"Welcome," says Antoine Blech of Opia restaurant in Manhattan, welcoming Jean-Jacques Bonnie of Bodega DiamAndes and his contingent. We are here at this fun restaurant overlooking 57th street to taste some of Jean-Jacques new releases for the American market, and I am excited by the opportunity to ask a Uco Valley producer a variety of questions about the terroir of this Argentine region about an hour south of Mendoza, and taste his wines.

Like many of the most prestigious brands in Argentina, the family is based in Bordeaux, France. In 1996, Jean-Jacques's  parents Alfred‐Alexandre and Michèle Bonnie purchased Château Malartic‐Lagravière, Grand Cru Classé de Graves in 1996. Nine years later (2005)  they acquired Château Gazin Rocquencourt, 28 hectares situated next to Malartic‐Lagravière ...

... and so it continues, with them purchasing 115 hectares within Michel Rolland's Clos de los Siete project and the start of the DiamAndes project.

So today at Opia we are seeing the fruit of the Bonnie family labor. We begin by tasting the 2010 Chardonnay, which is barrel fermented in 100% French oak, 40% of it new. The wine is rich and luscious, with medium acidity and a long Meursault like finish of melted butter. It is a great food wine and very delicious.

The 2010 Viognier is also barrel fermented in 100% French oak (40% new) and very rich and luxurious with ripe apricot and peach flavors and a long finish.

The region is known for its Malbec, and we taste three Malbec based wines.

The entry level Perlita is a new brand, and is labeled Malbec-Syrah (2010) because it is 80 percent Malbec and 20 percent Syrah. By law, a wine must be 85% Malbec for it to carry the single varietal. It is medium purple in color, very fruit forward and easy to drink.  Quite juicy! Again 100% French oak, 25% new.

The Malbec 2010 is a crowd pleaser at the table, dark purple and smooth smooth smooth, with a dark berry finish with a bit of chocolate ganache. It spends fourteen months in 100% French oak, 50% new.

The flagship wine is the 2007 Gran Reserve, just released, which is 70% Malbeck and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 24 months in 75% new French oak (25% neutral French oak) and one year in barrel. It has received positive reviews from Wine Spectator, Stephen Tanzer, erobertparker.com, and Natalie MacLean.

Jean-Jacques and his wines are real charmers ... it is a pleasure to see such affordable and delicious Malbec from the Uco Valley.

Mike DeSimone, Jeff Jenssen, Sopexa Executive Bertrand DEOUX

“Cahors, Malbec!”

That was the chant last night at the Bouley Test Kitchen when The World Wine Guys, Mike DeSimone & Jeff Jenssen, played the combined role of an Emcee and Educator on the subject of “Cahors, the Original Malbec.”

It was a fab event, featured the typical movers and shakers in the wine world, and Mike and Jeff (who have some new books coming out, check their web) really hilarious, creating some memorable “Malbec Moments” – at times they even indicated the geographical location of Malbec with their combined hands.

Earlier, tasting through the wines (conveniently labled “Tender and Fruity, Feisty and Powerful, Intense and Complex”) I tried to memorize a signature “taste” of Malbec, despite the many producers, the different styles, and the treatment of oak. First and easiest to distinguish is the taste of Violet, then comes vanilla (for the styles that have seen oak), truffles (usually older) and to a lesser extent, licorice and menthol.
 

I also met two fabulous new people, Bertrand Deoux (pictured with Mike and Jeff) who is with Sopexa and handles Malbec, and Jeremy Arnaud (above)  the marketing director for UIVC Villa Cahors Malbec.
 

Like Malbec? Few people today know the story of how this traditional Argentine grape, previously grown as a low cost bulk wine for the local market, ended up in some of the highest-priced restaurants in the world. It all started in the eighties, when Nicholas Catena (whose family had been making wine for generations) imported consultant Paul Hobbs to come to Argentina and create world class Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Hobbs Chards and Cabernet Sauvignons soon won international awards, yet Hobbs was convinced that Malbec could become a quality wine for the international market as well. He found a plot of old vines (old vines give the richest, most concentrated fruit) and with the help of the winemaker and others, secretly vinified a quality Malbec and presented it to the press – and his boss Catena – at a press event originally designed to celebrate Catena wine entering the American market.

The press loved the quality old vine Malbec, and voila! The multi-milliion industry Malbec is today.

Related: Wines of Catena

What can you say about an excellently turned out Chardonnay? I am sitting at a table in the elegant Lambs Club with Mr. Jose Antonio Galante, Chief Winemaker at Salentein Family of Wines.

Mr. Galante has an extensive history as a winemaker, having started at Catena Zapata which is credited for the currant quality and popularity of Argentine wine. He is extremely poised and well-spoken, and easily answers all of my technical questions about the wine.

Which brings me back to the Chardonnay. The 2010 is really delicious -- specifically it has incredible balance. There is a ripeness of fruit, and very concentrated fruit, which is balanced yet not overwhelmed by the 9 months of oak aging. It's a bit riper than a Burgundy and with more alcohol 14% yet is very Burgundian in style in its elegance.

The fruit is from the Uca valley, a very high elevation, with alluvial and stony soils. They are hand harvested in the early morning, softly de-stemmed, and transferred to a hopper where they receive dry ice to ovoid oxidation and lower the temperature. The technical data might bore you, yet the important thing to remember is that a lot of care (in the form of stirring the lees, etc) was taken in the wine's production.

The Pinot Noir is also from the Uco valley grown on La Pampa Estates. Similar steps are taken to the Chardonnay, save that the berries received a slight "cold soak/semi-maceration took place for 3- 5 days, and pumping over, and manual trampling of the cap during fermentation. The wine was racked, with malolactic fermentation taking place in barrels. The wine was barrel aged 10 - 12 months and delicious with subtle cherry, vanilla, and a touch of tobacco. 

Two Malbecs followed, Killka Malbec 2008 and the Reserve Malbec, with the Reserve having a fuller mouthfeel and more intense concentration of fruit. The Reserve had a longer masceration period and was aged for 12 - 14 months in first, second, and third use oak barrels. 

Mr. Galante is a very talented winemaker, and for three decades has been a pioneer in Argentine winemaking.

More about Salenstein Family of Wines

Located in the remote upper reaches of Argentina’s Uco Valley on the eastern slopes of the Andes, Bodegas Salentein’s vineyards are planted at some of the highest elevations on the planet.

Salentein history began with the opening of its state-of-the-art winery and cellars just one year after its debut vintage. Like all the facilities on this near 5,000-acre private estate, this uniquely cross-shaped structure was built by regional craftsmen using local materials and incorporating indigenous architectural features.

Salentein’s assurance to the community has included initiatives to help pioneer wine tourism in Mendoza’s Uco Valley. Salentein is, in short, a wine destination like no other. Its location in the foothills of the Andes is spectacular. With a 125-acre nature preserve, the exclusive Posada Salentein guest house, and the landmark Chapel of Gratitude, it has much to offer the 20,000 plus domestic and foreign visitors it receives every year.

At the heart of Salentein is the Killka Center for Culture and the Arts (LINK HERE), which opened in 2006. Built as a tribute to the people of the Uco Valley, it is a divine showcase to the region’s arts, culture and cuisine. By 2008, Killka had earned the International Gold Medal in the “art and culture” category in the Best of Wine Tourism Competition, presented by Great Wine Capitals Network.

... so tonight I tried the 2006 Sangiovese and Malbec from de Lorimier. The varietals had nothing in common save that they are produced by the same California winery in the Alexander Valley, so other than this, there was no real "comparison."

I thought they were both excellent examples of the California take on Old World varietals. the Malbec was signature plush, volumptuous, and very smooth.

The Sangiovese a more tart style, more red fruit, and a refreshing finish.

Below are some notes ...

de Lorimier Winery Malbec 2006

color: purple, opaque, true to rim, purple
nose: med+ intensity, very concentrated, slight tobacco aroma (very slight), sense of rich concentrated red/black fruit

palate: dry acid is med tannin is med (smooth) body is med+ alc is est 14.5 finish is med+

Style note: Very concentrated rich ripe fruits points to a new world region. Incredible ripeness combined with excellent balance points to a quality warm region in new world, such as California. Plush flavors of red and black fruit, some overtones of fig and dried fruit, suggests a fairly recent vintage 2006.

de Lorimier Sangiovese 2006

color: med trans, purple, ppr, wwm
nose: medium inensity, a vinous aroma, fresh naked fruit showing, mostly red fruit
palate: dry, acid is med+ tannin is med body is med alc is est 14 finish is med +
style note: Refreshing acidity combined with bright red fruit aromas and flavors 'lifts' this wine and renders it a good pairing with salmon, pork, grilled tuna, or other options for people who love red wine yet do not prefer meat.
 

One of the highlights of attending En Primeur in Bordeaux this year for me had been the opportunity to taste the new vintage of prestigious, historic Chateau Cheval Blanc, famed for nearly two centuries for its unique terroir. It received the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) status in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine of 1955 and is one of Bordeaux’s most respected wines today.

Birth of Cheval Des Andes

With its illustrious history and small production, Chateau Cheval Blanc was and still is accessible to only the privileged few. Yet eleven years ago, Pierre Lurton, then Director of Chateau Cheval Blanc, became intrigued by the renaissance of Malbec in Argentina and the prospect of establishing a New World presence that would represent the best of the Old and New World, and also produce greater quantities of quality wine at more affordable price points. When in 1999 he tasted 1970s Malbec wine from the Las Computeras vineyard (the finest parcel of Terrazas de los Andes, then also owned by Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) Cheval des Andes was born.

Today Pierre Lurton acts as Managing Director of Cheval des Andes in concert with Winemaker Nicholas Audebert. Recently, both Messrs Lurton and Audebert came to New York to introduce the fabulous 2006 vintage. Both gentlemen were absolutely passionate about their wine, which has received rave reviews and is notable for its ability to reflect its terroir.

Presentation of Cheval Des Andes 2006

Messrs. Audebert and Lurton presented the 2006 vintage in a structured tasting that began with the 1999 vintage (the first for the winery) and continued on to the yet unreleased 2008. The wines were uniform in color, yet varied in nose (depending on maturity and composition of varietals). Both gentlemen took turns discussing the vineyard, the climate, and other elements relating to vinification. As both a wine educator and student in the Master of Wine program, I relished the opportunity to get first hand information on the minute details that go into this quality wine. For example, even though the area is a warm growing region and sunny 360 days a year, vintage variation can be such that the winery did not produce a 2000 because the weather did not allow for the production of enough quality grapes.

The Vineyard

The vineyard lies on permeable clay, silt and shallow gravel soils that, due to their aridity, are extremely low in organic matter and also virtually immune to disease. Water from snow melt flowing from the Andes through an ancient system of canals built by the Incas washes minerals and nutrients into the soil, enhancing its complexity (yet the vineyard must still be irrigated). The difference between the high temperatures of day and cool temperatures of night creates phenolic complexity, a key element in quality wine.

The Blend

Blending the Malbec (from very old vines, which make for a very intense wine) and Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most important elements in the winemaking process. Each varietal is vinified separately, with the Cabernet Sauvignon aged in new French oak, and the Malbec aged in one year old barrels. The two men mentally plan what they would like the blend to express, and then begin the physical blend. “It is more of an art than perfume,” Mr. Audebert says, explaining that a perfume make has a recipe, and blending wine requires many different elements, senses, and a different kind of mental acuity.

“You make a great wine in the vineyard, not the winery,” Mr. Audebert says. “If you have great terroir you try to express that. Work in the winery is more like fine tuning. We don’t want to transform the wine too much.” For that reason, the winery uses manual pigeages (a gentle way of punching down), which allows a soft extraction, then it is matured for 18- 20 in French oak. At the end of the maturation period, the Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon are blended, undergo a fining process, and then are aged a year in bottle before the release.

Now the 2006 is composed of 60% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and that small but essential 5% Merlot, the color (or ‘robe’ as they say in French) was dark purple and intense, with a small violet/fushia meniscus. For me, the nose had the usual blackcurrant associated with Cabernet Sauvignon, plus some cherry and fresh red fruit. A swirl reveals black pepper and rosemary. On the palate, the wine was silky and elegant, with smoke and tobacco even at this early maturity. Mr. Audebert tasted it and pronounced “silky and mature tannins that combines with elegant notes of smoke and tobacco. Unctuous, juicy, with a long and persistent finish. A wine that perfectly combines its young vivacity with the elegance of a mature structure.”

New World Wine in Old World Style

I liked the 2006 a lot … and for ‘wine geeks’ reading this, who are accustomed to tasting wine blind and having discussions about whether it is “New World” or “Old World” this wine is great to try for that reason. It is a New World wine that presents itself in a very Old World fashion, with restrained fruit yet the muscularity of the new world.

You can find it on Wine-Searcher. Cheers!

Behold the Malbec grape! If you love wine, here is a short quiz.

Malbec is:

1. a fruity, easy drinking, well priced wine from Argentina.

2. one of the 5 allowed grape varieties allowed in a Bordeaux blend.

3. The grape grown in the Cahors, France AOC

If you selected all of the above, you are correct. Yet few people realize that Cahors AOC in France is the home of the true Malbec. Several months ago winemakers from Cahors came to NYC and gave a tasting and presentation about the grape, which was fascinating (you can read about it here).

Now tonight, I have the opporutnity to taste test two Malbec wines, one a 2007 Gouleyant Cahors from France and the other a 2006 Sur de los Andes Reserve. They were both in the $15 - $20 range.

Both wines are dark purple color, but the Argentina wine is bright and shiny. They have the same pale ruby miniscus. On the nose, the Agentina wine is medium intensity, with aromas of fresh purple fruit, concord grapes, and some bright red fruit such as raspberries. The Cahors wine is more subdued, with a slight sour element.

On the palate, the Argentina wine is refreshing and well balanced, offering ripe black fruit, vanilla (from French oak). Though dry, the wine has a pleasant touch of sweet vanilla on the finish, which I associate with all Malbecs from Argentina.

The Cahors wine also has a touch of the sweet vanilla, yet in old world fashion, all the flavors seem a bit more integrated so that the individual elements (oak, individual fruits) do not stand out on their own. 

Both wines will go great with steak, especially a nicely grilled, charred steak as the acidity will cut through the fat of the steak and the charred edges will pair nicely with the sweet oak flavors.

Try a taste test on your own and email me your comments!

One of the first to try is Bodegas Martin Codax Albarino 2008, founded in 1986 as a cooperative made up of about 50 local grape growers in Galicia, Spain. Gallo helped the winery grow while improving in quality and today the wines have won international awards and are for sale in 40 countries around the world. I buy this wine and it’s a good value with its slight aroma of peach, pear and sharp acidity on the palate. What’s interesting about this wine is that it is grown on a “pergola” trellis system to keep the grapes off the damp ground (it rains a lot in Galicia).

Next to taste was the Frei Brothers Reserve Wines, an excellent 2007 Chardonnay with a buttery, oaky nose and palate. In a story that could be called “it’s never too late” the original Frei Winery had been conceived by 70-year old ex-miner Charles Dunz, who developed the land, planted vines, and sold it to original owner Andrew Frei. E & J Gallo Winery bought the Frei Brothers winery in 1978. I detected some red apple on the nose which the winemaker described as “Gravenstein apple.” Curious as to what this would smell/taste like, I consulted a dictionary which says that this apple is considered to be one of the best all-around apples with a sweet, tart flavor. Next time I’ll have to locate this apple, buy the wine, and see for sure …

MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir is another Gallo holding, with the winery located in Healdsburg’s Russian River Valley. The land was originally owned by Col. Hugh Porter, veteran of the Mexican war, who used it as a cattle ranch. The Gallo family bought the ranch in 1996 and planted Pinot Noir, followed by other varietals. The PN 2007 had a sweet cherry nose with a hint of smoke, and a long finish filled with black cherries and blackberries.

Bridlewood Estate 2006 Central Coast Syrah is a dark pungent opaque purple-ruby with a nose of jammy blackberries, black currant, and spice. On the palate one experiences black fruit, and a roasted meat/bacon flavor along with mushrooms. Incredible quality at any price, and this one is under $20. The grapes grow on the high bed of an ancient seabed in the eastern Santa Ynez Valley on what was once an Arabian horse farm. From Argentia comes a Malbec from the Catena family, who began making Alamos Wines in 1993 to help meet the rising demand for Argentine wines. Alamos is located in the prestigious Mendoza growing region of Lujan de Cuyo. A small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon is added, in addition to Bonarda, and the wine was “conditioned” with French and American oak before the blend was assembled. The 2008 Malbec was lush with blueberries and black currant on the palate and a long, delicious finish of cloves and blackberry jam.

The last wine was Don Miguel Gascon Malbec 2008, jam-packed with blue fruit, cooked plums, delicate violets and mocha. The winery’s founder, Mr. Gascon, was born in 1861 in Aragon, Spain, grew up as a farmer, moved to Argentina, and became dedicated to proving that Argentina could produce fine wines.

Throughout the lunch winemakers told their stories, some apologizing for their English which was quite good. Yet even if it wasn’t, their passion for their wines rang true in any language. A delightful afternoon filled with many wonderful wine stories. Salute!

Ah, the Malbec grape! In Argentina, Malbec forms the basis of a rich, ripe wine with flavors of sun-warmed plum and a velvety texture. In its hometown of Cahors in southwest France, Malbec can take on hundreds of guises, from tender and fruity to feisty and powerful to intense and complex.

Today at New York’s Astor Center I enjoyed a rare treat in that I was able to sample the three main “types” or “quality levels” of Cahors (in France, it is typical to order a wine by naming the AOC, instead of the varietal) in a tutored tasting led by author, columnist, and wine expert Elin McCoy. I had met Elin several times before yet I was particularly impressed by the way she orchestrated the tasting and her poetic choice of words about the wine and the region. As she spoke, gorgeous pictures of the region and the cuisine of the city of Cahors flashed across a sleek monitor above.

Before the talk the audience – an assembly of people from the trade and journalists – heard Alain Janicot, Co-President of the Cahors wine negociants, speak about the history of the region through a colorful translation courtesy of fellow Wine Media Guild member Peter Hellman. Cahors became an AOC in 1971, with its wine having achieved worldwide fame in the Middle Ages as the “Black Wine” of Cahor. I have never found the wine to be particularly “black” – it is somewhat of a violet-ruby color when young – so perhaps the “black” refers to the typically strong, sometimes astringent tannins or its often masculine nature.

In any event, with Elin’s poetic words and the gorgeous scenery I was curious to start tasting the wine arranged before me, which represented the three basic categories of Cahors. Inexpensive (under $12) wine is tender and fruity, the medium range (under $21) is described as fiery and powerful, and the more expensive category is described as intense and complex.

After sampling the young and fruity wine, I could see that they could have their place with dishes like pizza or maybe chilled in a refrigerator and served outdoors on a hot summer day. I found several favorites in the feisty, powerful, intense, and complex category, especially the older wines in the walk-around tasting that followed. The most complex of these wines could hold their own against the Chateauneuf-du-Papes of the world at a five-star restaurant. The challenge is tasting enough Cahors so that you can become familiar with the producers. Happily, magazines and newsletters offer tasting notes to help you mentally “try before you buy.”

As you may imagine, one of the reasons for this tutored and walk-around tasting is to bring Cahors to the attention of the world. The region wants to increase exports during this five year period, perhaps more of a challenge today than ever before as so many wine regions around the world have the same self-described mandate. One key element in the region’s favor is that a new generation of Cahors winemakers have come of age, and unlike their predecessors, have attended enology school and are keen on maintaining a high standard of quality. They are lowering the average yield in the field and are refining the winemaking traditions of the region while conserving Malbec’s fresheness and terroir typicity.

Even before attending this lecture, I’ve always liked this wine and found it to be a great value on many wine lists, both of the five-star restaurant variety and French bistros. Though you will find sophisticated Cahors with subtle complexities, to me an everyday Cahors is the kind of wine that confidently announces itself with a joyful shout, not a subdued whisper. So look out for Cahors the next time you go to your local wine shop. It may be just the thing for steak grilled on your summer barbeque.

"What a delicious wine!" exclaims the client with real enthusiasm after his first sip of Carmenere, a popular Chilean varietal that was once mistaken for Merlot given its soft, velvety nature. Of course, the CEO started off the dinner with two very expensive bottles of Burgundy, which given the young vintage were not exactly showing at their best. In order to change the theme, and lower the tab, I quickly scanned the menu and ordered the $40 bottle.

Why Carmenere? Why now? Since the client refused to be poured more of the Burgundy and sipped Carmenere with interest, I imagine it is because Carmenere is ready to drink, incredibly delicious, and easy on the pocketbook during these challenging economic times. This brings me to the main point of this column: the exact same statement can be said of Malbec, a varietal which is "old world" in nature (think the Loire and Bordeaux), yet has found new popularity in Argentina.

Now that I have attained my Diploma from the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust, my next step is the Master of Wine, a self-study program in which students must blind taste wines and guess the varietals in a deductive fashion. Since Malbec and Carmenere are both a purple-ruby color with a similar nose and palate, yet come from two different countries and grape varietals, I needed to taste test them together in order to fix their characteristics in my mind.

If you would like to perform a similar taste test, call your local wine store, explain what you are doing, and ask the clerk to find an example of a Malbec and Carmenere which are similar in appearance, nose, and palate, and then ask the clerk to cover the bottle (usually done with a wine bag).

Once you receive the bottles, invite a few wine savvy friends over (not necessary, yet fun) and pour them a small amount of each varietal in two separate glasses. For my own test, the clerk sent me Crucero Carmenere from Chile's Colchagua Valley, and La Flor de Pulenta Wines (the Malbec) from Mendoza, Argentina.

As I suspected, both the wines looked similar in the glass, an extracted ruby-purple, though the Carmenere was a bit muddier while the Malbec had more of a scintillating brightness and clarity to it. Swirling each glass, I saw that the Carmenere had extraction in the tears (the waves of wine that rise and fall with each swirl), yet the glass became stained by them. The Malbec also had extraction (usually indicating a thick skinned grape), yet the tears did not stain the glass.

On the nose, both appeared initially similar. The Carmenere had smoke, rich red/black fruit, and a concentrated note like fig. The Malbec had a more pronounced oak (similar to a fireplace, though it could just be this one producer), and the wine seemed to be more red/purple flowers than fruit. In palate, the Carminere and Malbec both had med+ acidity, lower tannin, med to med- body, and alcohol around 13.5. Both my friend and I could recognize the Carminere when side-by-side with the Malbec, as it was smoother, had more body, and a bit more lush.

If you try this at home, please tell me your thoughts! I am story @awine story.com and you can also tweet me @awinestory

Technical notes: The Carmenere was made from 100/5 estate grown grapes with fermentation in stainless steel and aging in French oak for twelve months. La Flor de Pulenta Malbec made from 100% Estate fruit from the youngest vines and six months in neutral French oak barrels.