A spate of wet vintages puts vintners in Argentina to the test.
Recent vintages in Argentina have proved challenging to the country’s vintners and grape growers, with rain, frost and hail plaguing 2016, 2015 and 2014 to varying degrees. These are anomalous conditions in the usually desert like climate that characterizes this South American nation’s major wine growing regions, which are centered on the Mendoza district, located at the base of the Andes. The culprits include climate change and, in the case of 2016, a particularly strong El Niño effect.
For consumers, this means careful shopping is necessary. Still, there are many good wines that offer distinctive flavors, especially from the 2013 vintage. Since my last report (“Argentine Evolution,” Dec. 31, 2015 – Jan. 15, 2016), I have tasted more than 425 wines from Argentina; just over 100 of them earn outstanding scores of 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale, with the vast majority of those made from Malbec, Argentina’s leading red grape. (A free alphabetical list of scores and prices for all wines tasted is available at www.winespectator.com/123116.)
The sole wine in this report to rate in the classic range of 95 to 100 points is the Viña Cobos Malbec La Consulta Bramare Rebon Vineyard 2013 (95 points, $95). Suave and rich-tasting, with red berry, sandalwood, chestnut and plum tart flavors, it is from California-based vintner Paul Hobbs, who has played an instrumental role in putting Argentine Malbec on the world stage. In 1989, Hobbs began consulting for Argentinian wine pioneer Nicolás Catena, who brought in Hobbs to help him modernize winemaking at his Catena Zapata estate. Hobbs soon became devoted to making great Malbec, and he has been a driving force in Argentina ever since.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 31, 2016 من Wine Spectator.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 31, 2016 من Wine Spectator.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Shipwrecked Champagne Hoard Discovered Near Sweden
It sometimes feels like wine has a habit of falling into the briny deep. On July 23, Polish wreck diver and underwater photographer Tomasz Stachura announced that he and his Baltictech team had discovered the wreck of a 19th-century sailing ship near Öland, an island off the coast of Sweden—and it was crammed with bottles of Champagne and mineral water.
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Savoring Persimmon Season
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Tasting Plate: A German Six-Pack
Though it boasts Western Europe’s largest population and biggest economy, Germany is nowhere near the cheese juggernaut its neighbors Switzerland and France are. That said, the Germans love their fine cheeses, and they do turn out some excellent ones, fortunately including more than a handful that are currently available here in the U.S.
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Ask winemakers in the Southern Rhône to name the most exciting white grape in their region and you will hear a growing number of them say \"Clairette.\"
Kistler's DARKER SIDE
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ups the ante at the house that Chardonnay built
THE SPLENDOR OF CHAMPAGNE
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MICHAEL BATTERBERRY: 1932-2010 Gourmet, Journalist, Gentleman
Before Food Network, Top Chef or Yelp ... before the term “foodie\" ... before tomatoes were heirloom and sushi was fast food... back when fancy restaurants were always French... Michael Batterberry and his wife, Ariane, were working to celebrate and elevate the status of American chefs and international cuisine. Julie Mautner, Food Arts' former executive editor, looks at the life and legacy of her late mentor, affectionately known as The Bat.
