Part of the Beyond Malbec series.
There is a bit of irony in choosing this theme for post number 3 in the Beyond Malbec series. After all, my intention had been to explore and highlight the incredible range of varietals and styles that are being produced in Argentina. But then I opened a bottle of Bodega Noemía’s A Lisa Malbec from Rio Negro in Patagonia and I couldn’t stop thinking about how different this Malbec is in comparison to those from Mendoza, which dominate store shelves.
The quality and finesse of Malbecs from south of Mendoza, largely Neuquén and Río Negro, really excited me. Both provinces are part of Argentina’s fabled Patagonia. Though wine has been made in this region for more than a century, there has recently been an expansion of the land under vine. Neuquén, in particular, has seen dramatic growth, going from just over one ton of grape production in 2001 to 143,000 tons in 2010. The potential of this region is also leading to investments in modern, new wineries and attracting European and flying winemakers, including Hervé Fabre from Bordeaux, Alberto Antonini, and Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano.
Overall, what I found striking about the five wines that I tasted for this post is the wonderful purity of fruit. They are clean and crisp and seem to not have been overly-manipulated by the winemakers. They are lighter than their counterparts from the north, more elegant, and even racy, made so by a cool and dry growing climate and longer days. No fruit bombs here!
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2009 Bodega Noemía
A Lisa
Valle Azul , Rio Negro
The only blend among the five tasted with 90% Malbec, 9% Merlot, 1% Petite Verdot, this wine is what piqued my interest in Patagonian Malbecs. It is lovely and one of the best Malbecs I have had in recent memory. It is bright violet/purple and very fresh-looking. Plum, blackberries, some oak notes, graphite (pencil shavings reminiscent of cool climate Cabernet Franc). Elegant. A Lisa is light bodied, with resurging acidity, some chewiness, and relatively soft, grippy tannins. Great purity of fruit and minerality. The winery is owned by Italian Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano and the winemaker is Hans Vinding-Diers from Denmark.
At Wine Library for $18.98.
2008 H.J. Fabre by Fabre Montmayou
Barrel Selection
Alto Valle, Río Negro
The Fabre Malbec is deep purple and inky. Boysenberry and chocolate, with some herbal notes. It has medium plus body, and the tannins are persistent. It finishes with some bitterness. It is quite enjoyable, but does not have quite the finesse of Bodega Noemía’s A Lisa.
From Wall Street Journal Wines for $18.99.
2009 Cholila Ranch by Bodega NQN
San Patricio del Chañar, Neuquén
At first, the nose was dominated by a somewhat off-putting vinyl smell. But after some time, it began to open and display more fruit, mostly blackberry and plum. No jamminess here; this wine is streamlined and restrained hinting at its cool-climate origin. The palate is cool, almost minty and pencil lead, with a finish of chocolate. Medium plus acidity, fairly low tannins, and a medium minus body. This would be a great red for summertime.
$12.99
2004 Malma by Bodega NQN
San Patricio del Chañar, Neuquén
Despite their different brand labels, both the Cholila Ranch and the Malma were produced by Bodega NQN. I was hesitant to open this bottle for this tasting. This forgotten wine was not, I fully admit, stored in optimal conditions, so it seemed unfair to throw it in the mix. Fortunately, and to my surprise, the Malma had held up well.
The color was more brick and less fresh than the Cholila Ranch. The fruit had faded, but I found some stewed plum and fig on the palate, along with oak- and bottle-ageing characteristics like vanilla, coconut, roasted meat, and oakiness. This wine had also retained its freshness, with the same coolness and notes of pencil shaving found in the Cholila. Medium plus acidity, significantly more tannic that the Cholila, with a lasting grippiness, and a long finish.
Price and store unknown.
2007 Postales by Bodedga del Fin del Mundo
San Patricio del Chañar, Neuquén
The Postales is also violet and fresh, but is lighter than some of the others in this tasting. The palate has lots of plum and red currant up front, which are quickly dominated by intense spiciness. Despite having a fairly modest 13.5% abv, the alcohol more apparent in this wine. Medium acidity, modest tannins, and medium body. Fig and bitter chocolate in the finish. It is very enjoyable, but does seem to have more of the characteristics that I associate with Malbecs from Mendoza.
Gift from visiting Argentine friend.
Be sure to check out these and other wines from Neuquén and Río Negro. In a future post, I will write about some of the great high-altitude Malbecs produced in the regions to the north of Mendoza, particularly Salta.
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