Though I enjoy wine trips, my days and nights are very long and sleep comes at a premium. It is our sixth day on the road and we have tried nearly 100 wines. I am headed to Chile to explore what the other side of the Andes has to offer. I am hoping to get a better connection in Chile, but we will see....Before I hop on another plane, here are my notes for Ksana WInery.
Ksana is a partnership between famed winemaker Hector Durigutti and one of his best friends, Marcel Riesgo. Together they have created exquisite wines that speak to the terroir of the region. The winery produces three Malbecs grown from a 90-year old vineyards in Agrelo (Lujan de Cuyo), in addition they produce the best Bonarda I have every tried.
2006 Bonarda, Agrelo (vineyard planted in 1970)
I have only tried a few Bonardas and this was by and far the best one I have had. Not only, is it the best Bonarda I have tried but it was one of the best wines we tried on the entire trip. The color was a bright red and the glass exploded with aromas of dark plums, ripe cherries, tobacco leaf, wild flowers, and savory spices. The palate was extremely expressive with flavors similar to the nose: plum, mixed berries, cherries, wild flowers, and dried herbs. This is a very complex wine that the group talked about for nearly forty-five minutes. It will be in the US market in May or June and should retail for $25
2006 Malbec, Agrelo (vineyard planted in 1923)
Mr. Durigutti is a very talented winemaker and all of the wines we tried from his portfolio were very beautiful. The "introductory" Malbec is the perfect way to explore this varital. The wine has the classic color of purple and dark red and extraction in the tears. The aromas have depth and concentration that so many wines around the world lack (the wines we were presented the entire trip are all premium examples of what is going on in Mendoza and other wine regions of Argentina). The primary aroma of this Malbec was black plum. Agrelo is known for producing Malbecs with a distinct plum aroma and flavor. In addition to plum there was black cherry, blackberries, licorice, cocoa, violets and bay leaf. The palate continues along the same line as the nose and expresses the purity of the fruit. There tannins are full but soft. The wine has an extremely long finish and went fantastic with the steak we were served.
2007 Malbec, Agrelo (vineyard planted in 1923)
Deep, dark and concentrated colors of purple, blue ink, and a hint of red. The wine is very young on the nose with primary aromas of black fruits and oak spices. There are hints of plum conserves, blackberry pie and dried herbs. The palate is very full in body with pretty dense tannins. This wine will not hit the market for another six months. This time in bottle should bring all the flavors together like the 2006. This appears to be a very good wine.
2005 Reserve Malbec, Agrelo (vineyard planted in 1923)
The Reserve line of Ksana sees 18 months in various oak barrels (all French new, 1-year old and 2-year old barrels). The wine is a reddish purple with more complex aromas than the "classic" line. There are hints of cherry pie, boysenberries, red plums, dried violets, dried roses, clove, cinnamon, and dusty red earth. The palate is full-bodied with extremely complex flavors that echo the aromas. The acidity is in perfect balanced and leaves the mouth clean and prepared for the next glass or three.
2006 Reserve Malbec, Agrelo (vineyard planted in 1923)
This wine is a baby! Though it is almost three years old it needs more time to chill out. A comment from one of the other tasters was that the wine was "bratty". He describe that as a wine that has the ability to be good but is currently rebelling (aka most of us as teenagers). The wine had an interesting molasses, brown sugar, and cassis aroma that left us all quite intrigued. The palate was firm and harsh but this wine has great potential. My last note is that this wine is "touch sluty".
2004 and 2005 Gran Reserve Malbec, Agrelo (vineyard planted in 1923)
The Gran Reserve line has been in oak for 24 months and we all decied the for both the 2004 and 2005 that is way too much time. The wine was all about the oak with the fruit trying to peak through. The amount of time in oak dried out the mid-palate (think going to the dentist and have those white cotton balls stuck in your mouth) and dominated all the complexity that the vineyard has in it. Both vintages were similar in character and with an adjustment to the oak regime I believe these wines will be not just good but great.
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