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Boutique Argentine blend
from Ernesto Catena
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Alma Negra "M" Blend 2010
REGION: Mendoza
VARIETALS: Bonarda & Malbec
PRICE: $27.00 / bottle
FORMAT: 12 x 750 ml
AVAILABLE: 14 cases
90 POINTS
- Stephen Tanzer's
International Wine Cellar
"(13.5% alcohol on the label): Full medium red-ruby. Blackberry, black pepper and black licorice on the nose (Alma Negra means "black soul"). Densely packed and juicy, with considerable sex appeal to its concentrated, chewy dark berry and bitter chocolate flavors. Not at all a thick style, thanks to its appealing balance of sweetness and acidity. Finishes with smooth, building tannins and subtle length."
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 | | Ernesto Catena |
Alma Negra is made by fourth generation winemaker Ernesto Catena, eldest son of Nicholas Catena Zapata and brother of Laura Catena.
Ernesto is a world traveler and polymath, with degrees in Computer Science/Economics, Design, and History from Buenos Aires, Milan and London. He is a legendary Bohemian, renowned for his insatiable curiosity and passionate devotion to the arts of writing, painting, photography, horsemanship, polo and archery. It is not surprising that his wines are profoundly expressive, or that he would choose to name a winery 'Alma Negra' (Dark Soul).
The Alma Negra 'M' Blend is made from Bonarda and Malbec from Ernesto's Vistaflores vineyard, with 116 acres of Malbec, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah planted at an altitude of 3576 feet in the Uco Valley. The vineyard was certified organic in 2011 and is currently converting to biodynamics.
The wine is dense, dark, and rich with an intriguing untamed wildness that is an expression of Ernesto's character as much as it is the result of organic viticulture and a pristine natural environment. Full of flavour and perfectly ready to drink now (especially the Argentine way with smokey grilled beef or lamb) the wine will also repay cellaring for 8-10 years.
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