Argentina Wines of Distinction - Bodega Colomé

Last year I reviewed wines from Bodega Colomé a member of Hess Family Estates (read the review http://hudsonvalleywinegoddess.com/secret-high-altitude-vineyards-argentina) I spoke about the wines from the Salta region of Argentina and how the high altitude makes them special. What exactly does growing grapes at high altitude differ from growing grapes in the valley? This is what I am going to discuss today.

As you climb up a mountain to a higher elevation, the sunlight becomes more concentrated. Because of this intense exposure to the sun, the grapes develop a deeper pigment concentration in the form of a thick, tough skin leading to a deep intense color and strong tannins. The cooler nights improve the acid levels in grapes and there is low humidity. Due to the wide range of temperature the plants aren’t to stressed. This allows the grapes to concentrate on th color, aromas and flavors.

Every vintage brings a new wine. This year brought me the 2014 Bodega Colomé Malbec and the 2016 Bodega Colomé Torrontés. Both very nice wines. Torrontés aged in stainless steel is a good substitution for Chardonnay in my opinion.

2014 Bodega Colomé Malbec was slightly different than last year. The color was dark and intense almost like Coca-Cola. Complex aromas of coffee, black cherry, mocha, chocolate covered cherries and a hint of burnt toast escaped in layers from the glass. On the palate was both red and black fruit. Plum, red raspberry, black cherry, cherry mocha and a hint of spice on the finish. I served this with lamb burgers with Moroccan spice and the Malbec really brought out the cinnamon spice of the burgers. I should not that Wine Spectator rated this a 92. It’s a great value at a SRP $25

2016 Bodega Colomé Torrontés aged in stainless steel had a floral nose of honeysuckle and jasmine leading to flavors of apricot, lychee and citrus on the finish with nice acidity. This was a beach picnic wine that I had with tofu quesadillas. SRP $15

The Secret Of High Altitude Vineyards Of Argentina

The Salta region in Argentina is know to have the highest altitude vineyards.  70 % of the vineyards are located in the Calchaquies Valley.  There are 7,900 acres planted with grapes.

Starting at 4,900 above sea level there are grapes planted to 10,210 feet above sea level. Colome which has been located in the Calchaqui Valley since 1831 has the highest  vineyards planted in the world.  Their Malbec thrives in the higher altitude. What does this mean for the grape.  Well, with the higher altitude this offers more sun and produces a thicker skinned on their Malbec grape. This creates a more robust taste and nice acidity.

The 2013 Colome Estate Malbec is a blend of Malbec from 4 vineyards all at different altitudes. The grapes from each of these altitudes contribute different attributes to the wine. The fruit from the La Brava Vineyard wich is at 5,740 brings intense and ripe fruit to the bottle. At 7,545 feet the grapes from the Colome Vineyard that surrounds the winery brings complexity and weight to the wine. Climbing a little higher to 8,530 feet above sea level grapes from the El Arenal Vineyard give the wine its elegance and freshness. At the top, 10,207 feet above sea level at the highest vineyard in the world, the grapes from this vineyard contribute the floral and mineral notes along with fine grain tannins.

After harvest the wine spent 15 months in French oak. The wine is very concentrated and has intense aromas of plum, hints of oak, and black fruit.  One
sip and there were flavors of  ripe black fruit,bursting in my mouth.  As the wine opened, there was hints of chocolate and slight pepper on the finish. The bold tannins and nice acidity made it a very food friendly wine.  I served it with a lamb stew.

The above Malbec retails for $25.

The Malbec also has a sister - Torrentes.  Torrontes happens to be the signature white wine of Argentina. The grapes sourced for this wine come from 30 to 60 year old vines and are age in stainless steel tanks. For me that is how I like my Torrentes, with no oak influence.

The high altitude for this grape contributes to a longer growing season and more retention of the grapes natural acidity and better flavor expression.  The soil is sandy with layers of gravel and this help with the drainage.

Colome's 2015 Torrontes was nice and crisp with floral notes on the nose along with hints of peach, citrus, and white grapefruit. Nice on the palate with tropical notes of pineapple, hints of  lychee and a soft white spice on the finish.

This didn't go without a dish, I served it with pasta and fresh pesto from the garden.

The Torrentes retails for $15

Visiting Trumpeter Torrontés

It's been a few years since I've had Trumpeter Torrontés by Rutini Wines.  Back in 2012 was my first introduction to Rutini wines and the Torrontés grape.  I was also very privileged to attend a lunch in New York City at the time and met the winemaker, Mariano Di Paola. It was one of the best wine tastings I have ever been to.  You can read about it here.

I'm happy to say that 4 years later the price point of the wine is relatively the same. 

The 2015 Rutini Trumpeter Torrontés did not disappoint!  Fermented in stainless steel floral aromas filled the glass along with white peach and hints of jasmine.  First sip gave way to flavors of lemon and jasmine with a mid palate of white peach. As the wine warmed up hints pineapple began to mix with the lemon and you became aware of the minerality backbone of the wine and the nice acidity.

This wine is a keeper! It retails for $10.99.  

This wine will go well with chicken, pork and seafood.  I paired it with Kielbasa, caramelized onions and sauerkraut.

Dreaming Argentina with Kaiken Wines

A few weeks ago I did a post on Aurelio Montes and Montes Wines of Chile and was blown away by the quality of the wine.  Well, Aurelio happen to make a visit to Mendoza, Argentina and fell in love with the people, terrior and viticulture in the country.

What happens when you fall in love with another wine region, you open a winery and that is what he did in 2002, Kaiken was born.  Now he showcases the best wines of both sides of the Andes.

I have always liked the wines of Argentina.Tasting the 2015 Kaiken Terrior Series Torrentes and the 2012 Ultra Malbec I can say I was just as blown away as I was with the Chilean wines.  Exceptional quality and expression of terrior.

Speaking of terrior, a conversation was had on trying to think of wine, not as the varietals but in terms of regions and terrior.  I think this is very valid.  Think about it, the reason you like a Malbec from Argentina better than a Malbec from France(Cahors) is because of the region, growing season and the terrior (the soil in which it's grown in and weather).

Before I go into the two wines from Kaiken, I want to propose to you, the next bottle of wine you drink, take note on where it is from and what attracts you to it (not the label, but taste).  Do a little research about the terrior, where the grapes are grown, the soil it's grown in, and you will begin understand a little bit more of what you really like in a wine and what attracts you to what is in the bottle.

Now for the review of the two Kaiken wines.  The first wine, Kaiken Terrior Series Torrontes 2015 went on a little field trip with Paul and me.  We dressed the bottle up in a nice wine tote and took it to Jay's on Third in Stone Harbor, NJ for dinner.

The grapes for the Torrontes were grown in the Cafayate Valley in the Salta region of Argentina. It's a cooler climate and allows for the grapes to develop good acidity.  The soil is sandy loam with round stones and brings a freshness to the wine

The glass was filled with complex aromas of jasmine some orange zest, macintosh apple and floral notes.  Once in the mouth, beautiful!  Nice acidity, some stone fruit, some pineapple and a slight hint of lime zest.

This was paired with Baby Beets- stewed apple goat cheese, quinoa puffs, pickled green almonds and yuza agave; Scallops with grilled corn risotto, smoked paprika, soft herb salad, saffron-citrus froth/ chili oil; and Branzino.  The Torrontes worked well with each dish.  SRP $17

Back at home the next day we opened the Kaiken Ultra 2012 Malbec. When I think of Malbec I think of burgers or ribs.  I wasn't cooking that night and Paul made shrimp tacos and added the Malbec to the sauce.  I was quite surprised how well the pairing went.

The Malbec was lovely.  It had aromas of coffee, dark berry, cedar, plum and blueberry.  As the wine opened the coffee aroma turned to mocha. The palate is soft with nice tannins and acidity.  Flavors of plum, dark fruit, vanilla and a soft black pepper spice fill you mouth.  As the wine begins to open the plum becomes juicy ripe, hints of boysenberry and leather.

They say this wine can be aged for 10 years, but I would drink it now.  SRP 24

Spirit of the Andes: Sparkling Torrontes

I am really getting into the bubbles lately.  Why not?  If we saved everything for a special occasion we would never drink it.  My new motto for 2014 is not to save anything for that special time.  Drink now and enjoy!

Enjoy is just what I did with the Spirit of the Andes Sparkling Torrontes.

Torrontes is a wonderful white wine grape grown in Argentina.  The grapes for this wine are sustainably farmed 3,000 feet above sea level.  The grapes are hand harvested, spend 12 months on the lees and the sparkling wine is made in the methode champenoise which the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. (like it's done in Champagne, France)

This was a beautiful sparkling with racy acidity and a real bright freshness that brings on excitement.  Fresh lemon and floral aromas fill the glass and even though I drank this in the winter, it had me thinking summer. Flavors of juicy pear and citrus with hints of pine nuts on the palate combined with the acidity that is balanced out make this dry sparkling a every day, every occasion wine.

To learn more about their substainably farmed program, visit http://www.tapiz.com.ar/sustainability.html

It's Hot Outside! Go for the Trumpeter

It's hot out there, we are in the middle of summer and what more refreshing than a 2010 Trumpeter Torrontes. I reviewed this wine back in April but never posted and it will make a great refreshing white and is very affordable at $10 a bottle.

Aromas of pear, honeysuckle and spice give way to a palate with hints of lychee, bursting with white peach.  It's crisp, clean with a hint of spice on the finish.  Drink and enjoy.

Disclaimer: This wine was a media sample from Pasternak Imports.