flor Malbec Rosé
(Mendoza). Fresh and a little confected-smelling,
then more citrusy and snappy in the mouth, with
pink grapefruit and citrusy flavors that make your lips
pucker and your palate come alive. Crisp, zesty and well
done for Argentine rosé. Paul Hobbs Wines. —M.S.
abv: 13% Price: $14
82
Zorzal 2010 Malbec Rosé (Tupungato).
Pasty and powdery smelling, with a flat, dullfeeling
palate. Tastes sweet, fleshy and candied in
front of a sugary finish with cotton candy flavors. Too
sweet and simple to be taken more seriously. Delectatio
Wines. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $15
80
Piattelli 2010 Premium Rosé of Malbec
(Luján de Cuyo). Cloudy to the eye, with
strained aromas of sauerkraut and barnyard animal.
Feels heavy and tastes rustic, with burnt, stalky, anonymous
flavors. Shows bitterness and stalky flavors on the
finish. Vinocopia. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $16
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
88
Santa Julia 2011 + Cabernet Sauvignon
(Mendoza). For full review see page 11. Best
Buy.
abv: 13% Price: $10
88
Viña Cobos 2010 Felino Cabernet Sauvignon
(Mendoza). Sweet oak on the nose
results in creamy, chocolaty aromas, along with herbal
notes, plum and berry. Feels tight but expansive, with
solid tannins, bright acids and solid flavors of herbs, ber-
ry fruit, cassis, toast and chocolate. Keeps it together on
the finish. Paul Hobbs Wines. —M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $20
87
Finca Decero 2009 Remolinos Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon (Agrelo). Standard
cherry and plum aromas create a straightforward bouquet.
The feel is hot and choppy, but there’s enough
body and balance for it to weigh in properly. Tastes of
sweet cassis, kirsch and creamy chocolate, with an oaky
finish containing cocoa notes. Vintus LLC. —M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $22
87
Lamadrid 2010 Single Vineyard Cabernet
Sauvignon (Agrelo). Bright berry aromas
are comported and good. Feels driving and forward,
because of its bold acidity and choppy tannins,
but tastes nice and dark, with blackberry and cassis flavors.
There’s a controlled burn to the finish, and overall
the wine seems healthy. Vino Del Sol. —M.S.
abv: 13.7% Price: $18
87
Riglos 2009 Gran Cabernet Sauvignon
(Tupungato). Fiery smelling at first, with aromas
of mint, raw oak, coconut and baked berry fruits.
Feels rich almost to the point of syrupy, with spicy, lightly
green flavors infiltrating the core of cassis and berry.
Finishes herbal and stalky, with a lingering green flavor.
Paul Hobbs Wines. —M.S.
abv: 14.7% Price: $32
87
Santa Julia 2011 Organica Made With Organic
Grapes Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza).
Pure and inviting, with a touch of char and minerality
to go with basic plum and berry aromas. Feels
good and grabby, with flavors of sweet blackberry, cassis,
butter and molasses. Creamy, jammy and uncomplicated
on the finish. Winesellers Ltd. Best Buy. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $11
86
Benegas 2009 Libertad Vineyards Cabernet
Sauvignon (Mendoza). Heavy and
brooding, which makes sense seeing that it weighs in at
15% abv. So while it’s not exactly ringing with freshness
and agility, it scores points for its full-bodied black plum
and blackberry flavors, and the oak is well applied. A bit
warm and baked, but still good. Vias Imports. —M.S.
abv: 15% Price: $14
86
Maipe 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza).
A little fiery and forced on the nose, but
its wild berry and charred aromas it’s solid. Feels full
and stacked, with plum, cassis, pepper and a mild green
element. Smooth in feel on the finish, but herbal tasting.
Kysela Père et Fils. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $13
85
Tango Reàl 2008 Gran Reserva Cabernet
Sauvignon (San Rafael). It opens with
raisin and stewed aromas, so its freshness is questionable.
In the mouth, it’s actually round, subtle and fairly
well structured, with oaky vanilla accenting lightly herbal
berry and cassis flavors. Herbal as well on the finish,
with a lasting flavor of coffee. Tango LLC. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $25
85
Tapiz 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza).
Opens with a pinch of green as well