Mendoza

No myth or legend here. Instead, a real big beast of a wine from the Mendoza Valley, Argentina. Deep, brooding and dark. Big fruit, big spice, big flavours.

Mendoza's long, warm days and cool nights bring out the best in these grapes, which thrive in the mountains. Delightful expression of huge brambly Malbec. The nose offers an appealing, mixed spice, bramble fruit bomb followed by dark, damson and savoury overtones on the palate. The finish is smooth, rounded and nicely balanced.

Everything you could ever want from an entry-level Malbec, and more!

From Finca Mangato vines in El Paral, Tupungato at 1,200 metres above sea level, planted on shallow sandy-loam soils, this delicious blend bears testament to Estela’s eye for detail and insistence on absolute precision. A blend of 70% Cabernet Franc with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Intriguingly, 70% of the Cab Sauv parcel is co-fermented with the Cab Franc, and the remaining 30% of Cab Sauv is aged for 9 months in second use French oak. Still with us? There is a very strong sense here that nothing is left to chance and the results are fabulous. The nose screams neither varietal on its own but, rather, offers up an holistic approach to blending as can be seen in Estela’s other wines. The effect is harmonious throughout from notes of hibiscus flowers and spice on the nose through to plump cassis and juicy redcurrant in the mouth. A superbly crafted blend representing fantastic value for money.

Wonderful purity of fruit here. Luscious and soft, dark plummy fruit with layers of damson. Unoaked with a simple appealing freshness.

Classic Cab Franc notes of fresh capsicum and pencil shavings on the nose, fresh and clean on the palate with delicious red berry fruits.

This excellent Chardonnay (unoaked of course, as are all the Serbal wines) has quickly gained a reputation in the trade as a go-to wine sitting above entry level but not breaking any banks. It shows considerable elegance, varietal character and poise for a wine at this price level, perhaps elucidating the French bias in this winery.

A real lovely alternative to an Argentinian Malbec. This big hitting red is smooth, soft and packing bucket loads of red fruits and spice. One for you Cotes-du-Rhone lovers! Wonderful notes of roses and graphite on the nose. A palate full of fine red fruit character with lovely firm tannins and long, pepper and spice-laden finish.

After several years of experimentation with varying toast levels and various barrel producers, Susana Balbo has created a Torrontés that takes this varietal into a whole new sphere of influence. The exuberant floral and fruity notes that we know and love have become delicately muted and are complemented with the most ethereal and subtle oak influences. Although still distinctly Torrontés, this actually noses a little like a great Viognier, dare we say it something akin to Condrieu from a very good vintage?

Deep ruby red in colour, lovely aromas of plums and sweet red berries, silky-textured in the mouth with incredible length. Elegant yet intense, fresh, complex, superbly balanced and, best of all, very moreish.

This is the flag-bearing Malbec from Bodega Atamisque, a winery that has come from nowhere in recent years to gain real respect and admiration from its peers, and no wonder with wines like this on show. Winemaker Philippe Caraguel has triumphed with this wine, which is so good and consistently good from vintage to vintage, perhaps due in part to the vines being 100% owned and managed by Atamisque. We sell much more of this, not inexpensive Malbec, to the UK trade than we do many others at significantly lower prices. Excellent is the word.

From a high quality, old vine block in higher Agrelo, this is a serious expression of Malbec which is characterised by its rocky terroir and small batch wine making. Award winning Malbec from Argentinean specialists of this native grape. High altitude, single vineyard quality that is truly of place.

Mineral in character with a note of graphite and subtle hints of black fruits, berries and blueberries. A floral finish with rosehips, and vanilla and tobacco notes provided by French Oak barrel aging. Sweet and silky tannins; truly a wine whose structure and acidity unite in the mouth. Superb.

This dessert wine is sweet and fresh with alluring aromas of white flowers, lemon and melon, with delicious tropical and citrus fruit flavours.

Brand new in from Mauricio Lorca – a perfect example, showing that Argentina has much more to offer than Malbec. This 100% Bonarda from Vista Flores in Mendoza has an abundance of fresh red fruit character; cherry, raspberry, redcurrant and cranberry. Along with good structure, soft tannins and a long finish, this is another classic entry into our Recoleta range. Wonderfully delicious on its own, but pairs really well with lean meats, red meats and dishes with creamy sauces.

In each of the three ranges from this winery - Serbal, Catalpa and Atamisque - there is a blend, an assemblage. Catalpa Assemblage is comprised of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec in varying proportions depending on the vintage. 60% of this wine is aged for 12 months in new French oak barrels, 40% in stainless steel prior to blending and a further 6 months in bottle prior to release. Crafted in a fairly extravagant style this is a lovely, plump, velvet textured delight with clever use of oak in evidence, capable of developing very nicely for 8 - 10 years.