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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2010 and 2014 (based on 10 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 9 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by owr on 12/21/2017 & rated 89 points: I'm happy to report that this Argentinean Cab also showed wonderfully well: cassis, blackberry, with a bit of that foresty-floor; plus Baker's cocoa, white pepper, and black licorice came through on the finish. (1106 views) | | | Tasted by owr on 4/1/2013 & rated 90 points: With its chocolate-mocha-coffee nose that followed through onto the palate adding rich dark berries and a silky smooth finish along the way. I was very happy with the performance of all these wines ... after all they had to match up with the dinner that was cooked to perfection. I'd say the Las Palmas is ready to drink now. (2479 views) | | | Tasted by Double-A on 1/29/2013 & rated 95 points: Aromatic and ripe, glossy currant, mineral, char and toast nose. Full, flavourful and balanced with perfectly ripe tannins. Toasty, curranty finish.
5/5 (1134 views) | | | Tasted by AndrewTrevors on 11/16/2012 & rated 90 points: Really liked this one. Very smooth with little aeration (used aeration pourer).
The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Short. (2605 views) | | | Tasted by YWG Wine Guy on 3/9/2012 & rated 88 points: New on shelf in MB Canada - last note was from 2010! This is kind of like last comment. Coming on 5 yrs old now - 22$ @ MLCC. Dark purple/red in glass. Nose is similar actually with smokey dark berry fruit. Palate again has similar themes. Dark blue/black/boisenberry qualities. Smoke notes with light acid and almost soft like tannins. Some ?menthol notes that round out the "oaky" finish. A little different and is tasty enough with a little food that could be a could wine for the cellar to try over the next 1-3 yrs. (3003 views) | | | Tasted by Polarper on 11/6/2010 & rated 88 points: Dense bluish red. Toast and caramel on the nose, hints of black currant, slightly smoky. Spicy and fruity on the palate, short aftertaste. (2212 views) | | | Tasted by roblise on 3/26/2010 & rated 90 points: Enjoyed it with grilled meats and this wine followed a California Zinfandel (Cline)... in contrast to the Zinfandel, this wine with food felt very fruit forward as an accompaniement to this meal, which I am finding more and more common in South American red wines I am tasting lately. Not bad, just a characteristic of the red Argentinean and Chilean wines - malbec and in this case it was cabernet sauvignon. (2540 views) | | | Tasted by roblise on 2/27/2010 & rated 90 points: Excellent, meaty cab full of nose and flavour... will NOT disappoint you. This would be harmony with bbq steak. WOW. (1171 views) |
| By David Lawrason
WineAlign (2/12/2013)
(Trapiche Fincas Las Palmas Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Steve Thurlow
WineAlign (2/17/2010)
(Trapiche Fincas Las Palmas Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign. (manage subscription channels) |
| Trapiche Producer website
MendozaCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonGran ReservaTradition Ascendant in Rioja
By ERIC ASIMOV
August 11, 2009
One of my stops on my recent trip to Spain was Rioja, where I was able to spend quite a bit of time at the venerable winery López de Heredia, which is the focus of my column this week.
As those of you who have been reading this blog for a long time may guess, I’ve had a long love affair with the wines of López de Heredia. In fact, my second post ever was about its wonderful rosado, which, unusually for any wine, let alone a rosé, is generally released when it’s about 10 years old.
It’s almost reflexive when talking about López to describe it as classic or unyielding, because it is quite immune to the trend-following that so often guides decision-making in the world of wine. That is true. But it took me this visit to realize that in its own way, López de Heredia is now a cutting-edge winery.
It’s a case of what goes around comes around, as forward-thinking winemakers have in many ways come around to López de Heredia’s ways of doing things. This is particularly true in the vineyard, where its gentle, natural viticultural approach is now the preferred approach my many of the world’s great producers. In the winery, it’s harder to say, except that Lopez’s gentle handling, reliance on natural yeasts and overall artisanal methods are likewise an ideal today.
Of course, the fact that Lopez uses old barrels, including enormous wooden fermentation vessels that have been around almost as long as the 132-year-old winery itself, leaves a lot of room for debate. Very few producers use barrels that old, though one that comes to mind is Biondi Santi in Montalcino.
Still, styles oscillate over the years, and I believe we are now retreating from an era of overly oaky wines, back to wines where the barrel regimen is as much if not more about imparting texture as it is flavor.
In fact, oaky flavors can be important in López de Heredia wines. All you have to do is taste one of its wonderful older white wines, like the 1991 reserva, to taste the hazelnut, coconut flavors of American oak beautifully integrated with the wine. And if you ever get a chance to taste a rare 1964 white, as I did in Rioja, you will be rewarded with a rich, pure wine tasting almost entirely of minerals.
The strange thing about López de Heredia is that because its wines have never changed, people tend to think of the company as a dour, humorless, rigid sort of place, haunted by the imperative of adhering to tradition. Nothing could be further from the truth.
For instance, while the winery is largely a sturdy example of late 19th century architecture, the new boutique for visitors, designed by the Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, is fully in keeping with the non-linear architectural look of modern Rioja. It was in the boutique that I watched one afternoon as Maria José López de Heredia, along with her sister, Mercedes, and father, Pedro, about to turn 81, regaled tourists with a boisterous Spanish drinking song.
Many people might be surprised, for example, at some of the winery’s plans for tourism. Maria José, who often takes the lead role in public but runs the winery with her sister, father and brother, Julio César, would like to build a little train line to take tourists back and forth between the winery and its most famous vineyard, Viña Tondonia, just across the Ebro River.
“Why not?’’ she said. “It’s very important to teach people, and it’s easier to teach them if you give them a good time.’’
Of course, she has a serious reason as well. “It’s impossible for people to understand the soul of a wine if they don’t know how the grapes are grown,’’ she told me.
For people who do have the opportunity to visit López de Heredia, doubtless the most striking moment is seeing the thousands of bottles of gran reserva wines, aging in a cellar covered in mold and cobwebs. For people who are used to the squeaky clean hygiene of New World cellars (or for somebody like my mother, for example, who did not permit dirt in her kitchen) such a sight might prove troubling.
But the mold and cobwebs are typical of more than a few old Old World cellars, where they are considered an intrinsic part of the terroir. Maria José, for example, insists that the mold and webs are absolutely beneficial to the wines, and that cleaning them out under the mistaken notion of pursuing hygiene would have many unintended consequences.
“It’s protection, not affliction!’’ she said, and I don’t doubt her. Her wines, at least, are paragons of purity.Argentina Wines of Argentina
Argentina has been making wine since the 1500s, tracing its wine heritage back to Spain, France and, perhaps surprisingly, Italy. Italian immigration is second only to Spanish in Argentine culture, and the flavors of Italy show up strongly in the nation’s wine, food and cultural tradition. Historically, Argentina has kept much of its wine consumption at home, drinking most of the wine it makes. But we are now seeing more very serious Argentine wines north of the border, and Malbec is leading the movement. The wine-making region in Argentina ranges between the 22° and 42° South latitude. It spreads at the foothills of the Andean mountain range along over 2,400 km; from the province of Salta to the province of Río Negro, with a variety of climates and soils that makes each region a unique land. In general terms, the areas dedicated to vine cultivation are dry and arid with a low level of rain and humidity, determining factor as regards grape health. Abundant sunny days and thermal amplitude favor a good maturity and concentration of aroma and color in the grain. Soils are deep, permeable and poor in organic matter, decisive qualities at the time of obtaining good wine. Due to the low rain regime, irrigation is necessary. Water comes from the Andean range thaw, descending in the shape of rivers to become channels or ditches. Undoubtedly, the combination of these factors turns Argentina into a veritable oasis for the highest quality wine-making. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go. Wine-making in Argentina, at the level that it achieves today, has a young history that goes back to a little more than 10 years ago. Technological progress, investment and some farsighted businessmen enabled a determining transformation. The province of Mendoza is the most traditional area in the viticultural industry, and is diverse enough to be divided into zones, according to their significantly different weather, height and soil characteristics. These include the Northern Zone, which is suitable for fruity whites and young reds, at a height from 600 to 700m; the Eastern Zone, with a height ranging from 600 to 700m, and the most productive zone in the province; the Uco Valley, a zone of colder weather and higher altitudes (between 800 and 1,400m over sea level); San Rafael, with heights ranging from 450 to 800m; and the High Zone of the Mendoza River, with heights ranging from 800 to 1,100m over sea level and various microclimates, this is the zone where almost all noble varieties have easily become adapted. It is a region that is remarkably well-suited to vine culture, protected from the Pacific’s cooling influence by the Andes and enjoying a long summer of cool nights and warm days, with a dry summer climate but plenty of water available from the region’s rivers. Malbec in particular is outstanding from this area, and it has clearly emerged as the star, the darling of both consumers and critics.Mendoza Wines of Mendoza |
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