Posted by Greg Schroeder on September 29, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I’ll be honest. There are some tastings that you get invited to that are good. Then there are those that you walk away from thinking, “That was why I love being in the wine industry.” Yesterday was one of those days, as I was invited to a special tasting with Manuel Ferrer of Achaval Ferrer at Michael Mina’s restaurant XIV in Los Angeles.
The invitation came via email and promised that we would be tasting not only the current vintage of all of Achaval Ferrer’s offerings, but that we would tasting wines from their library, hand selected by Manuel for the tasting.
All I can say is that is was better than advertised.
We began our tasting with a blind tasting of three wines from three different regions in the world. After sampling Manuel asked, “Is there any of the wines that you feel quality-wise does not belong with the others?” Honestly, there was not. Each wine, one Old World and two definite New World wines were showing gorgeously. After a bit of bantering, they revealed the identity of the three wines. The first, Ornellaia. The third wine, Joseph Phelps Insignia. The second wine, you might be wondering, was Achaval Ferrer 2007 Quimera, a bottle that retails at our store for $31.98. Imagine our surprise, in a room full of wine buyers and sommeliers, that we could not differentiate between the quality and price of the wines. Brilliant. The Quimera drank just as well as the Ornellaia and the Insignia at a fraction of the price.
The rest of the tasting went something like this:
Achaval Ferrer ’08 Malbec Mendoza
Achaval Ferrer ’07 Quimera
Achaval Ferrer ’07 Finca Mirador
Achaval Ferrer ’07 Finca Bella Vista
Achaval Ferrer ’07 Finca Altamira
Achaval Ferrer ’01 Quimera
Achaval Ferrer ’02 Quimera
Achaval Ferrer ’03 Quimera
Achaval Ferrer ’03 Finca Mirador
Achaval Ferrer ’04 Finca Mirador
Achaval Ferrer ’04 Altamira
Here’s what I found in tasting all of these stunning wines. When asked what his favorite wine ever produced by Achaval Ferrer, with instantaneous ease Manuel Ferrer offered, “The 2002 Quimera. I think it is the most elegant wine we have ever produced.” Judging by the reaction of the guests, he was right on. The 2002 Quimera has an elegance that is relatively unheard of in Argentine wines. The depth of fruit and complexity is a thing of beauty. Fully integrated, the wine draws you in first with the color, a deep purple, then with the nose, a rich combination of blueberry and blackberry, and finally on the palate, a seamless delivery of fruit with a finish that went on for minutes.
Other gems of the tasting were the 2004 vintages, both the Mirador and Altamira, which are perhaps some of the best I’ve personally tasted from their single vineyard projects. The other stunner was the 2007 Bella Vista, their mid-elevation vineyard that is at the same elevation as the entire winery. Bella Vista is an exceptional vineyard, which produces very, very low yields [think 0.9 tons per acre]. Bella Vista is only done in good years, as it was not made in 2005 or 2006. It is a prize well worth finding, and the 2007 vintage is flat out exceptional.
If you are looking for a cellar-worthy Argentine wine, look no further. The Achaval Ferrer wines are well worth your interest. If you can find the 2002 Quimera, grab as many as you can. If you can find anything from the 2004 vintage, pick up a few. If you’re out of luck there, no fear… the 2007 vintage is one of the best they’ve produced in quite a bit of time. You can scan our Achaval Ferrer offerings here.
Enjoy.
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Posted by Greg Schroeder on September 12, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Every once in a while, we get the opportunity to taste a series of wines that are truly extraordinary.
Last Friday was that day.
Andres Blanchard, the U.S. Export Manager for Catena Wines, was in store with the new line-up of Catena Wines for 2006. I had the opportunity to tast through the line-up of the 2005 vintage a ways back and were absolutely blown away by how the wines were showing that day. So with that memory fresh in my mind, I looked forward to what the 2006 vintage held in store. Let me just say this… I was not disappointed.
In short, here’s what we tasted last Friday:
- Catena Alta 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
- Catena Alta 2006 Malbec
- Catena Zapata 2006 Adrianna Malbec
- Catena Zapata 2006 Nicasia Malbec
- Catena Zapata 2006 Argentino Malbec [blend of the Adrianna and Nicasia]
- Catena Zapata 2006 Nicolas
Here was our take. Compared to the 2005 vintage, which showed a bit more extraction, the 2006 vintage showed a greater depth and complexity than its predecessor. The wines were absolutely gorgeous. While each of the single vineyard Malbecs had its own distinct character, the blend offers what is perhaps the best introduction to high end Malbecs available. The flagship wine, the Nicolas, also was at the top of its game offering a depth of character that rivals any California Cabernet at double its price.
In the end, I believe the 2006 vintage will be more cellar worthy than the 2005 vintage, offering a more complex structure. In my estimation, the Catena Wines, are perhaps some of the best made wines in the entire region, if not beyond. They consistently score very high and are some of the most sought after Argentine wines in the world. Yet unlike many other wines, the bottle backs up the hype.
Like the old saying goes, if you really want to know what wines are worth the money, ask wine buyers what they have in the personal collection. That being said, as the Southern Hemisphere wine buyer for Amazing Grapes I’ll tell you what takes a prominant spot in my personal collection – a healthy dose of Catena Wines. And from what I tasted last Friday, the 2006 vintage will sit nicely along my 2004′s and 2005′s from Catena.
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Posted by Greg Schroeder on September 7, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Paso Robles has exploded with new wineries, most of which are up and running and can be taste tested any day of the week. The newcomer to this still rural city is Daniel Daou of Daou Vineyards, which cannot be visited by the public . . . yet. I’ve had the honor to come to know owner/winemaker Daniel Daou and to have visited his vineyard property where the winery will be built some day and to drink his wines early. I personally think this IS the new Jewel of Paso Robles and here’s why:
The vineyards and winery site are on the right side of the 101 (right means the west side). But lots of good Paso wineries are. What makes Daou’s property unique is “where” it is located on the west side. The year old vines have been planted at an elevation of 2,200 feet in the Adelaida Mountains.
Check out this video of Daou Vineyards! A truly stunning property!
This is one huge pile of limestone rock, ideal for making a French influenced wine. IMHO, the best French wines are ones that are grown in limestone vineyards and that fact is not lost on Daniel.
If you get a chance to have a personal tour of the property, what strikes you is how beautiful the views are and how meticulous the vineyards look. It’s straight out of a movie. It’s immediately obvious that Daniel has spared no expense in doing this right and that’s he’s very serious about his wines becoming the best there is in Paso Robles.
Most new vineyards today are carefully plotted, soil tested, charted and planned, down to the root stocks that should be planted. If the company who performed this plan said to use treated lumber, Daniel bought the most expensive posts. If the plan said to plant $2.50 root stocks, Daniel “upgraded” to the $3.50 root stocks and so it goes with every item. This guy is serious about being the best! What makes this idyllic scene even more beautiful is to see the striking difference with his neighbors vineyards. Picture someone who has built a mansion on their property while their neighbor’s property is trailer trash!
Even though Daniel’s vineyards have yet to produce a cluster of grapes, he’s already making wine with an impressive team that is practicing for the big day these beautiful vines begin their journey to fame. Paso Robles typically doesn’t make wines in a French style, yet this is clearly where Daniel is heading. His wines are not your usual fruit bomb, alcohol heavy reds that are typically produced in Paso. These are elegant, finely structured wines that need time in the bottle to evolve. These are wines that will richly reward your patience.
As a retailer, I’d prefer to hoard Daniel Daou to myself and my customers, but I have a feeling that he’s not going to need my help for very long. My prediction is that his winery will quickly ascend to cult status like some of Paso’s famous wineries; Alban, Saxum and Paul Lato to name a few, with all of his wines being purchased off the mailing list or wine club. So I’m giving you a valuable tip - sign up with this guy today! You can thank me by purchasing the wines I can get from Daniel now!
Hopefully my gratuitous sucking up will see Daniel allocating a few cases for our lucky store customers each year (hint, hint, hint)!
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