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This Week's Tasting
Our Picks from Chile and Argentina
August 7, 2024
In our search for great wines to enjoy this summer, our next stop takes us to Argentina and Chile. Perfect pairings for al fresco dining!
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This Week Wed, August 7, 2024 Our Picks from Chile and Argentina In-store, 5 - 6:30pm
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All this in Technicolor in your glass
In our search for great wines to enjoy this summer, our next stop takes us to Argentina and Chile. We have selected wines for this week's tasting that pair great with NY strip steak and chimichurri sauce, barbecue chicken, grilled mahimahi or lobster tails, and many other al fresco dishes.
White
2022 Catena White Clay Semillon-Chenin
Catena Winery has come up with a winner. Their rich clay soils and cool nights give the wine generous fruit and good acidity. Blending Semillon and Chenin Blanc is unusual, but they work marvelously together. Semillon's heady guava, enlivened by Chenin Blanc's peachy acidity, makes an irresistibly delicious combination. One glass is never enough.
Aroma: intensely aromatic with honeyed citrus, stone fruit, wildflower, and golden brown pastry notes. Mouth: A creamy palate texture with lush peach, juicy tangerine, and a crisp mineral finish. Very Good Plus $25.99, Case $21.99
2022 Susana Balbo Signature Barrel Fermented Torrontes
Susana Balbo's Signature series are some of Argentina's best wines. Nicknamed the "Queen of Torrontes" with, among other things, barrel fermentation, she transforms the simple, fruity Torrontes grape into something layered and complex; one evidently startled critic's reaction:
“from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley. Bright yellow in the glass. The nose offers muscat, rose, and basil notes accompanied by hazelnut and oak. The palate is austere and chalky, providing a grippy, salty mouthfeel before the long-lasting, flavorful finish—a delicious rarity in the small world of Torrontés. - Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous Very Good -Excellent $26.99, Case $22.99
Red
2020 El Enemigo Cabernet Franc, Mendoza
Malbec may be Argentina's signature red grape, but cabernet franc might be its finest. Adriana Catena, daughter of Catena's Nicholas Catena, and its winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, have teamed up to make this elegant, powerful, pure, finely delineated example.
Aroma: cassis, ripe currants, sweet spices including black pepper and cloves. Integrated are subtle oak tones of cedar and vanilla. Mouth: Notes of dark plum, red currant, and pomegranate with hints of allspice and peppercorns. Fine-grained tannins and great structure lead to a balanced finish. Very Good Plus $29.99, Case $25.49
2021 Terranoble Azara Carmenere Valle del Maule
A federalista favorite for several years - Originally from Bordeaux, where it can no longer be grown after phylloxera, Carmenere was rediscovered in Chile masquerading as Merlot. Many less able wineries bottle theirs with green, unripe notes. Not so Terranoble; given air, it blooms deep, dark, and full, living up to Carmenere's nickname "St. Emilion in one grape." Maule Valley's high altitude rich volcanic soils give this wine optimum ripeness.
Aroma: Fresh blackberry fruit, dark plum, peppery floral aromatics, and toasted barrel. Mouth: Blackberry fruit, plums, chile spice with a hint of dark chocolate, round tannins, good acidity, and persistent finish. Very Good Plus - Great Value $19.99, Case $16.99
2021 Terranoble Azara Cabernet Sauvignon Valle del Maule
The grapes come from Andes and Coastal vineyards in Chile's Colchagua Valley. They deliver different bases and soils that result in an intense wine. The two, plus an addition of 10% Syrah, give the wine a deep, dark, full-bodied character. Aroma: This wine is intense, elegant, and very complex on the nose, with accents of fresh red fruits, such as plums and cherries, complemented by spices and notes of herbs. Mouth: Flavors of ripe plum, espresso, and baking spices, structured, fresh, with good volume, velvety tannins, and a long, persistent finish. Very Good $19.99, Case $16.99
2020 Susana Balbo Signature Malbec
Impressive as is her Torrontes, she is equally talented in producing fantastic Malbec. This wine is also from Paraje Altamira and the Valle de Uco and is sourced from Susana Balbo's top wine at the estate. She is one of the winemakers who helped place Argentine Malbec on the map.
This has a 4% dash of Cabernet Franc from Paraje Altamira, Uco Valley, and was aged for 13 months in a third new barrels.
"A vivid purple in hue. The crisp, woody, aromatic profile offers vivid notes of ripe plum, hints of jam and herbs enhanced by the oak and cedar aromas. Broad and creamy in the mouth with mellow freshness and a juicy flow, the bold expression is sculpted by the tannins from the wood, which also underwrites the long, flavorful finish." - Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous Very Good -Excellent $26.99, Case $22.99
Summer South American Case, 2 each of the wines above $256, 21.33 a bottle
Or make your own case; any twelve bottles at their discounted case prices
Order by phone at 617.367.8605, or reserve here: order@federalwine.com
Please pass this on to any friends who are wine enthusiasts!
- Len Rothenberg
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