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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2010 and 2014 (based on 5 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 82.4 pts. and median of 84 pts. in 34 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by MCrawford on 7/1/2013 & rated 85 points: Nice value wine. See previous note. (3512 views) | | | Tasted by MCrawford on 6/26/2012 & rated 85 points: A decent under $10 Malbec. Looks nice in the glass, clean, clear, very little sediment. Red fruit, mostly cherry with hints of raspberry. Thin when first opened, but things firm up as it sits. Drank with grilled chicken which was a good fit. I get hints of white pepper on the nose but that's about it. Good price point for what you're getting. (4586 views) | | | Tasted by Life At Your Leisure 🍷 on 2/12/2012 & rated 87 points: Dark violet color with a creamy texture featuring bold, bright and lively flavors of blueberry, maple, vanilla, boysenberry, and plum. Drink now until 2017. (3645 views) | | | Tasted by 1512tnw on 10/23/2011 & rated 84 points: - Garnet color with fast forming legs -
(5307 views) | | | Tasted by Elehto on 7/24/2011 & rated 82 points: Great with pork. (5950 views) | | | Tasted by MCrawford on 6/13/2011 & rated 86 points: True to form malbec. Nice mid-week wine. Good price point. Still young, so I'll let the other bottles sit for a few years. (2770 views) | | | Tasted by MotherSchlepper on 4/22/2011 & rated 84 points: It was good. Just had one glass. wouldn't mind trying another. (2777 views) | | | Tasted by Aquila2009 on 3/22/2011 & rated 82 points: Started out rather flat but opened up a bit after the second glass. Served well as a cheap wine to go with grilling burgers. (2747 views) | | | Tasted by 1512tnw on 1/30/2011 & rated 86 points: Super daily wine. Easy, fruity, lighter side of malbec. Cheap and worth the few dollars. (2908 views) | | | Tasted by cortisj2 on 1/28/2011 & rated 79 points: Awful sharp not alot of balance Not Dona Paula best wine. pass on this one. (2897 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 11/3/2010 & rated 82 points: Enormously primary bouquet as well as taste with a lot of cherries. Sweet start with dark cherries . Although the wine has a good balance between sweetness, acidity and bitterness, it is quite one-dimensional. (3067 views) | | | Tasted by nzinkgraf on 9/8/2010: shows a little more fruit than either the tilia or the casa de campo. a bit lighter in color and in turn also a bit easier on the palate. this avoids the overt woody, for more earthy. presence of acid next to it's company and it's nice for that. (3227 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 8/18/2010: Sweet and with some spice. A bit rubbery and machined. But hell, its $8 and it works. (3266 views) | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 7/21/2010: Feel the low end! Spicy, trim neat and just darn good at $9. A touch carbonic but who cares? (3321 views) | | | Tasted by RyanCunningham on 6/6/2010 & rated 84 points: Received as a gift. Found it very enjoyable. (3490 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Doña Paula Producer website
Doña Paula was founded in 1997 by the respected South American entrepreneur, Ricardo Claro. The backing of this important enterprise allows Donã Paula to establish itself as a well financed, innovative winery seeking to produce world class wines. the vineyards that were purchased by Mr. Claro are planted with 30 year old, low yielding, top quality vines. The style, quality and value ae directly focused on export markets. Great quality is offered at very reasonable prices.
Winemaking is handled by the highly motivated, educated and experienced Stefano Gandolini and Matias Michelini.
Doña Paula enjoys new, state-of-the-art technology, with over 1 million liters of capacity in 100% stainless steel tanks, and French and American oak barrels.
Doña Paula owns 1878 acres of vineyards in the Lujan de Cuyo and Tupungato regions of Mendoza, at 3200 to 3400 feet of elevation. The Lujan de Cuyo vineyards are adjacent to the Andes Mountains and are thought by some to be among the most beautiful in the world. Tupungato is among the highest altitude terroirs of the most renowned of all wine growing regions of Argentina. These districts of Mendoza are producing intense yet elegant aromas and flavors. Vineyard management at Doña Paula emphasizes maximizing the best varietal characteristics, with extensive care taken to achieve perfect ripeness while maintaining balance and freshness. Grapes are all hand picked.Doña Paula Malbec Los CardosLos Cardos means “thistles” - flowers known by their intense and surprisingly vivid color. In the Mendoza province its presence is the symbol of good terroir. These are premium wines with a focus on quality and offer great value. They are fresh, ripe, fruity and are presented in a high profile, classy package. Los Cardos currently consists of Malbec, Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.Malbec Varietal character (Appellation America)
One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”, Malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A midseason ripener, it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends. Malbec is a finicky vine whose fruit is prone to rot and mildew in the cool, damp coastal climate of Bordeaux. But ask a Bordelais grower why there’s no Malbec around, and you’ll more likely get a dismissive shrug and sniff than a viticultural analysis. It is known in much of France as Côt, and, in Cahors, also as Auxerrois. There are in fact hundreds of local synonyms, since Malbec at one time was widely planted all over the country. Sensitivity to frost and proclivity to shatter or coulure (a disease that results in premature fruit drop) is the primary reason that Malbec has become a decreasing factor in most of France. Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over twothirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%. Malbec is also planted in Chile, and there’s relatively little and recent acreage in California and Australia. It is usually blended with other red varietals in these countries. But Malbec truly comes into its own in Argentina, where it is the major red varietal planted. Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, on its own roots. Sadly, over the years the bug infested Argentina, too, and vineyards are being replanted on resistant rootstock. Happily, the vines thrive in the arid climate of the Mendoza region in the foothills of the Andes. Made in the context of this South American nation’s Spanish and Italian heritage, it produces a delicious wine that has almost nothing in common with Bordeaux except the color. Argentines often spell it “Malbeck” and make wines from it that are slightly similar in flavor to those made in Europe, but with softer, lusher structure, more like New World Merlot. Another difference is that where French examples are usually considered short-lived, Argentine Malbecs seem to age fairly well. Successful Argentine Malbec growers claim that, in order to develop full maturity and distinction, Malbec needs “hang time” even after sugar levels indicate ripeness. Otherwise, immature Malbec can be very “green” tasting, without its characteristic notes of plum and anise. Malbec in Argentina has come to be appreciated for a spicy white pepper characteristic, the aroma of violets, and sweet, jammy fruit. It is a seductive wine that is typically warm and generous in the mouth, with plenty of flesh, and very appealing when young. Almost always producing a ripe and fruity, even plummy wine, Malbec can take oak aging or show well without it; it’s juicy and quaffable when young but can benefit from aging, developing an intriguing complexity with time in the bottle. It can range in price from as little as $7 to more than $75. The true potential of Argentine Malbec, and indeed in the entire spectrum of Argentine wines, is demonstrated by the fact that many of the world’s most renowned winemakers have come to Argentina to make wine. Both the legendary California winemaker Paul Hobbs, and Michel Rolland of Bordeaux, one of the world’s most famous winemakers, have created very high-end Malbecs. It may be the Italian component in the country’s mixed Latin family tree that fosters the fact that Malbec is an exceptional companion with a broad range of food. Its well-balanced fruit-and-acid profile makes it a natural with rare beef (bear in mind that Argentina is cattle country), but it’s just as good with simple fare from burgers to fried chicken. With its natural balance, good pairings include: cajun cuisine, calzones, cannelloni with meat, poultry, vegetable couscous, steak creole, Greek cuisine, deviled eggs, hummus, Indian cuisine, leg of lamb, Mexican cuisine with meat, pâté, spinach soufflé, and hearty pasta. For cheeses, think of harder styles that are either waxed or oiled, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Ricotta Salata, Romano, Asiago, Pont l’Eveque, Gruyere, Manchego, Cantal, Comte, old Gouda, old Cheddar, Baulderstone, Beaufort, Leicester, aged Chesire, Chevre Noir, Wensleydale, Tilsit, Iberico, Mahon, Roncal, and Mizithra.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 MendozaLujan de Cuyo Luján de Cuyo (Municipalidad de Luján de Cuyo)
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