Frog’s Leap, Rutherford, Cabernet Sauvignon – or – How She Accidentally Won First Place

Frog’s Leap, Rutherford, Cabernet Sauvignon
SHE shares how to learn about wine. 

HE says: Remember the first wine dinner you attended at my house?

Click the frog to visit their website!

SHE says:  I remember most of it.   I remember I brought the highest scoring wine.

HE says:  Beginner’s luck.

SHE says:  Of course.  Let’s see… I also remember you had to wake me up to tell me I had brought the highest scoring wine.  I remember misplacing the picture of me “Thanking the Academy” with my bottle of highest-scoring wine clutched like an award.  And I remember deleting another incriminating photograph or two.

HE says:  Yes, that’s the evening.  Do you remember what the wine was?

SHE says:  YES! Absolutely!  A Frog’s Leap Cabernet!

HE says:  Not just Frog’s Leap, but Frog’s Leap Rutherford, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2001 maybe? or 2002? I can’t recall.  How did you happen to choose that wine?

SHE says:  Years of research.  (As if…!)  Truth is, I was running late (as usual).  I ran into my neighborhood wine store “Mel and Rose” (on Melrose of course) and shouted “I need a Napa Valley cabernet for a blind tasting wine dinner w/a bunch of wine snobs!  What should I buy?”  HA HA!! No, I didn’t say “wine snobs” but I did say “people who know a lot more than I know about wine.”  The woman offered me a few wines, I took a leap of faith – and chose the Frog’s Leap.

HE says: Why? How did you know?

SHE says:  I didn’t know.  I chose it because at the bottom of the label,  there was a little note that read: “Open other end.”  It made me laugh. I thought, well, if the wine is no good, I’ll have a great laugh with everyone about that sentence.  And then it also occurred to me that a company with a sense of humour like that would probably make really good wine.

HE says: Very rustic tactics.

SHE says:  Rustic, certainly,  but it worked.  That time.  My other Mel and Rose story of purchasing a cabernet for your fancy wine dinner night did not turn out so well, as you’ll recall. We’ll save that for another blog post.

HE says:  And now Frog’s Leap, Rutherford, Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (and 2001) included in the book FINE WINES, The Best Vintages Since 1900 by Michel Dovaz  from Assouline.

SHE says:  Which I believe you received from your lovely wife as a gift, correct?

HE says: Yes.  A great gift.

SHE says: You’re welcome.

SHE says:  If you’d like a primer on what’s-the-what on wines of the 20th century along with a fantastic time line of the history of the decades, extraordinary photos of these deeply beautiful and mysterious bottles in their environments, read the book!  It’s a very sexy book!  I’m not saying it’s a chick magnet, but….

Learn new words like “Apogee” and “Organoleptic” and then try to use them in a sentence after you’ve had a few glasses of wine.  And then video tape that effort and share it with us so we can all watch you learn!

Click the picture to read more about the book “Fine Wines”.

Fine Wines, Best Vintages Since 1900, by Michel Dovaz, Assouline (Sadly, wine not included.)

Girard, 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

She says:  To celebrate his birthday recently, we opened a bottle he’d been holding in his locker for close to two decades – a 1990 Girard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa.  I consider this a “score!”

He says:   This cab was really wonderful. It had great dark fruits, terrific balance and a smooth and supple finish. It was tasting fantastic – right at its peak – I give it an 18. I wish I had more in my locker. I do have a ’91 Girard Cabernet so I’ll have to pop that open soon.  A bit of history on Girard. Girard Winery was started by Stephen A. Girard, Jr. a former executive with Kaiser Corp.

She says:  Don’t you wish you’d been there for that career transition?  ”Let’s see –  medical conglomerate or wine industry? Hmmm… medical conglomerate or wine industry… wait, don’t tell me… I’m thinking… “

He says:  The winery was based in Oakville, on the Oakville Crossroad near the Silverado Trail. According to an interview he gave to Jim Wood of the SF Examiner in 1995, Girard bought the vineyard in ’74 and was selling grapes to other producers for their reserve wines and decided to create a winery. “I got my sisters and my dad together, got them drunk and made my proposal,” he said in the interview. Isn’t that great? He added that they wanted his dad to run it, but his dad kept working so he ended up running the winery himself.

Well, Stephen wasn’t the winemaker, but he hired great winemakers, had wonderful grapes from his estate to work with and produced great wines. Girard made wonderful cabs, chards and other wines (I remember enjoying a great Chenin Blanc in the tasting room once) and had a tremendous reputation in the ‘80s and ‘90s as kind of a boutique winery. I say “was,” “made” and “had” because in the mid 90s the winery was bought out and renamed Rudd Estate. Rudd did a massive overhaul of the winery and vineyards and discontinued the Girard label a few years later, which was a real shame because Girard produced some truly excellent wines. I haven’t heard much about Rudd Estate since their purchase and, sadly, Stephen Girard died in 2004.  There is a Girard label out now, but it is produced by Patrick Roney (formerly of Ch. St. Jean and Kunde).

So if you’re rooting around a wine store and come across a bottle of Girard cab from the ‘80s or ‘90s, consider getting it. You may have found a true gem.

Here’s a link to the Girard Winery website.

2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Tasting – The Annual Vinum and Venom 2010

HE Says: Our annual USC/UCLA Venom and Vinum super-secret, under the radar, blind wine tasting happened late last year.  19 years.  So, 19 years – just a little younger than She.

SHE Says: Bwa, ha, ha! That’s the kind of math I love.  My disclaimer – I’ve only been around for 7 of those years.

He continues: As I’ve written before, the clandestine wine tasting takes place the night before the USC Trojans-UCLA Bruins football game.  There are 12-18 of us each year, with allegiances split about 50-49 between the two schools  (She providing the odd number as she has allegiance to the marching bands.)  The venom refers to the words we exchange before the game, deriding the opposition school and their football program.  This year, both football teams were pretty lackluster and the game featured a lot of ugly football.  Nonetheless, we’re happy that our Trojans were victorious once again and have won 8 of the last 9 games.

She interrupts: How’s my special friend, Art Bartner doing?

He continues: The band was great as always.  2010 was the 19th straight year we’ve held this event, which includes a great dinner and then a blind tasting.  We change the wine theme each year – this year it was 2007 cabernets from Napa, California, priced between $15 and $45.  The 2007 harvest in Napa is considered one of the finest in a several decades, and the 7 wines we tasted confirmed that.  Very little separated one wine from another and overall it was perhaps the best tasting we’ve ever done.

The results and our comments:

2007 Buehler Vineyards Cabernet “Kindly Well” Napa Valley – the evening’s top wine.
He says: This is a boutique wine offered through the Premiere Napa Valley program  bought thru an auction, and later sold at a local L.A. wine store for about $33. The grapes come from a hillside block they call Kindly Well at Buehler.  It had a nice nose and was very well balanced.  I tasted cherry and sage/cedar flavors, and thought the winemaker did a fine job with it.  It tied for the highest score overall, and won our tiebreaker.  I scored it an excellent 16 and my second favorite wine, but it will likely be difficult to find.

She says: Nice, but I’m not sure you’ll last more than a week in my house.

She also says: Hard-to-find. Ai! Drive me crazy with difficulty. I hate that.   Unfortunately He’s right this time.  I searched all over “the internets” for you – at least two whole websites – and I couldn’t find “Kindly Well” at any price. Bummer.

2007 Provenance Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet – This is the wine we brought, and it finished tied for first but was edged out on the tiebreaker.  Chris Cooney and Tom Rinaldi (formerly at Duckhorn) made this terrific cab, priced around $35.

He says: It had a nice nose, with a very good body and structure.  Like a supermodel!  Predominant berry flavors.  It was very soft and low on tannins, so I’d recommend drinking it soon.  I gave it a strong 15+ and had scored it as my third favorite wine.

She says: Smells like caramel, tastes like wine.  Your mind is so busy I can’t figure out what you want.

2007 Round Pond Rutherford Cabernet – Our friend Andy brought this wonderful wine, which was easily the biggest of the 7.  It cost about $45 and scored a great 94 in Wine Spectator.

He says: It was a very big and bold wine, with medium-high tannins that masked the fruit.  The wine was tasting tight at first, but with thirty minutes in the glass it started opening up and revealing itself.  Because of the tannins, it has great aging potential and you’d want to sit it down for at least 5 years, and probably 10 to 15. I gave it my highest score, an excellent 16, but others felt it was too tight and it finished in 6th place.

She says: Dark water.

2007 Caravan Cabernet – Karen and Steve brought this wine ($33), which is produced by Darioush.  The cab is blended with 14% merlot and 4% each of petit verdot and malbec, all from their estate and Mt. Veeder Vineyards.

He says: The wine was very smooth, with a slight chocolate/cocoa and cherry flavors.  It had good structure and medium low tannins, and I recommend that you drink it within three years.  I gave it an very strong 15+ and rated it 4th best, as did the group.

She says: Big, bold and complicated, aren’t you?  I’ll have to spend some time figuring you out.

2007 Main & Geary Cabernet –

He says: Ken and Nanci brought this wine ($20) and while it had a big nose, it exhibited sour cherry flavors to me.  It seemed like the alcohol was a bit higher and it didn’t really do much for me (a fair 14), but the group had it tied for fourth.

She says: Broad shoulders.  I could definitely spend the weekend with you.

2007 Roots Run Deep Winery Educated Guess Cabernet –

He says:  Another selection from Ken and Nanci ($18) that I had read comments on for being a good value.  It was very soft, with very low tannins.  Very slight cherry flavors, with almost a sweet note to them.  Definitely meant to be opened right away.  I ranked it 5th with a fair 14, but the group scored it last.  In all fairness though, only a handful of points separated first from last in our group.

She says: There’s an awful lot of alcohol on your breath, darlin’ – but you’re strong and steady and that’s how I like it.

2007 Merryvale Cabernet Starmont –  

He says: Our friends Cari and Chad brought this $20 cab and while I found it just OK, it ranked third in our group, just one point off the top.  It has a really intoxicating nose, but I found the body to be thin. I gave this a fair 14 and had it as my least favorite.

She says: He doesn’t understand you – but I do.

He says: In summary, I think the Round Pond will be the most ageworthy of the wines, and if you’re looking for something to drink now or in the next few years, I’d recommend the Provenance Rutherford and the Caravan cabs, which should both be readily available.  The Buehler is terrific, but will be hard to find.

She says: In summary – Here’s a picture of a hand drawing of a caterpillar in the upper right hand corner of my wine notes – and it reads “My Caterpillar”.  If I had more of an explanation for you I would share, I swear I would – but alas, I do not know what prompted this.  Wine + pen + paper = anything can happen.

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1974 Sonoma Vineyards Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon

1974 Sonoma Vineyards Alexader's Crown Cabernet Sauvignon

1974 Sonoma Vineyards Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon.
He said: My parents bought this wine in 1977, and it’s been in my father’s wine locker for almost 34 years. We decided to open up one of the bottles to see if the wine was still good.

This wine holds a very special place in California wine making history. It is the first single vineyard cabernet from Sonoma Valley. According to the back label, the Alexander’s Crown vineyard is a 61-acre vineyard located on a promontory above the Alexander Valley.

The winemaker was Rodney Strong, a major pioneer in the Sonoma winemaking world.  Sonoma Vineyards later became Rodney Strong Vineyards. Rodney Strong, now owned by Tom Klein, still produces an Alexander’s Crown single vineyard cab.

You can see the first vintage of Alexander’s Crown charted on this timeline on the Rodney Strong website.  http://bit.ly/AlexandersCrown

Rodney’s notes on the label and note card are very interesting. For one, he says the grapes were harvested at 24.2 brix on November 3rd, which is very late. Then he apologizes for the wine being high alcohol at 13.7%, which would be considered low nowadays. He also said the wine could age for 20 years if you had the patience. Well, we were super patient, letting it sit for 36 years!

And now for the tasting notes:
He said: I had some doubts at first when I uncorked the wine. It had a little off smell and tasted a bit acidic, but the color was fairly red and I thought it was just a bit tight. After about 10 minutes, the wine started opening up and becoming more approachable. After being open an hour, the wine really showed its stuff. It had great cherry flavors and the balance was terrific. This turned into a tremendous bottle of wine. I gave it an excellent score of 17. The bottle had a lot of sediment.

She said: I don’t know how I know this, but I would say this has structure. You were so worth the wait, you big strong man-wine.

P.S.  She says:  I went peeking into to Barry’s father’s wine notes to see what Mel might have had to say about Sonoma Vineyard’s Alexander’s Crown.  And here’s what I found.  Mel tasted and purchased the wine in August of 1977.   Mel wrote:  Fruity, smooth, lots of TANNIN, BEAUTIFUL

Mel kept an inventory of his wines on 3×5 cards and stored them in a little tin box.    He bought two cases of ’74 Alexander’s Crown (back when cases were 12 bottles). Each bottle cost $6.50  Only two bottles were marked off as being opened.  Let me see if I can do that math 24 bottles – 3 bottles minus not so perfect inventory keeping = still a whole lotta good wine left!  Of course there’s no way each bottle will be perfect, but this one was and that’s a good sign.   Enjoy the hand written notes!

Barry's father's handwritten notes on 1974 Sonoma Vineyards Alexander's Crown Cabernet Sauvignon

You can view additional, higher quality photos of the hang-tag, the bottle and Barry’s father’s wine notes on our Flickr page: http://bit.ly/BarrysentialsPhotos

Served with: A hearty homemade stew on a rainy and cold Saturday night.

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Vellum Wines – a new winery in Napa Valley, CA from Jeffrey Mathy and Karl Lehmann

HE and SHE both say: We had the opportunity to sample some terrific wines at the Stars of Cabernet tasting at the Peninsula in Beverly Hills.  Designed by Learn About Wine, this was an excellent event, as we got a chance to talk with several winemakers and try some new wineries.  We decided to focus on the 2007 cabernet vintage from Napa.

 

Jeff Mathy from Vellum Wines

HE SAYS: Vellum is a new winery, a partnership between proprietor Jeffrey Mathy and winemaker Karl Lehmann.  We got a chance to meet and speak with Jeff, a very personable, down-to-earth/up-to-earth guy.  I say that because Jeff and Karl were mountain climbing buddies.  After scaling some of the highest peaks of the world, they’re now out to scale the heights of winemaking.  According to their materials, the winery name, Vellum, “is inspired by an ancient form of canvas known for its incredible ability to age,” which translates well to red wine.  Their goal is to make Bordeaux style wines in Napa Valley, especially ones with lower alcohol and balanced acidity.  They’re located just east of the town of Napa in Coombsville, CA. You can read more about Vellum Wines on their website http://vellumwines.com

2007 Vellum Cabernet Sauvignon – This wine is their first ever release ($50), which is 84% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 6% petit verdot.  The grapes were organically farmed, hand harvested and came from a two-acre vineyard near the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley.  It was made in the style of St. Julien region in Bordeaux, France.  Since it was their inaugural production, it sat in 100% new French oak barrels for 15 ½ months, and is unfiltered and unfined.  The alcohol level is about 14%, and they made 800 cases.
HE SAYS: The ’07 was very soft and supple, with wonderful berry and cherry flavors. The tannins are medium to low, and the wine is very balanced and drinks great now and has some aging potential.  I found it to be a terrific wine, especially right out of the gate, and I scored it a 16.

SHE SAYS:“Ooooh!  You’re so stroooong!” 

2008 Vellum Cabernet Sauvignon. (Did you notice our focus expanded to 2008 already?) Jeff was even more excited about his second vintage.

HE SAYS: I felt it didn’t have as much body as the ’07, and the acidity was greater.  The alcohol was a bit less (13.8%) and Jeff thinks it has better aging potential.  They just bottled the ’08 in September 2010, so it was likely suffering from bottle shock. Thus, I chose not to rate it.  Both vintages though serve notice that Vellum is a winery to watch.

SHE SAYS: Not much nose, but a whole lot of mouth.  A classic in the making.

Technorati Tags: Wine, vellum, Napa

Cornerstone Cellars 2006 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

HE and SHE BOTH SAY:
Cornerstone Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernets… mmmmmm.  You don’t share them with just anybody.  Choose your friends ‘wisely’ for the sharing of this wine as you want to be sure they appreciate the textures, the mood, the love.  And maybe choose your friends with long noses because the aromas are 1/2 of the romance with the Howell Mountain Cabs.

We haven’t visited Howell Mountain yet, but those mountains are calling to us with this wine.  We hear the terrain is rugged and this is what helps to give this cabernet its intensity and power. The wine holds the spirit of the terroir and so will you after you drink it.    If you’re still wondering what the mysterious “terroir” is that wine enthusiasts talk about, taste the Cornerstone Cellars Howell Mountain and you will grasp it.  Terroir is the land, it is the terrain, it is the fog, the air,  the people, the fruit — the everything.

HE SAYS: Like most Howell Mountain wines, this one is big and bold.  The nose was very intoxicating — I just kept on wanting to inhale it.  It is a very complex and well balanced wine, with wonderful cherry flavors and medium tannins. The ’06 is very enjoyable now, but you could age this wine for a few years and allow the tannins to soften even more.  Serve with meat! Really quite nice, I gave it a very strong score of 16.

SHE SAYS: You’re a little mysterious, aren’t you?  Bold and sexy, but mysterious.  I want to meet you back here in a few years.

FRIENDS SAY:
S: Very tannic. Opened up nicely to subtle cherry’s.  Beautiful Oak.
KS:  Opened up quickly and nicely.  Very pleasing experience.  I’d like to go there again.
KMS: A seductive tango of berrys with subtext.
T :  Opened rapidly.  I forgot all about beer for a moment.
CC:  I want more.  Has a nice peppery midrange.
AR:  I’d drink it again and I’m a picky girl.

Dinner: Braised Beef Ribs

Which Wine Would Barry Serve?

Dinner:  Braised Beef Ribs
On the Side: ~ Steamed New Potatoes  (with real butter and fresh parsley)
On the Other Side:  Romaine lettuce w/tomatoes and the Barrysentials Parmesan Dressing
Dessert:  Chocolate Cake, of course.
Coffee:  Midnight Stroll from Sprouts Farmer’s Market
Friends:  8 – curated from near and far.

FEATURED WINES:
2007 Stepping Stone by Cornerstone, Cabernet Franc, Carneros
14.9% Alcohol
Winemaker: Jeff Keene

2005 Cornerstone Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
14.8% Alcohol
Winemaker: our beloved Celia Masyczek
Read our first tasting notes about Cornerstone wines here:  http://ow.ly/1rmuN

Cono Sur, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile from the VISION label

HE and SHE both say: Our hearts go out to the Chilean people at this terribly tragic time.  As each natural disaster strikes our neighboring continents, we feel more and more like one people on one planet and it becomes clear that resources wasted on war become resources that are not available for natural disasters.  We are encouraging all of our readers (both of you) to honor and support Chile in this time by buying and drinking cases of Chilean wine.  If you need help drinking  it all, just call. We’ll help.

Cono Sur, VISION, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Maipu Valley, Chile

And now, on to our listed wine:
Cono Sur, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile  from the VISION label

Like many Argentine wineries, Cono Sur has several brands under the name of Cono Sur.  First — can we say we love the play on words?   Literal translation in Southern Cone, as South America is shaped like a cone and most definitely in the south, but the play on Connoiseur is so delightful, yes?

The VISION label was designed to take advantage of the numerous micro-climates in Chile.  We haven’t been there yet, so we’re going to just trust them on this. Winemaker Adolfo Hurtado chooses each plot personally and Read more about the VISION label here.

On this bottle of Vision, Cono Sur, Cabernet Suavignon there is a beautiful drawing of a lock.  Apparently the grapes of the Maipu Valley were so precious that the vintners used heavy iron padlocks to secure the cellar rooms.  SHE SAYS: If HE ever does that to me, I have one word for him… lawsuit.

HE SAYS: This is a very easy drinking wine with traditional cabernet characteristics.  At $10.00 from our favorite wine store, this is a terrific value!  It’s not a wine you want to lay down for  a while, you’ll want to drink it now.   Supple plum and berry flavors.  Score:  15

SHE SAYS: Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…. just from smelling you, I can tell you’ll be a lot of fun.

Serve with: Serve with a nice steak, or as we did tonight, seared AHI TUNA. Ahi Tuna?  Really?  Really.

Bodega Carmelo Patti, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

HE SAYS: Our second visit in Luján de Cuyo was at Bodega Carmelo Patti, another boutique winery. Carmelo comes from the old school of wine making and clearly enjoys what he is doing. He’s very warm and friendly and a gracious host. He doesn’t speak much English – and we didn’t speak much Spanish – but we managed to understand most of what he was saying because of the context.  (SHE INTERJECTS: he used a little Italian to make it easier on me.)

Carmelo basically runs a one-man operation, doing most of the work himself and hiring help at harvest season and when it’s time to bottle the wine.  So he oversees the vineyards, winemaking, bottling and even acts as tour guide. He showed us his cement fermentation tanks and barrel and bottle storage areas and and gave us a terrific barrel sample.
And how many red wine specialists do you know who also make a fine sparkling wine from pinot noir and chardonnay in the method champenoise, but we didn’t get to sample that. The tasting was free and it was definitely worth a visit.

SHE SAYS: What a doll.  If you are in Mendoza area, you absolutely MUST visit Carmello Patti.  Charming, funny and very, very gracious.  He acts as if he’s known you his entire life.  He has Spanish & Italian heritage and all the gracious qualities of both cultures live in Carmello.

Every fantasy you’ve ever had about touring an old, classic wine-making facility will come true here.  Walking down dark narrow hallways, sounds of your footsteps on cement walkways in those hallways, colors of cabernet, putty, beiges, golds, wood accents, the sounds of the master winemaker talking to you in another language, the smell of the oak barrels, a little taste from the barrel - if this is a dream do NOT wake me up – repeat – do NOT wake me up.

2003 Carmelo Patti Cabernet Sauvignon –
HE SAYS: This wine is just being released after about four years of aging. It has a big nose and medium body, with a bit of acid and tannin. He recommended drinking it by 2013. 14+
SHE SAYS:

2004 Carmelo Patti Malbec –
HE SAYS: A big and fruity Malbec that was aged 40% in French oak and 60% in concrete. It has medium high tannin, so it needs some age to soften. But once again, Carmelo said to drink it by 2013. Very good. 15
SHE SAYS:  Aging in concrete – you must see this.  You must.

2002 Carmelo Patti Gran Assemblage – Carmelo makes this wine only in years where the quality of the grapes merit it. So he’s produced an ’02, ’03, ’04 and ’08 recently. Carmelo wrote that it was 47% Cab, 24% Malbec, 19% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Well, that comes out to just 98%, and frankly my Spanish was too basic to inquire about the missing 2%. Regardless, what’s in the bottle is terrific. The Gran Assemblage is a BIG and bold wine. Berry and cherry flavors predominate. Very complex with medium high tannins and a decent kick of acid still. It ages one year in oak and 4 years in the bottle, and he says once again to drink by 2013. 16

Clos de Chacras Winery, Chacras de Coria, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina

Clos de Chacras – Vineyard and Winery

Clos de Chacras Gran-Estirpe Malbec

SHE SAYS: Want to feel really good?  Like you are in love?   Then click the link right here and go to the Clos de Chacras website.  Listen to the music while you read what we’ve written about this Bodega.
HE SAYS: This is another boutique winery in the city of Chacras de Coria in the Luján de Cuyo area.   Bautista Gargantini was one of the fathers of the Argentine wine industry in Mendoza.  By 1911, their winery ranked as one of the world’s leading producers. In 1921 they opened a facility in Chacras de Coria, but it was later sold.   Then in 1987, Bautista’s granddaughter Silvia Gargantini, and her husband, Alejandro Genoud, purchased it.  Some remodeling and updating was required, but beyond that the approval process took an astounding 17 years and they just reopened in 2003.   Well, it was well worth the wait.

Clos de Chacras - The gate to the barrel rooms.

SHE SAYS: It’s not very often that someone has the patience to wait for 17 years to create  something they love, but here you will see and feel the value of those 17 years.  The preservation of their history and the permanence of their long-term choices for the life of their winery are seen and felt in every corner.

Clos de Chacras tour. The cement fermentation tanks.

HE SAYS: We were lucky again and received a private tour of their old wine-making facility and saw some of the new improvements. Their old cement fermentation tanks are located underground, and the original gate that is reflected on their bottles is still there in the bottle storage area.

Clos de Chacras

They have long-term contracts to purchase grapes from the nearby Maipú area and the La Consulta and La Carrodilla areas in the Uco Valley. They make two lines – Cavas de Crianza, with Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet varietals, plus a blend of the three – and Gran Estirpe, their premium Malbec wine. We paid about about $10 US each for the tour and tasting, which included cheese and crackers.

SHE SAYS: The 2004 Gran Estirpe is why we are here.  When we tasted the Gran Estirpe at Vines of Mendoza, we knew we had to visit Clos de Chacras.  Seek the Gran Estirpe.  

2006 Cavas de Crianza Malbec –
HE SAYS: Gorgeously purple colored Malbec from the Maipú region, with fruity and soft flavors. It shows great balance and is very smooth and has a wonderful mouth feel. This sold for about $30 Argentine pesos, or less than about $10 U.S. This is a great wine and a tremendous value. 15+

SHE SAYS: This is our forth winery of the day.  I can tell you this one is beautiful, but I have no more words than that.

2005 Cavas de Crianza Cabernet –
HE SAYS: This also comes from Maipú and was deep and dark, with an earthy component to it. It is very good and very complex. It can age for about 5 or 6 years they think. Also a great value at around $10. 15
SHE SAYS: This one makes me cry.  In a good way.

2005 Cavas de Crianza Blend –
HE SAYS: A blend of 40% Malbec and 30% each of Cab and Merlot. It was nice, had medium tannins, but was not as distinguished as the Cab or Malbec. As I recall, the blend costs just a bit more. 14
SHE SAYS: I am tired. I will trust you on this one.

2004 Gran Estirpe Malbec –
HE SAYS: We tasted this through the Vines of Mendoza. The grapes for this Malbec come from 100-year-old vines in Lunlunta (Maipú) in the Luján de Cuyo area. It has brilliant purple color and a full mouth feel, soft and warm like a warm brie. This Malbec has merlot and cabernet and was one of the best malbecs I tasted. They only produced 6,100 bottles and it has won a few awards, so it is well worth seeking out. Really delicious. 16+
SHE SAYS: Seek the Gran Estirpe.  Since they make only 6,000 bottles, this will not be a part of your scheduled tasting.  Just buy a bottle and take it home with you.  You will have no regrets.

The Gran Estirpe aging in bottles.