Zingari 2019 (Tuscany) - Wine Review

After enjoying the delicious 2018 Zingari last year, tonight's red wine review is the latest edition of this lovely Super Tuscan that arrived at the LCBO last weekend as part of the February 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Petra, a winery and estate whose modern story was conceived in the late 1990's with the intention of bringing together some of the greatest pioneers of Italian wine to create a new benchmark for Super Tuscans - wines made using international grape varieties grown and vinified on Tuscan soils. Petra is situated close to the ancient village of Suvereto, in northern Maremma of Tuscany, on the ferrous hills of the Val di Cornia where you can see as far as the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Although Petra was only conceived fairly recently, it's roots go back to 1808 when Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleone's sister, Princess of Lucca and Piombino and grand duchess of Tuscany, chose this place in Maremma to establish the first seed of an agricultural and viticultural project. Nearly two centuries later, Francesca Moretti fell in love with the history and the culture of the chateaux in Bordeaux and began studying agriculture and oenology. She eventually settled in the fertile Val di Cornia and in 1997, her father Vittorio Moretti, one of the greats of Italian wine, purchased 60 hectares in San Lorenzo and 45 hectares in Campiglia Marittima, a few kilometres from Piombino, in the Suvereto area, as the start of the contemporary project that would become Petra.

While still in university, Francesca planted her first varietals at the winery based on the terroir and her vision and favouring international varieties in the Princess Vineyard, a 5 hectare plot where Elisa Bonaparte had also planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes two centuries earlier. The vineyards of Petra are located in a pristine, "wild" part of Maremma along the Tuscan coast where biodiversity is vibrant. The vineyards are managed according to organic practices while in the process of being certified, as well as reducing environmental impact.

The Zingari wine was born as an experimental vineyard on loamy-sandy textured and slightly calcareous soils to test the attitude of its varietals: Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot. The wine traces its roots to an ancient water spring that was a stop-over for pilgrims and wayfarers who were travelling along the Aurelia Street, hence the name Zingari (aka Gypsies), and could seek refreshment by resting near by its crystal clear waters. The decision to plant not only autochthonous grape varieties, but also international varieties, was to underline and narrate the migrating nature of the wine. The grape varieties used in this wine travelled distances to finally find comfort within the water spring of Zingari! It was aged in barrels and barriques for at least 12 months, and then at least a further 3 months in bottle prior to release.

By most accounts, the 2019 growing season in Tuscany was extremely good, marked by extreme summer heat and life-saving rains which fell towards the end of July that prevented the onslaught of drought. The weather stayed fine and stable through to harvest period, raising expectations for producing some excellent wines. Let's see how this 2019 Super Tuscan is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ZINGARI 2019 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#244228) (XD) - $19.95
This Super Tuscan is a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot has clean, fragrant, medium-high intensity aromatics that deliver spicy, dried herbs, dark-black cherry, cocoa, clove, earthy mineral, and balsamic notes with impressive complexity. On the dry, chewy, medium+ to medium-full bodied palate it has ripe dark berry cherry, cassis, black plum, mineral, and dried herbs flavours with a saltiness that permeates throughout. Acids are fresh and succulent, while the supple tannins have a lightly pleasant chalky grip. Salty minerals, dark berry, cherry, sweet cassis, and cedary oak notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Better than the previous vintage and a highly recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other delicious Petra Wines can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.

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Jean-Max Roger Cuvée La Grange Dîmière Sancerre Rouge 2017 (Loire) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely Pinot Noir from Sancerre that arrived at the LCBO last weekend. It was featured as part of the theme on wines from France's top wine regions in the February 18th LCBO VINTAGES Release and is available online at lcbo.com and at Flagship Exclusive locations in Ontario.

It is produced by Jean-Max Roger, one of my favourite Loire wine producers. Jean-Max Roger is a family-owned winery that descends from a long line of winegrowers from the village of Bué, in the Sancerre appellation, dating back to the early 17th century. In the early 1970's, Jean-Max Roger took over the 4 hectares of vineyards from his parents and, with his wife Nicole, focused on developing the vineyards to become one of the top estates in Sancerre today. The Rogers family passion was transferred to their sons with Etienne and Thibault joining the family estate in 2004, while their third son, Xavier, has a passion for wine and works in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Today, the estate covers 26 hectares in the Sancerre AOC, all located along the Loire River, and together they perpetuate the family know-how and techniques to continuously improve their wines vintage after vintage.

Pinot Noir from this region in France is a bit of a rarity here in Ontario, and this particular wine seems to show up at the LCBO once every 2-3 years. I've had the pleasure of tasting previous vintages this lovely Pinot on a couple of occasions, including most recently the 2015 Jean-Max Roger Cuvée La Grange Dîmière Sancerre Rouge back in July 2020. It's name "La Grange Dîmière" refers to one of Bué's ancient tithe barns. The ancestors of Jean-Max Roger used this barn for making their wine and today it remains the oldest part of the winery.

This Sancerre Rouge is crafted with 100% Pinot Noir that was grown in various vineyards within the villages of Bué, Sancerre, and Amigny, on limestone soils called Caillottes and Terres Blanches, which are also known as Kimmeridgian marls. The vines average between 25 to 40 years old and have southwestern and southeastern exposure to the sun. Across each vineyard, the grapes were grown to reveal its terroir while revitalizing and respecting soil life. The grapes were hand-harvested, sorted, de-stemmed, and crushed, and after a few days of cold maceration it was fermented using natural yeasts. Approximately 30% of the wine was aged for 10-12 months in 400 L barrels, and the wine was aged in bottle for at least another 6 months prior to release.

From a somewhat difficult start to the growing season in 2017 that began with frosts, the fortunes turned and became picture-perfect throughout summer and allowed the grapes to full ripen. Overall, the 2017 vintage in Loire is a good one, with especially high-quality in Sancerre. Let's see how this 2017 Sancerre Rouge is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LA GRANGE DÎMIÈRE SANCERRE ROUGE 2017 - AC, Loire, France (#539858) (XD) - $33.95
100% Pinot Noir. The medium-high intensity nose has ripe, maturing, and slightly stewed strawberry, red berry, raspberry, and cranberry aromas surrounded by enticing savoury mineral, earthy, and spice notes. It's light-to-mid weighted on the dry palate with delicious strawberry-cran-cherry, raspberry, and spice flavours layered over mineral and savoury earth notes. It has very good acidity and supple, well-structured tannins and a light grip on the mid-palate. I really like the long, elegant, stony mineral and raspberry flavoured finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Only small quantities of other wines from the Jean-Max Roger portfolio are available at the LCBO, but they can also be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

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Lealtanza Gran Reserva 2015 (Rioja) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is an excellent, vegan-friendly Gran Reserva from Rioja that arrived at the LCBO over the long weekend as part of the February 18 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Bodegas Altanza, a relatively young winery that was established in 1998 by a group of friends with a shared dream to make high quality, 100% Tempranillo wines. Their name is a synonym for 'quality' and their goal is to offer modern wines with an authentic touch, while also producing the best possible quality wine at a sensible price. The estate of Bodegas Altanza is situated in the higher elevation town of Fuenmayor, in Rioja Alta, and spans 300 hectares, of which 220 hectares are planted to vines. At Altanza's state-of-the-art, modern winery, they have many stainless steel tanks of varying sizes which allows them to better customize the fermentation process depending on the varietal and style of wine they wish to craft. Each tank is also fitted with a temperature-control jacket and managed by a central control panel.

Like the 2011 Lealtanza Gran Reserva that I enjoyed a couple of years ago, this vintage is also crafted with 100% Tempranillo. In fact, they craft all of their red wines with 100% Tempranillo! It was fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts. The wine was aged for 24 months in 50% French and 50% American oak barrels, as well as a further three months in large 22,000 L French oak vats.

The Rioja Control Board declared the 2015 vintage as "Very Good" back in 2016. However, more recent reports suggest that the vintage was excellent. Although the 2015 growing season in Spain was difficult at times, it all turned out good in the end. Spring was balmy and dry, but temperatures quickly rose and drought became an issue. However, Rioja was lucky enough to receive some rejuvenating showers in June. In July, heat records were being broken and the intense heatwave continued for much of the summer. Temperatures cooled for the most part in August and September. The end result was wines with a bit more higher-than-normal alcoholic levels, with Rioja producing richly concentrated wines with the potential to age. The higher, cooler vineyards of Rioja are showing especially high quality. Let's see how this 2015 Rioja is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LEALTANZA GRAN RESERVA 2015 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#453548) (XD) - $30.95
100% Tempranillo. The fragrant, medium-high to highly aromatic nose offers attractive aromas of sandalwood, elegant spices, leather, red & black cherry and coconut. On the rich, medium-full bodied palate, it shows very good concentration with delicious sandalwood, earthy wood spices, leather, coconut, red & black cherry, raspberry, and licorice flavours. It has fresh, well-balanced acidity and supple, still-grippy tannins that will continue to soften and integrate with time in the cellar. The sandalwood, oak spice, and earthen notes linger through to the long, savoury finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 92 pts

Other lovely wines by Bodegas Altanza can be ordered through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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Queenston Mile Pinot Noir 2017 (Niagara) - Wine Review

I first tasted this lovely 2017 Queenston Mile Pinot Noir back in June 2019 and for tonight's red wine review I'm delighted to see it return to the LCBO this weekend as part of the February 18th LCBO VINTAGES Release as an Online and Flagship Exclusive.

It is produced by Queenston Mile Vineyard, a 50-acre vineyard and winery that launched as a brand in early 2019. Queenston Mile is located in the St. David's Bench sub-appellation of Niagara Peninsula, within the Niagara-on-the-Lake region. They are located just 10 kilometres south of the shores of Lake Ontario, an area formed when glaciers carved out the Niagara Escarpment and arose from the historic shoreline of Lake Iroquois towards the base of the Niagara Escarpment. Today, the escarpment's steep ridge collects winds off the lake and circulates them back over the low-lying plains of Niagara-on-the-Lake, creating a warmer climate that extends from early in the spring to lengthen the entire growing season.

The small, dedicated team behind Queenston Mile Vineyard is led by talented winemaker Rob Power of Creekside Estate Winery. Rob and his team had been growing grapes and making wine from the land where Queenston Mile resides for over twenty years, with the first ten years spent waiting for the newly planted vines to mature. They discovered that Queenston Mile has one of the warmest and longest growing sites in the Niagara Peninsula. During the next ten years, they began to see the special qualities of the vineyard, with soils consisting of red sandstone bedrock and rich layers of silty clay and loam. Today, they grow seven varieties on the property, with the primary focus on crafting wines mainly with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, including sparkling wines.

Crafted with 100% Pinot Noir, the fruit in this wine is from their estate vineyard in the St. David's Bench sub-appellation of the Niagara Peninsula. It was small-batch fermented in stainless steel tanks after a 3-day cold soak, and aged for 16 months in French oak barriques and demi-muids, 40% new.

The 2017 growing season near the estate featured a rainy spring and moderate summer. But things turned around in the fall when the sun started to shine brightly and delivered a hot and dry September, bringing extended heat to record one of the nicest fall seasons on record. Although this vineyard always creates a powerful wine, this particular vintage produced a Pinot that not only comes across as more restrained and smooth, but also elegantly styled with balanced structure. Let's see how this 2017 Pinot Noir from Niagara is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

QUEENSTON MILE PINOT NOIR 2017 - Estate bottled, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#10138) (XD) - $40.00
Screw cap. Evolved to a medium-pale garnet colour, this has a beautifully fragrant and highly aromatic nose of black cherry, raspberry, Damson plum, and subtle spice with some earthy and mushroomy characters while continuing to evolve in the glass. It's mid-weighted and well-structured on the palate with lovely black cherry, sour cherry, raspberry, and Damson plum flavours joined by savoury wet earth, beet root, and subtle spice and smoky notes adding further complexity. Touches of tea leaf on the mid-palate. It's nicely textured with some grip and a pleasant, lightly chalky mouthfeel, while acids are fresh and succulent. Smoky and savoury on the long, juicy finish. Wow! Highly recommend buy! Score: 93 pts

Other fine wines by Queenston Mile Vineyard come through the LCBO from time to time, but can also be ordered direct from the winery in Niagara.

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Wakefield Estate Label Chardonnay 2021 (Australia) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a consistently delicious and well-made Chardonnay from Australia that returned to the LCBO recently as part of the feature in wines from the Southern Hemisphere in the February 4 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Wakefield Wines, the export brand of the Taylor family who bottle wines under their family name in Australia and New Zealand, but here in Canada and abroad they use the Wakefield branding. Bill Taylor Sr. and his two sons established their own estate winery in 1969 by the Wakefield River in Clare Valley, South Australia, when they planted their first vineyards and began a journey to create their own, authentic, estate grown wines. They achieved overwhelming success with their first vintage and expanded the range of their Estate Label wines to include this Chardonnay, among other wines.

Today, Wakefield Wines is led by the third generation of the family - brothers Mitchell, Justin, and Clinton - with a focus on continuing the family tradition of making delicious wines that stand the test of time. The family's philosophy is to produce wines sustainably and responsibly, while respecting the fruit and where it came from, as well as having a strong innovative spirit. One of the Taylor family's innovations is the Optimum Drinking Sensor that is located on the back label of many of their wines such as this Chardonnay.

I've enjoyed this Chardonnay for quite a few years now, including most recently the 2020 Wakefield Estate Chardonnay last April. While this wine was initially crafted with only Clare Valley fruit, it is increasingly using fruit from Padthaway, and this particular vintage is 100% Chardonnay composed of 70% Padthaway fruit and 30% from Clare Valley. To vinify this wine, a small portion was barrel-fermented and then lees stirred for 4 months. After 6 to 8 months of maturation in French oak, the wine was blended and bottled. I also like the fresh, new label that gives the bottle a more elegant, cohesive look.

The 2021 growing season in South Australia was very slightly warmer-than-average and very dry, with grapes ripening later-than-normal in the last half of March and into April, in sunny, windless, and cool days that enabled the perfect autumnal conditions. With near-perfect growing conditions, both wine regions of Padthaway and Clare Valley produced excellent quality wines with high acidity. Let's see how this 2021 Chardonnay from South Australia is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

WAKEFIELD ESTATE LABEL CHARDONNAY 2021 - Padthaway/Clare Valley, South Australia (#711556) (XD) - $17.95
Screw cap. Composed of 70% Padthaway and 30% Clare Valley Chardonnay, this has fresh, ripe, and attractive aromas of white peach, lemon, citrus, melon, buttery cream, and hints of vanilla rising out of the glass. It has very good weight on the creamy, spicy, medium-full bodied palate with lovely aroma replays of white peach, citrus, melon, butter, and vanilla spice flavours. It's lightly textured with juicy acidity on the mid-palate. Finishes gently spicy with leesy mineral notes on the finish, with very good length. Another winner from Wakefield and a highly recommended buy! Score: 89 pts

Other fine wines by Wakefield Wine are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.

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February 18, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: France

Here's my top wine picks from the February 18, 2023 LCBO VINTAGES Release. The theme of this release looks at wines from the top 10 wine regions in France. Also included in this release are the monthly selection of Online & Flagship Exclusives (FE) - wines that are available only online at lcbo.com and at flagship outlets. All of the wines should be available for purchase starting this Saturday.

We start with the theme on wines from 10 of France's wine regions, although noticeably absent from this list is Northern Rhône and Provence. In a new twist on the theme, the LCBO has included all of the French Online & Flagship Exclusives wines as part of the theme, bringing the total number of wines in the theme to eighteen, of which four are included among my top wine picks. We begin in the Southern Rhône Cru of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with a red wine crafted with 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah. From Languedoc, this consistently delicious red is made with approx. 50% Syrah and the rest Grenache and Mourvèdre. Lastly, from Loire the Sancerre Rouge is crafted with Pinot Noir, while the Sancerre Blanc is made with Sauvignon Blanc.

Red wine picks from the rest of the release starts with a red blend from Washington that consists of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 9% Syrah, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot, as well as the Super Tuscan by Gaja that is a blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah, and 10% Sangiovese. Also from Tuscany, the Zingari Super Tuscan is a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot, while the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is crafted with 90-95% Sangiovese. Both wines from Veneto are blends, with the Amarone consisting of 59% Corvina, 21% Corvinone, 17% Rondinella, and 3% other permitted varieties, while the Ripasso is composed of 55% Corvina, 25% Corvinone, and 20% Rondinella. The only other blend is from Argentina and it is in fact a blend of 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Malbec. Single varietal red wines include a lovely Tempranillo from Spain, as well aa a Pinot Noir from Niagara.

Among my white wine recommendations, all are single varietal wines. In addition to the Sancerre mentioned above, there are also a pair of Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand and Niagara. Other white wines include a Chardonnay from South Africa, a Moschofilero from Greece, and a Garganega from Veneto.

Enjoy my top wine recommendations from this release! Salud!

Red Wine:

• ZINGARI 2019 - IGT Toscana, Italy (#244228) (XD) - $19.95  89 pts  wine review
• CAVE DE ROQUEBRUN LA GRANGE DES COMBES SAINT-CHINIAN-ROQUEBRUN 2020 - AC, Languedoc, France (#155804) (XD) - $19.95
• TRIUS DISTINCTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#25366) (XD) - $19.95
• ERRÁZURIZ ACONCAGUA ALTO CARMENÈRE 2020 - Vegan, DO Valle de Aconcagua, Chile (#546424) (XD) - $21.95
• OAK BAY PINOT NOIR 2020 - BC VQA Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada (#267146) (XD) - $21.95
• BRIGALDARA VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE 2019 - Sustainable, DOC, Veneto, Italy (#16090) (XD) - $22.95
• EL ENEMIGO CABERNET FRANC 2018 - Mendoza, Argentina (#11813) (XD) - $26.95

 

• LEALTANZA GRAN RESERVA 2015 - Vegan, DOCa Rioja, Spain (#453548) (XD) - $30.95  92 pts  wine review
• JEAN-MAX ROGER CUVÉE LA GRANGE DÎMIÈRE SANCERRE ROUGE 2017 - AC, Loire, France (#539858) (XD) - $33.95  FE  91 pts  wine review
• POLIZIANO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO 2018 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#988055) (XD) - $34.95  92+ pts  wine review
• QUEENSTON MILE PINOT NOIR 2017 - Estate bottled, VQA St. David's Bench, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#10138) (XD) - $40.00  FE  93 pts  wine review
• BRIGALDARA CAVOLO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA 2016 - Sustainable, DOCG, Veneto, Italy (#568766) (D) - $49.95
• HEDGES FAMILY ESTATE RED 2020 - Unfined, vegan, Red Mountain, Yakima Valley, Washington, USA (#1594) (XD) - $49.95  FE
• CHÂTEAU GIGOGNAN CLOS DU ROI CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2017 - AC, Rhône, France (#20937) (XD) - $54.95
• GAJA CA'MARCANDA PROMIS 2020 - IGP Toscana, Italy (#174334) (XD) - $65.95

White Wine:

• CATHEDRAL CELLAR CHARDONNAY 2021 - WO Western Cape, South Africa (#328559) (XD) - $17.95
• TSELEPOS MOSCHOFILERO 2021 - PDO Mantinia, Greece (#724583) (XD) - $17.95
• TRIUS DISTINCTION SAUVIGNON BLANC 2020 - VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (#19379) (XD) - $19.95
• I CAMPI CAMPO BASE 2021 - Vegan, DOC Soave, Veneto, Italy (#27620) (XD) - $22.95
• JOSEPH MELLOT LA CHATELLENIE SANCERRE 2021 - AC, Loire, France (#525154) (XD) - $31.95
• VILLA MARIA SOUTHERN CLAYS SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 - Sustainable, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#447474) (XD) - $34.95

Dessert Wine:

• ANSELMANN ORTEGA BEERENAUSLESE 2020 - Prädikatswein, Pfalz, Germany (#30597) (S) (375 mL) - $19.95

Fortified:

• WARRE'S QUINTA DA CAVADINHA VINTAGE PORT 2006 - DOP, Portugal (#189605) (S) - $59.95

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El Esteco 1946 Old Vines Malbec 2021 (Argentina) - Wine Review

After enjoying the lovely 2019 El Esteco 1946 Old Vines Malbec nearly two years ago, tonight's red wine review is the latest vintage of this terrific, organic Malbec that was featured in the most LCBO VINTAGES Release on February 4th as part of the theme on wines from the Southern Hemisphere.

It is produced by El Esteco, a winery founded in 1892 and situated in the Calchaquí Valleys in northwestern Argentina, a natural landscape carved by the sun, mountains, and vineyards. As one of the first institutions in Argentina to master the art of viticulture and winemaking, they have a significant presence in famous Cafayate, as well as the little-known and unique sub-region of Chañar Punco. Cafayate is the heart of Calchaquí Valleys, a region that was seemingly unsuitable for grape-growing, but is an isolated stretch of desert with unique features that make it ideal to grow the highest vineyards in the world. In addition to plenty of sunshine and a high diurnal temperature range between night and day, it is the desert climate with its poor soils that makes this small region of Cafayate unique. The resulting wines are distinctive and elegant with great concentration of colour, deep aromas, and well-defined flavours.

Today, El Esteco has nearly 1,000 acres of vineyards at an ideal altitude of more than 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) above sea level. Furthermore, with abundant sunshine and perfect diurnal temperature range, this environment is perfect for the creation of high-end wines such as this Old Vines Malbec. The spirit of the region is encapsulated in their fruit and the fusion between the legacy of ancient civilizations, Hispanic influence, criollo spirit, and it's vallisto Spanish colonial-style building which is surrounded by ancient vineyards. The hundred-year-old building contrasts with the latest wine production technologies found inside the winery such as concrete containers, stainless steel tanks, and the poetic French and American oak barrels, all of which help create wines of diverse styles, flavours, and aromas.

This 100% Malbec comes from a vineyard planted in 1946 at their Finca Las Mercedes estate in the Cafayate Valley in northwest Argentina. This estate is home to 370 pergola-trained Malbec vines that are more than 65 years old and in perfect harmony with the terroir of Cafayate as they were raised with minimal human intervention to yield exceptional wines. The grapes were manually harvested at optimum ripeness in the early hours of the morning. After being sorted at the winery, the grapes were placed into a single cement egg and fermented using native yeasts, then aged on its lees for 11 months and bottled unfiltered.

Northern Argentina experienced slightly cooler growing conditions during the 2021 season, with the Calchaquis Valleys experiencing a more typical vintage. Spring was quite normal with very little rainfall and good budbreak. December was dry, while January had lower than normal rainfall. In February, there were twice the normal rainfall, but it only amounted to 80 mm, so it was not an issue. However, this did mean that there were more cloudier days, which slowed maturation and led to greater concentration and colour. Let's see how this 2021 old vine Malbec from the Calchaquis Valleys is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

EL ESTECO 1946 OLD VINES MALBEC 2021 - Valles Calchaquíes, Argentina (#19391) (XD) - $25.95
100% organic and unoaked Malbec. After some initial reductive notes blow off, this reveals fresh, distinctive earthy and stony mineral aromas joined by ripe blackberry, white pepper, dried spices, and plum. It's medium to medium-full bodied with good concentration on the dry palate with savoury stony minerals, earthy, and dried spice flavours, plus dark berry, blackberry, and plum notes adding fruity notes. It has fresh, racy acidity and lightly grippy, chalky, grainy textured, and youthful tannins. Nicely balanced throughout with savoury mineral and lightly tangy dark berry notes lingering on the long, juicy finish. Enjoyable now, but will benefit with 1-2 years in the cellar, and drink well to the end of the decade. A distinctive Malbec and a highly recommended buy! Score: 90+ pts

Only one other wine by El Esteco is available at the LCBO, while others from their portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Dandurand.

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