Trialto New World Classics Catalogue Tasting

Fine Wine Reserve
Tasted Wednesday, September 25, 2013 by Wine Canuck with 470 views

Introduction

Trialto hosted a lovely afternoon tasting featuring select wines from their portfolio. Argentine wines from Bodega Catena dominated the lineup, and all were free from technical flaws and were generally to my liking.

Flight 1 (9 Notes)

  • 2010 Bodega Catena Zapata Chardonnay White Stones Adrianna Vineyard 92 Points

    Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Gualtallary

    Nose has plenty of immediate appeal and obvious oak treatment, however ripeness is in check and oak isn't over the top. Nose of toasted hazelnuts/almonds, vanila custard, green apple flesh, lemon. Palate is fairy linear and acidic, quite firm and burgundian. Only thing I missed was perhaps a bit of mineral given its name.

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  • 2010 Southbrook Winery Cabernet-Merlot Poetica 91 Points

    Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA

    Very tastefully done and excellent nose off the bat reminiscent of the Loire. You really have to like Loire reds to "get" this wine. Roasted bell pepper, caramel/vanilla but oak is very much background and complementary. Hints of red licoricey fruit and black pepper with bit of pipe tobacco poking through. Palate repeats green noes via bell pepper and green beans with moderate chunky tannin on the impressively lengthy finish. A very honest wine.

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  • 2007 Poplar Grove Winery The Legacy 92 Points

    Canada, British Columbia, Okanagan Valley, Okanagan Valley VQA

    I was actually quite impressed with this. It features a powerful nose full of complexity. Nose is funky with cashew, decaying leaves, mushroom, and truffle notes that are quite prominent, not dissimilar to the Ridge house style. Oak is noted but high quality. More swirling reveals a mélange of spiced blue and purple fruit, like a parfait. Palate is dominated by a wall of drying tannin. Nicely done, 91 - 92 Points, drinking well now at an early stage of maturity but should continue further down this path and be fully mature in 5 - 10 years. Gives a nod to the old world and is a good style for the Okanagan, wish more were shooting for this rather than the ripe oaky Napa style.

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  • 2009 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Griffin's Lair 91 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Right off the bat it is evident that this resembles the Northern Rhone with quite an old world nose. Black pepper, caper, olive brine, tar, and light touches of saline start things off. A bit of a rubber/plastic/diesel note detracts from the overall aromatic spectrum but you can't deny this wine is massively complex. There is also loads of blueberry fruit hiding under there. Palate is quite fat, almost a bit creamy and finishes on fine grained tannin. Unfortunately the diesel fuel note replays on the finish, again holing back the score for me. Overall it's a bit much for me right now, give it some time to integrate and maybe something beautiful will come out on the other end.

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  • 2010 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Catena Alta Historic Rows 90 Points

    Argentina, Mendoza

    I don't think this is over-oaked, but the oak is prominently featured. Coffee bean and vanilla are front and centre on the nose, with touches of spice and bold dark cherry and plummy fruit. Palate is fairly round, with balanced ripe fruit, and finishes on ripe sweet tannin. Stylistically somewhere between traditional and modern, but no enough complexity there to boost the score much above 90 for me.

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  • 2009 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Nicasia Vineyard 90 Points

    Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Altamira

    Initially the nose was tinged with some reductive/rubber notes. With swirling, that seemingly took a backseat. Notes features smoke, cinnamon, and blackberry fruit. Palate is rich and filling with abundant fruit and a smoke and cinnamon tinged finish. This wine really felt to me like it was all about the fruit. Fortunately it wasn't overripe but doesn't quite have the complexity
    I desire to drive the score higher.

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  • 2009 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Adrianna Vineyard 94 Points

    Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Gualtallary

    For my palate this is vastly superior to the Nicasa, however you must be tolerant of some barnyard and earth to appreciate it. To me this is reminiscent of a top tier classified growth Bordeaux and is already pleasurable now to drink. Loads of earth, barnyard, new leather, dark cherry, blackberry, and a touch of saline on the nose. Palate has some roundness to it and features abundant fruit with elevated acid and a fresh long finish carried on the earth and barnyard notes. Should have a long life and should age gracefully. If there is anything in the Catena lineup I want in my cellar, this is it! 94 Points today and I'm wondering if that is too conservative. If you like Dunn Howell Mountain or a top notch Pauillac then this is will be right up your alley.

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  • 2009 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 91 Points

    Argentina, Mendoza

    Nose of root beer, cherry cola, and blue licorice. Evidently high-quality but a bit more polished and clean than I like. Modern but not offensively so. Fresh and nicely done with a long finish carried on some spice.

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  • 2009 Bodega Catena Zapata Nicolás Catena Zapata 91 Points

    Argentina, Mendoza

    Back on point here and again reminiscent of Bordeaux. Nose balances sawdust, coffee bean, pencil shavings and earth against dark berry and plum fruit. Hindered just a touch by a bit of a plastic note. Palate is a bit more firm than the other wines in the lineup and finishes on some noted tannin. Replays licorice notes on the finish. Decidedly less rustic than the Adrianna Malbec is today, but still shows some old-world sensibility.

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