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Napa Opulence Meets Pauillac Nerve
The truth is, we've been on the fence. It's not too tough to figure out why Mendoza's reds have won the hearts and minds of America's bargain hunters. What's not to like? The color is deep. Everything ripens on the high ground down here, so there's plenty of richness and sturdiness. At under $15 a bottle, these Argentine reds are gobbling up shelf space in big gulps, giving the Chileans, Spaniards, and Italians what for.
But for those who have been waxing eloquent about a new upscale chapter for Argentina's Malbec, one that will feature a bevy of uber-Malbecs, each carrying big-ticket price tags, earmarked for collectors' cellars, we've pushed back. Sure, these wines are rich. Of course, they feature luscious forward fruit. But, even in the prized center cut of Lujan de Cujo, how many bottles are truly complex, providing both Napa-like opulence and Pauillac mineral nerve?
In December 2011, The Wine Advocate published its exhaustive report on Argentina's superb 2009 and 2010 vintages. Every top estate was covered, hundreds of wines rated. But just eight properties would garner spots on Parker's 5-star honor roll. Anabelle Sielecki's tiny production Mendel topped that list.
Today, we're weighing in as Parker already has, suggesting not only that Argentina is on the brink of turning the collectible page, but that de la Mota is busy authoring the first chapter. Why are we hopping the fence? Come to Mendel as we did. Trek through the vines with Sielecki, then spend a couple hours with a bottle like this absolutely extravagant, gorgeously sculpted ancient vine 2009 Malbec, and a thick chunk of grilled Argentine ribeye. Then you'll leave Mendel as we did -- wondering if Argentina's collectible future isn't already upon us.
The climate here is high desert. It rains rarely, but when it does, it comes down by the bucketful, often bringing hail the size of little league baseballs. The Mendel Malbec vineyard was planted in 1930. The deep root structure -- the secret to all of the world's great vineyards -- spiders through light sand and gravel, seeking out spring water reserves in the substrata, helping the ancient vines flourish through even the most arid summers. Summer highs in 2009 flirted with 90 degrees, but the temperature plummeted 40 degrees each night. That radical diurnal temperature shift pushed out less than two tons per acre of historically concentrated clusters, carrying berries no larger than mountain blueberries.
Deepest purple in color, the 2009 Mendel old vine Malbec offers up exquisite aromas of crushed black fruits, sweet herbs, licorice and a hint of high-toned violets. Rich and expansive on the attack, at once briary, chewy, and sleekly compact, the old vine core is lusciously concentrated, the tannins are fine, distinguished and dusty, providing an almost Pauillac finish to the most Napa-like of beginnings.
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Tasting Notes
2009 Mendel Malbec Mendoza
"Wood smoke, a hint of cocoa, Asian spices, incense, and black cherry compose the bouquet of this impeccably balanced, incipiently complex, layered wine. Give it 2-3 years to fully blossom and drink it from 2013 to 2021."
91 points -- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
"Aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, licorice and minerals. Chewy, concentrated and classically dry, with a saline quality and subtle oak tones to the flavors of crushed blackberry, menthol and bitter chocolate. A traditionally styled wine with lovely definition and depth and a firm tannic spine for aging. With its back-end minerally lift, this saturates the entire mouth without leaving any impression of weight."
91 points -- Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar
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