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2003 Bodega O. Fournier Beta Crux |
| Vintage | 2003 |  Label 1 of 3   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Bodega O. Fournier (web) | ||
| Variety | Tempranillo Blend | ||
| Designation | Beta Crux | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | Argentina | ||
| Region | Mendoza | ||
| SubRegion | Valle de Uco | ||
| Appellation | La Consulta |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 88.8 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 26 notes) | |
| Tasted by Hallgren on 11/15/2009 & rated 92 points: (130 views) | |
| Tasted by aberk on 7/18/2009 & rated 87 points: (294 views) | |
| Tasted by carlturcotte on 1/19/2009 & rated 87 points: tasty and robust wine, tannin was a little rude, will be probably better in 2-3 years (651 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 11/23/2008 & rated 91 points: Just wonderful blend (641 views) | |
| Tasted by rleal on 11/14/2008 & rated 92 points: (536 views) | |
| Tasted by RDaneel on 10/21/2008 & rated 91 points: A big surprise. Dark purple color and an explosive nose - the fruit jumps right out of the glass. The jammy fruits continue on the palate - this is New World all the way - ending with a moderate amount of tannin. Good balance of acidity and tannic bite and not sugary - but the volume knob is definitely turned up to 11. If you want a restrained wine, look away. This is a fruit bomb, and a nice one at that. (734 views) | |
| Tasted by Villon on 9/1/2008 & rated 88 points: Beau vin, très fruité et charmeur, mais qui souffre selon moi de son excès d'alcool. Me fait penser à de bons CRD. Les amateurs de vins costauds du Nouveau Monde apprécieront. Manque un peu de complexité. (742 views) | |
| Tasted by AN on 8/5/2008 & rated 79 points: Deep purple, even inky with a very pronounced and still youthful nose of fruits - especially cherry fruits (baked cherries) as well as some spice and cinnamon. Later in the evening, vanilla aromas opened up and started to overcome the fruity aromas. High alcohol level combined with a lack of tannins and low acidity made it quite impossible to drink, also the oak flavours were so overwhelming, that the beautiful cherries and spices were lost. Too big, too explosive, too sexy for my palate. It also had a strange bitter aftertaste - thank god, short. Much worse than I had experienced in the production site in Valle de Uco - tasted on the site it left a really nice impression. It's probably because O Fournier's production site is one of the most modern I have ever seen not only in Argentina but elsewhere. My wife enjoyed the wine though... This wine is to consumed with heavy meats, never alone. (727 views) | |
| Tasted by IlonaN on 8/4/2008 & rated 90 points: This took some time, in fact after it was open for a day, the satiny texture, ripe dark cherry and floral notes really started to show nicely. Very nice wine. (692 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 8/4/2008 & rated 87 points: Trickle decant and pour. This bottle did not show as well as ones in the past, leading me to believe it is either in an awkward phase or fading. Color same as before - no sign of age. Nose of raspberries, blackberries, smoke, earth, oak, and an aroma I have not smelled before with this, a spicy sausage note that kept making me think of Andouille. On the palate still fairly smooth, fruit is intact but there is considerably more earth in mid and finish. Finish is relatively short at about fifteen seconds, and there is a bitter flavor plus acid that is not flattering. If the opportunity presents with another excellent vintage from this producer I will buy a few based on value (about 17), but will drink them young because the characteristics of the varietals in the blend seem more harmonized early on. (720 views) | |
| Tasted by vrullo on 7/26/2008 & rated 90 points: (578 views) | |
| Tasted by rsazima on 6/7/2008 & rated 92 points: OUTSTANDING. VISUAL: M intensity, ruby/purple, various M legs. NOSE: Red/black fruit (straw/raspberry, plum, fig), spice (clove), floral, toast, M++ intensity, complexity and persistence. PALATE: M+ body, intensity, acidity, alcohol and tannins (great). FINISH: Excelent balance and M+ finish (20s). OVERALL: 92-93 points. Really sad not to have a couple more... (798 views) | |
| Tasted by EZEPAR on 5/10/2008 & rated 89 points: Blackberry & cocoa and spice on the nose and palate. This was a very nice wine with a medium finish of leather and sour cherry. Tannins were moderate. Heat settled as it opened up. On second night had with BBQ hamburger and it was cooler and a good pairing. (941 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 4/21/2008 & rated 90 points: (760 views) | |
| Tasted by yowens44 on 3/2/2008 & rated 88 points: (866 views) | |
| Tasted by Diablito on 2/27/2008 & rated 88 points: Dark chocolate notes fill the palate while great leather and blackberry scents are evident on the nose. I couldn't tell it was a tempranillo blend as the malbec is imposing. It's not hard to tell its provenance but it does lack some varietal character. Still, overall, very enjoyable. (1346 views) | |
| Tasted by Pimenta on 2/16/2008 & rated 89 points: Perfeito para charuto. (1249 views) | |
| Tasted by Area 51 on 1/26/2008 & rated 88 points: There's a full geek sheet on the back (there oughtta be a law, every bottle should give this much info). ALT. 3600 ft. Handpicked April 2003 Alc Fermentation - 6 days in Stainless Steel vats (82F) Maceration - 25 days (77F) Malolactic fermentation - 12 months in Oak 80% French, 20% American 60,000 bottles Decanted for 1 1/2 hrs. color Medium light ruby to rose pink at the edge aromas Blackberries, black Currants, spice, cocoa flavors Still tight strong tannins giving way slowly to some floral violet, black pepper, sour cherry, and a little oak smoked meat on the back. My overall impression is that this wine is a bit thinner than what I anticipated given the blend, however I might be a little impatient with it because it IS coming around (1262 views) | |
| Tasted by j4872 on 1/6/2008 & rated 90 points: Good nose and not too fruity. Flavors of tar, chocolate,and earthiness .Tannins are very smooth with good lasting finish. Outstanding QPR (1300 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 12/23/2007 & rated 90 points: Just a wonderful, medium bodied blend, spanish style from Argentina. I'm going on line now to see if I can find some more. Definitely a bargain as well. (1334 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 12/15/2007 & rated 89 points: Decanted over the course of the night - about 3 hours. For some reason this one never fully opened up or came together to show the beautiful nose and more complex nuances I experienced in the last two bottles. Still, an enjoyable holiday drink and at least a notch above the standard daily vino. Rasberries, spice and earth, excellent concentration, and a suprisingly long finish with notes of pomegranate and chocolate. (1413 views) | |
| Tasted by jbshows on 11/21/2007 & rated 87 points: Very tannic and a little out of balance. Not bad, but not all I had hoped for. (1468 views) | |
| Tasted by Pimenta on 11/4/2007 & rated 89 points: Melhor que o primeiro. Evolui muito no decantador. (1818 views) | |
| Tasted by smahk on 10/13/2007 & rated 89 points: Color: Dark Magenta Nose: Berries and Mocha Palate: Blackberries with vanilla and chocolate. A nice long finish with a little pepper at the end This wa and excelletn QPR - and a very nice tempranillo blend. (1670 views) | |
| Tasted by Pimenta on 7/2/2007 & rated 88 points: Muito bom. Excelente opção para um tempranillo mais suave, taninos marcantes. (2004 views) | |
| Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
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| Producer website
About red wine Tempranillo is the backbone of wines made in the well-known Spanish regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but is also grown as far afield as Mexico and Australia. As a flavor profile, red fruits like strawberries and cherries can predominate - but with a rustic edge. Many wines made from Tempranillo will spend a few years in barrel and bottle before reaching the consumer. Many Tempranillo-based wines see a few years of oak - add that to a few years of bottle and the wine can give a subtle - and occasionaly not-so-subtle - leathery mouthfeel. The combination of the tart fruit and tannins make this wine very food friendly. 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. Wines of Mendoza Argentine Malbec Producers |
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