A new in-depth report on the exciting wines of Portugal. An in-depth look at important trends in viticulture and winemaking. Identification of the top winemakers and their wines. The inside scoop on new releases and the best Portuguese wines for the money.New Releases from Argentina’s Legado Winery and Sam’s Club
Argentina is one of the most dynamic wine regions in the world today. In report #5 Argentina’s Magnificent Malbec, the International Wine Review documented Argentina’s wine revolution and the factors which contribute to its success in producing fine wines. One factor is the dry high plains desert climate of Mendoza. Here Malbec and other grapes yield wines of great color, flavor and finesse.
Legado
Legado is a new winery founded by Tomas Machado, the former owner of Antis Winery, and a group of investors that includes importer Harrison Jones of William Harrison Imports. The winemaker is Mathias Riccitelli, who served as assistant winemaker at Antis. Legado currently purchases grapes from high altitude vineyards of neighboring growers, but grapes from its own 250-acre estate will provide a growing share of grapes over the next 5 years. Legado also produces an entry level wine under the label Parados. The Legado wines are of excellent quality and are offered at very affordable prices. They include a range of varieties from Torrontes to Cabernet Sauvignon and both regular bottlings and reserves which are higher in both quality and price. The Parados label includes four wines at this time, the most impressive being the Winemakers Select Red.
Importer: William Harrison Imports Manassas, Virginia
Legado 2008 Torrontes Mendoza ($12) 88
This is a lovely pale straw Torrontes revealing attractive varietal character with jasmine and lychee aromas. It is medium weight with a restrained fruity palate and good acidity. It is nicely balanced and finishes dry and refreshing.
Legado 2008 Chardonnay Mendoza ($12) 88
This refreshing and elegant Chardonnay is a star bright medium lemon color with an aromatic nose of ripe melon and tropical citrus. It has a soft attack with bright acidity and is very nicely balanced with touch of a sweet oak and ripe melon. One of the best Chardonnays we have tasted at this price!
Legado 2008 Tempranillo Mendoza ($12) 87
The Tempranillo has a pleasant nose of cherry and plum with spice notes. It offers a soft attack with a medium weight palate, modest black cherry and plum fruit flavors and a pleasant finish.
Legado 2008 Malbec Mendoza ($12) 88
The regular Malbec is a youthful fresh tasting wine. It displays red and blue berry fruit on the nose and high toned red pomegranate and plum fruit on the palate. It is uncomplicated, easy drinking and delicious.
Legado 2006 Malbec Reserva Mendoza ($18) 89
The Malbec Reserva is a step up from the regular bottling, revealing more intensity of flavor. Made exclusively from free run juice and aged 14 months in French oak, it is medium dark ruby in color and offers a nose of spicy black and red fruit and nicely integrated sweet oak. On the palate it is well balanced with rich fruit and toasted oak flavors, sweet tannins and a long finish.
Legado 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza ($12) 89
The medium-ruby Cabernet Sauvignon also has a fresh youthful character. It displays black cherry fruit aromas, a medium weight palate with spicy, pure red plum and black currant fruit. It is nicely balanced and easy drinking with good tannic grip.
Legado 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Mendoza ($18) 90
This is the best wine of the Legado product line. Well made in an international style, it displays a medium dark ruby color with notes of vanilla, cedar and cassis fruit. It offers a lush attack of ripe black currant fruit with attractive oak nuances, excellent balance and a long lasting finish.
Legado Parados
Parados 2008 Chardonnay Mendoza ($10) 87
This Chardonnay is palate straw in color and offers attractive citrus aromas. The palate boasts citrus and apple fruit flavors with some wet stone nuances. The finish is pleasant and moderate in intensity.
Parados 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza ($10) 87
The Parados Cabernet Sauvignon is nouveau in style with youthful and fresh red and black berry fruit on the nose and plum and cassis flavors on the palate. It is medium weight, nicely balanced, and slightly tart on the finish. Great value!
Parados 2008 Malbec Mendoza ($10) 87
This is a nouveau style Malbec with a medium ruby purple color and aromas of fresh berry fruit. Sourced from old vines, it has a pleasant light palate with good depth of fresh plum flavor. It finishes dry with a spice note. Best served slightlychilled.
Parados 2008 Winemaker's Select Red Mendoza ($10) 90
The Winemaker’s Select is a highly attractive innovative blend of 40% Sangiovese, 40% Tempranillo and 20% Malbec. Star bright and medium ruby in color, it displays a pleasing red berry fruit nose with surprising intensity of ripe concentrated flavor and elegance on the palate. It is a great food wine and is offered at a bargain price.
Neu Direction
Viña de la Solaridad, is a Fairtrade certified cooperative of 19 small grape growers in Mendoza. Ten of the members are vineyard owners while nine are “contratistas”, vineyard workers whose income is based on a percentage of the harvest. Grapes produced by Viña de la Solaridad are purchased by several vineyards, including Soluňa and Bodega Furlotti, which produces Neu Direction for Sam’s Club. Of Neu Direction, Dex McCreary, Merchandise Director of Wine, Beer and Spirits of Sam’s Club says, "It is reassuring to know that we are offering our customers a product of great quality and at the same time helping family-run estates in Mendoza." (winesur.com)
Importer: Prestige Wine Group/Sam’s Club.
Neu Direction 2005 Malbec, Argentina, ($10) 87+
This is a well made Malbec made from the fruit of Lujan de Cuyo old vines; it exhibits a medium-dark ruby color and aromas of plum and dark berry fruit. On the palate it reveals a soft texture with smoky black spicy fruit flavors, good balance and rounded tannins on the finish. Easy drinking and a great value.
By Mike Potashnik and Don Winkler, February 2009