Founded in 2003 by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, "the grandson of Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, creator of Sassacaia; Produced from Chacra’s youngest vyds (ungrafted, & planted in 1990) on slightly sandy soils; Fermented at low temps in round cement tanks, with indigenous yeasts." Aged for 10 mos, 25% in 1st and 4th use FR oak barrels, & 75% in cement; Unfiltered; 13% ABV, 5.6 g/l T.A., & 3.45 pH
N: Rasps (a blend of blk & red) atop toast?
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish strawberry frt met by astringent PUCKER which evolves into a LONG, tangy finish with a discrete swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. I'm sensing potential, by NEEDS through '20, then drinking for 3 yrs more? My EXC-, EXC eventually. 93 pts Suckling, 92 WA, 91 & Silver @ '18 Decanter World Wine Awards, & 90 Vinous (Tanzer). [This vendor's $29.95 puts it (atypically) @ the TOP of the 4th quartile of wine-searcher's offerings.]
Apparently 85% Malbec & 15% C.F., aged in oak barrels for 14 mos
N: CREAMY, SMOKY oak, poss with notes of coffee
P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, almost swtish, coffee-tinged frt met by some astringent pucker which loses the majority of its snap as it morphs into a LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. Deserves/NEEDS through '19, then drinking for 3 yrs more. My EXC-. 92 pts ea Vinous (Tanzer) & WE @ $33, and 90+ WA. [This vendor's $25.95 puts it in the top 20% of wine-searcher's entries.]
P: LM, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which evolves into a LONG, tangy, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with a refined swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS into, probably through '20, then approaching its 10th. My EXC-/EXC. 94 pts WA, 91 Suckling, & 89 WE @ $35. [Other than 1 outlier @ $19.94, this vendor's $26.95 is $3 < either of wine-searcher's other 2 entries.]
100% Malbec, vines ave 50 yrs old, planted @ 3,500 ft in the Uco Valley: La Consulta, Gualtallary. Aged 12 months in FR barriques (30% new & 70% second use); 13.5% ABV, 5.75 g/L T.A., & 3.6 pH; 13.000 cs bottled unfined & unfiltered
N: Closed, but SEEMS *ripe*; Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which quite resolves by the LONG, tang/SWT finish. For now & the ff 3 yrs. My VG+/EXC-. 93 pts ea Suckling & Vinous (Tanzer), 92 WE @ $35, 90 ea WS & WA, 87 & Bronze @ '17 Decanter World Wine Awards, and Gold @ '17 Int'l Wine Challenge. [This vendor's $28.95 puts it towards the bottom of the top 1/2 of wine-searcher's postings.]
53% C.S., 24% C.F., 16% Malbec, & 7% P.V. from Finca Dominio, Agrelo (Luján de Cuyo) with an ave elev of 990 m; "Destemmed, lightly crushed; Pumping over and delestage 3x/day; Max.Temp. 31°C; Extended maceration 35 days. Aged 15 mos in 100% new FR oak barrels." 14% ABV & 5.8 g/l T.A.
N: CLOSED; RIPE, rest tough to parse
P: Med body; Very NICE, almost swtish frt met by astringent pucker which, while staying in touch with the frt, fairly seamlessly morphs into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish with an enticing tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. DESERVES through '19, then drinking for 4, poss 5, yrs more. VERY impressive in a drink now style, managing to avoid the excesses often found in that style. My EXC/EXC+. 95 pts Suckling, 94 Descorchados, 93 ea WA & Tim Atkin, and 91 Decanter. [This vendor's $33.95 is $9 < the lower of wine-searcher's 2 entries.]
39% C.S., 32% Malbec, 19% P.V, & 10% Tannat "from the western part of their Remolinos Vyd @ 3,500 ft in the Agrelo sub-appellation of Mendoza; 7 days of cold soak was followed by 10 days of fermentation in small s/s tanks at 25-26°C for more aromatic parcels, & 28-29°C for parcels with more concentration & structure. Finally, the parcels benefited from 15 days of maceration post fermentation before being transferred to mature in small FR oak barrels (40% new) for 18 mos." 14.5% ABV, 5.58 g/l T.A., & 3.7 pH
N: Berries atop vanilla with notes of earth?
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by astringent pucker which somewhat resolves as it morphs into a quite LONG tangy finish with almost a raisiny swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS through '20, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more. My EXC, poss more for the QPR of this vendor's $23.95, for which I saw no other source for comparison. (The winery's page has NUMEROUS + press!)
2017 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Barda
Argentina, Patagonia, Río Negro
Founded in 2003 by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, "the grandson of Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, creator of Sassacaia; Produced from Chacra’s youngest vyds (ungrafted, & planted in 1990) on slightly sandy soils; Fermented at low temps in round cement tanks, with indigenous yeasts." Aged for 10 mos, 25% in 1st and 4th use FR oak barrels, & 75% in cement; Unfiltered; 13% ABV, 5.6 g/l T.A., & 3.45 pH
N: Rasps (a blend of blk & red) atop toast?
P: LM body; NICE, ALMOST swtish strawberry frt met by astringent PUCKER which evolves into a LONG, tangy finish with a discrete swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. I'm sensing potential, by NEEDS through '20, then drinking for 3 yrs more? My EXC-, EXC eventually. 93 pts Suckling, 92 WA, 91 & Silver @ '18 Decanter World Wine Awards, & 90 Vinous (Tanzer). [This vendor's $29.95 puts it (atypically) @ the TOP of the 4th quartile of wine-searcher's offerings.]
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Tikal Malbec Amorio
Argentina, Mendoza
Apparently 85% Malbec & 15% C.F., aged in oak barrels for 14 mos
N: CREAMY, SMOKY oak, poss with notes of coffee
P: LM, poss Med, body; NICE, almost swtish, coffee-tinged frt met by some astringent pucker which loses the majority of its snap as it morphs into a LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. Deserves/NEEDS through '19, then drinking for 3 yrs more. My EXC-. 92 pts ea Vinous (Tanzer) & WE @ $33, and 90+ WA. [This vendor's $25.95 puts it in the top 20% of wine-searcher's entries.]
Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2014 Viña Aquitania Cabernet Sauvignon Lazuli
Chile, Maipo Valley
N: Creamy vanilla slightly atop ripe berries, earth underneath?
P: LM, body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by some astringent pucker which evolves into a LONG, tangy, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with a refined swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS into, probably through '20, then approaching its 10th. My EXC-/EXC. 94 pts WA, 91 Suckling, & 89 WE @ $35. [Other than 1 outlier @ $19.94, this vendor's $26.95 is $3 < either of wine-searcher's other 2 entries.]
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Luca Malbec Old Vine
Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco
100% Malbec, vines ave 50 yrs old, planted @ 3,500 ft in the Uco Valley: La Consulta, Gualtallary. Aged 12 months in FR barriques (30% new & 70% second use); 13.5% ABV, 5.75 g/L T.A., & 3.6 pH; 13.000 cs bottled unfined & unfiltered
N: Closed, but SEEMS *ripe*; Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which quite resolves by the LONG, tang/SWT finish. For now & the ff 3 yrs. My VG+/EXC-. 93 pts ea Suckling & Vinous (Tanzer), 92 WE @ $35, 90 ea WS & WA, 87 & Bronze @ '17 Decanter World Wine Awards, and Gold @ '17 Int'l Wine Challenge. [This vendor's $28.95 puts it towards the bottom of the top 1/2 of wine-searcher's postings.]
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Susana Balbo Brioso
Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Agrelo
53% C.S., 24% C.F., 16% Malbec, & 7% P.V. from Finca Dominio, Agrelo (Luján de Cuyo) with an ave elev of 990 m; "Destemmed, lightly crushed; Pumping over and delestage 3x/day; Max.Temp. 31°C; Extended maceration 35 days. Aged 15 mos in 100% new FR oak barrels." 14% ABV & 5.8 g/l T.A.
N: CLOSED; RIPE, rest tough to parse
P: Med body; Very NICE, almost swtish frt met by astringent pucker which, while staying in touch with the frt, fairly seamlessly morphs into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish with an enticing tangy/swtness to the dusty tannins. DESERVES through '19, then drinking for 4, poss 5, yrs more. VERY impressive in a drink now style, managing to avoid the excesses often found in that style. My EXC/EXC+. 95 pts Suckling, 94 Descorchados, 93 ea WA & Tim Atkin, and 91 Decanter. [This vendor's $33.95 is $9 < the lower of wine-searcher's 2 entries.]
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Finca Decero The Owl & The Dust Devil Remolinos Vineyard
Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Agrelo
39% C.S., 32% Malbec, 19% P.V, & 10% Tannat "from the western part of their Remolinos Vyd @ 3,500 ft in the Agrelo sub-appellation of Mendoza; 7 days of cold soak was followed by 10 days of fermentation in small s/s tanks at 25-26°C for more aromatic parcels, & 28-29°C for parcels with more concentration & structure. Finally, the parcels benefited from 15 days of maceration post fermentation before being transferred to mature in small FR oak barrels (40% new) for 18 mos." 14.5% ABV, 5.58 g/l T.A., & 3.7 pH
N: Berries atop vanilla with notes of earth?
P: LM body; RNDISH entry with NICE, almost swtish frt met by astringent pucker which somewhat resolves as it morphs into a quite LONG tangy finish with almost a raisiny swtness to the dusty tannins. NEEDS through '20, then drinking for 3-4 yrs more. My EXC, poss more for the QPR of this vendor's $23.95, for which I saw no other source for comparison. (The winery's page has NUMEROUS + press!)
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue