Red
North and South America are home to some of the world's most acclaimed red wine regions, with diverse climates and terroirs that produce an impressive range of varietals. From full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignons to elegant Pinot Noirs, these regions offer a wealth of options for wine lovers.
In North America, Napa Valley is perhaps the most famous region for red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon. Renowned producers in the area include Opus One, Robert Mondavi Winery, and Silver Oak. Sonoma County is another top producer of red wines, particularly Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, with wineries such as Kosta Browne and Williams Selyem leading the way.
Further north, Oregon's Willamette Valley is gaining a reputation for its Pinot Noir, with producers such as Domaine Serene and Adelsheim Vineyard consistently earning high scores and critical acclaim.
In South America, Argentina's Mendoza region is known for its bold and full-bodied Malbecs, with vineyards such as Bodega Catena Zapata and Achaval-Ferrer producing some of the country's most renowned wines.
Chile's Colchagua Valley is another top producer of red wines, particularly Carmenere, with wineries such as Montes and Lapostolle earning accolades for their premium offerings.
Brazil's Vale dos Vinhedos region is also emerging as a producer of high-quality red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with wineries such as Miolo and Lidio Carraro garnering attention for their unique and flavorful wines.
Overall, the red wines of North and South America are diverse and impressive, with a range of styles and varietals that can compete with some of the world's most renowned wine regions. With a focus on quality and innovation, these regions are sure to continue producing exceptional red wines for years to come.
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Red
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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California | 4 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£528.29 |
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Vinous (94)The 2018 Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard is quite deep and heady in this vintage. Red fruit, iron, white pepper and savory herbs give the Ryan its distinctly incisive, feral personality. Hints of blood orange, raspberry and spice add an exotic flair. There is plenty of character here, that is for sure. |
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California | 1 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,017.49 |
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Wine Advocate (96)Chris Carpenter has done a fabulous job with the 2010 Cardinale. The wine boasts a huge center of fruit backed up by equally firm, imposing tannins. Layers of dark red fruit, mocha, cinnamon and new leather explode from the glass. The 2010 is a huge Cardinale endowed with superb depth, power and richness. At the same time, there is a mid-palate generosity and pliancy that leads me to believe the 2010 will drink beautifully once the tannins soften a touch. Hints of tar, graphite and iron add personality on the full-bodied, intense finish. The 2010 is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, predominantly from mountain sites. The ability to blend fruit from various top-notch sites works great here. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. |
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California | 2 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,999.24 |
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Vinous (95)The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cardinale from Cardinale is totally seamless and textured on the palate, with layers of ripe, racy fruit, tons of intensity and an opulent, voluptuous finish that captures the essence of this style to the T. Dark red stone fruits, cinnamon, cedar, tobacco and new leather linger on the creamy finish. Winemaker Chris Carpenter draws across the entire range of Kendall Jackson's Napa Valley properties to craft Cardinale. In 2012, the blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot from nine vineyards in a total of seven AVA's (Howell Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Stags' Leap, Yountville and St. Helena). |
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California | 2 | 97 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,272.04 |
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Vinous (97)The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is simply stunning. A real head-turner, the 2013 possesses superb density and tons of pure power. The flavors are deep, powerful and explosive. Mocha, new leather, and licorice wrap around a core of dark, sumptuous fruit. This dense, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon will require considerable patience, but it is super-impressive. And then some. Chris Carpenter crafted the 2013 from an assortment of parcels, most of them mountain sites on Diamond Mountain, Mt. Veeder and Howell Mountain. This is a real stand out. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£258.04 |
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James Suckling (97)This is one of the most direct and clear Caros in a long time with blue-fruit, violet and sandalwood aromas and flavors. Crushed-stone, too. Full-bodied, yet tight and contracted with a level of shyness to its strength. The length derives from the excellence of the cabernet. One for the cellar. Blend of 74% malbec and 26% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2023, but exciting to drink all the same. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 98 (TA) |
Inc. VAT
£270.04 |
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Tim Atkin MW (98)Combining the considerable talents of Fernando Buscema and Philippe Rolet (the former made the wine, the latter did the blend), Caro is one of the wines of the vintage in 2018. Paraje Altamira is the source of this finely judged cuvée of Malbec and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 80% new wood. Subtle, graceful and perfumed, it’s a wine that carries its structure and concentration lightly, with graphite, cassis and blueberry fruit, fresh acidity and harmonious, caressing tannins. Superb stuff. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 95 (TA) |
Inc. VAT
£301.24 |
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Tim Atkin MW (95)A very impressive red in its own right. Malbec-based with 34% Cabernet Sauvignon for company, followed by ageing in 50% new wood, it’s an inky, structured, nuanced pan-Mendoza blend, showing plum, blackberry and cassis flavours and firm, ageworthy tannins. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 96 (WI) |
Inc. VAT
£522.04 |
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The Wine Independent (96)The 2021 CARO, 79% Malbec and 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep garnet-purple in color. It soars from the glass with expressive notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and licorice with hints of candied violets and spice cake. The full-bodied palate is jam packed with perfumed black fruits, framed by super-ripe, super-plush tannins and tantalizing freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. This is an impressive showing for this joint venture between Lafite Rothschild and Nicolas Catena. |
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California | 1 | 97+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,343.09 |
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Wine Advocate (97+)The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Featuring a deep garnet-purple color, it sashays out of the glass with gregarious notions of baked plums, warm cassis and blueberry compote with suggestions of kirsch, dusty soil and Indian spices. The palate is full-bodied and laden with bright, lively, energetic black fruits, supported with firm, super ripe tannins and finishing on a persistent exotic spice note. 500 cases were made. |
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Central Valley | 3 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£733.49 |
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James Suckling (100)An extremely aromatic and focused Clos Apalta with blackberry, blueberry, floral and hot stone character. Full body, very linear and ultra-fine tannins. Focused and tight. Precise and long. This is the most polished and beautiful definition of this wine ever. You want to drink it now but better in 2020. A blend of carmenére, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. |
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Central Valley | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£633.64 |
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James Suckling (99)This is really focused and refined with fantastic dried flowers and dark berries. Dried-lavender and mint undertones. Medium-to full-bodied with refined and polished tannins that are all together and so focused. Really integrated and melted together on the palate. Compact and very linear. Please give this two or three years to come completely together, but it’s already breathtaking. Better to drink after 2022. |
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Central Valley | 2 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£594.29 |
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James Suckling (100)What a stunning nose of crushed berries, fresh flowers, sandalwood and light vineyard dust. Black olives, too. Very complex. Full-bodied with a beautiful, dense palate of blackberries, chocolate, walnuts and cigar box. Fantastic length and composure. The tannin just rolls over the palate. Very structured. The most classically structured wine ever from here. Goes on for minutes. Outrageous and so polished. A blend of 48% carmenere, 26% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Try after 2025. |
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Central Valley | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£582.29 |
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James Suckling (98)So aromatic and fresh with dried flowers, sweet tobacco and hints of straw. Red fruit, cloves and green peppercorns. Medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins that are very fresh and refined. Fine, silky and beautiful. Hints of minerals and granite to the dark fruit. Such gorgeous length and beauty. 64% carmenere, 18% cabernet franc and 18% merlot. Extremely long and poised. Cooler wine. From biodynamically grown grapes. Delicious to drink already, but another three to four years will make it even better. |
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Central Valley | 4 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£744.29 |
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James Suckling (99)A generous array of ripe black and blue fruit with pink peppercorns, green olives, dried flowers, toffee and chocolate orange. It’s full-bodied with firm, creamy and velvety tannins. Long and polished. Lovely salted caramel and olives at the end. Keeps going. Unfolds on the finish. 70% carmenere, 18% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 92+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,530.00 |
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Vinous (92+)Full ruby-red. Musky dark fruits and bitter chocolate on the brooding nose, with a strong kirsch note emerging with aeration. Powerful and deep but youthfully closed, with terrific grip to the flavors of cassis, dark chocolate and minerals. Quite closed and young today, but with its fine-grained tannins and slowly building persistence this single-vineyard malbec appears to be built for a positive evolution in bottle. |
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Mendoza | 6 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,257.89 |
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Wine Advocate (97)I tasted three consecutive vintages of the reds from Adrianna Vineyard, including the luxury cuvée, starting with the 2014 Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae. It is from the coolest year since 2001 (but cooler will come in 2016), and it has 13.5% alcohol and very high acidity—7.5 grams measured in tartaric acid. What that all means is it's moderately ripe and very fresh, with integrated oak after fermenting in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels and an élevage of 24 months in oak. 4,200 bottles were filled in July 2016. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£384.29 |
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Vinous (92)From a combination of terroirs in the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo, fermented separately, followed by aging for 18 months in French oak, the majority Cabernet Sauvignon combined with 7% Cabernet Franc, this is a textbook wine. Complex, with aromatic notes including red and black fruit, herbs and oak, it unfolds in layers on the tight, sugary palate, where the grippy tannins provide a precise, enlivening freshness. A surprising wine. |
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Mendoza | 4 | 94 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£651.64 |
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Wine Advocate (94)The 2010 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino is a blend of grapes from Adrianna and Nicasia, from the deepest, coolest soils in those vineyards, in Gualtallary and Altamira. They were looking for something that represents the essence of Malbec. The first vintage for this wine was 2004, when they finally found the blend and character they were looking for. The name they wanted to use for the wine was Malbec Puro, but they didn’t want any confusion with cigars, so they called it Malbec Argentino instead! It is very aromatic with floral notes, mainly violets and blue fruit, and is nicely defined. It is opulent with sweet tannins but with the hallmark of the freshness found in all the wines from those two vineyards, precise and long. Drink 2015-2020. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£531.64 |
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Wine Advocate (95)I was truly impressed with the nose of the 2011 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino, a blend of grapes from Adrianna (Gualtallary) and Nicasia (Altamira) vineyards in the Uco Valley. Even if the grapes are sourced from the same vineyards as the Adrianna and Nicosia bottling, this wine is quite different. Here the plots are selected from the granitic parts that give it a different, austere texture. There is a seamless granularity with the tannins that go in a straight line, and keep going and going. Super! 11,000 bottles were filled. |
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Mendoza | 9 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£531.64 |
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James Suckling (98)Very dense and powerful with a tight palate of blue fruit and raspberry undertones. Salty with wonderful length and intensity. A blend of malbec from Nicasia Vineyard in Altamira and Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. Drink in 2022 but so great now. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£531.64 |
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Wine Advocate (95)They blend two plots from two of their flagship vineyards, Adrianna in Gualtallary and Nicasia in Altamira to create the 2013 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino. It is a classical Malbec with some creamy, smoky notes, juicy, polished and fresh but with enough power to stand up to food. Some 11,000 were bottles produced. |
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Mendoza | 5 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£576.04 |
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James Suckling (98)Perfumed and seductive nose of purple plums, blueberries, dried roses, violets, lemon zest, chocolate, truffles and cigar box. It’s full-bodied, yet so elegant and weightless. Seamless, finely knit tannins. Beautiful, lengthy finish. Try from 2024. |
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Mendoza | 8 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£555.64 |
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Wine Advocate (96)The 2013 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard is produced with grapes from the vineyard that names it--a vineyard planted in 1997 in the Altamira zone of Valle de Uco. It's mostly Malbec with some 4% Cabernet Franc, but the two grapes fermented together. It has less Cabernet Franc than other years because 2013 was fresh enough that just that pinch provided enough of the character they are looking for. They call this the most Malbec of our Malbecs and it has the textbook aromas of violets and red berries with perfectly integrated oak. The palate is also elegant and fresh and showcases the telltale round tannins of Malbec. This is truly outstanding. Some 8,000 bottles were filled in December 2015. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£555.64 |
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Wine Advocate (96)The Catena Zapata range comprises some single-vineyard wines, like the 2014 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard that comes from a plot of ungrafted vines planted in Altamira in 1996 using Malbec cuttings from the ancient Angélica vineyard. Cropped from a year that delivered moderate alcohol and notable acidity, it fermented with full clusters in 2,000- and 5,000-liter oak foudres with indigenous yeasts. It matured in French oak barrels for 24 months. This shows superbly and is open and expressive, very classical and elegant, floral and mineral, with no excess whatsoever. The palate reveals superb balance, really harmonious and elegant. This one might be overlooked because there is a lot of attention given to the Malbecs from Adrianna vineyard, but this is really at the same quality level. 12,000 bottles were filled in July 2016. |
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Mendoza | 4 | 93+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£555.64 |
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Vinous (93+)Bright medium ruby. Blackberry, licorice and violet on the nose. Far tighter and less sweet than the 2014 version; a more minerally and linear version of Malbec that lacks the expansiveness of the '14. Finishes with a firm edge of tannins and terrific length. A bit less ripe--and more green--than the 2014, with tighter tannins. A bit of a question mark owing to its serious tannic spine, this wine would appear to offer excellent potential longevity but it will require patience. |
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Mendoza | 5 | 95+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£555.64 |
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Vinous (95+)Bright ruby. Captivating floral and spicy high tones lift aromas of blackberry, cassis and dark chocolate on the subtle, complex nose. Juicy, penetrating Malbec with sharply delineated black fruit, violet and spice flavors carried on the back end by brisk acidity (actually 6.5 grams per liter) and strong salty, chalky minerality. In its focus and youthfully lean style, this is hardly your typical Argentina Malbec. But this wonderfully suave yet powerful wine opens out and rises spectacularly on the saline back end, where the crushed dark berry flavors are perfectly supported by noble tannins. A knockout! Winemaker Vigil's use of a bit of Cabernet Franc in his top Malbec bottlings always leaves me wondering why more of his colleagues don't take this approach. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£386.44 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The 2018 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard, from a vineyard planted in Altamira in 1996 from an old massal selection, has contained ripeness, reflecting the less warm vintage (after 2017). The grapes were picked very early but with good ripeness because of the low yields in a very dry year. It fermented in open-top barrels with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter oak barrels. It's a balanced and elegant Malbec with some restraint and a very fine thread in the palate, with really fine tannins. It follows the path of the phenomenal 2017, fine and elegant. 12,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£489.89 |
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Vinous (96)From Paraje Altamira, the 2019 Malbec Nicasia Vineyard was made with grapes from a selected set of rows in Parcel #1 of the Nicasia Vineyard and aged for 24 months in new and second use French barrels. Dense, bright purple in the glass. The fruitiness of the complex, attractive nose is down to the region. The nose delivers a mixture of fresh plum and blackberry with lavender and violet aromas, hints of country herb and notes from the aging process. Broad but delicate in the mouth with good energy. The palate is gently sculpted by chalky tannins made juicy by the freshness. The fruity intensity is enhanced by the texture. A superb Malbec. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 90 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,181.09 |
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Vinous (90)(13.8% alcohol; 6.0 g/l acidity; 3.45 pH): Healthy dark red. Highly aromatic scents of dark plum, chocolate and smoke. Rounder and sweeter than the 1997 bottling but showing a bit less lift and detail than the earlier vintage. The plum and chocolate notes carry through onto the palate. Finishes with good density and length, an intriguing saline note and chewy, ripe tannins. (There was no 1998 bottling as this was a disastrous El Niño vintage in Argentina during which steady rainfall led to rot before the fruit ripened properly. In fact, Catena bottled only their inexpensive, entry-level Alamos wines in '98.) |
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Mendoza | 10 | 95 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£486.04 |
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James Suckling (95)Complex aromas of dark berry, shaved chocolate and minerals. Full-bodied, bright and fruity with a beautiful balance and length. It's so polished and gorgeous. A blend of 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% malbec. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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California | 4 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£421.00 |
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Vinous (94)The 2018 Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard is quite deep and heady in this vintage. Red fruit, iron, white pepper and savory herbs give the Ryan its distinctly incisive, feral personality. Hints of blood orange, raspberry and spice add an exotic flair. There is plenty of character here, that is for sure. |
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California | 1 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,662.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96)Chris Carpenter has done a fabulous job with the 2010 Cardinale. The wine boasts a huge center of fruit backed up by equally firm, imposing tannins. Layers of dark red fruit, mocha, cinnamon and new leather explode from the glass. The 2010 is a huge Cardinale endowed with superb depth, power and richness. At the same time, there is a mid-palate generosity and pliancy that leads me to believe the 2010 will drink beautifully once the tannins soften a touch. Hints of tar, graphite and iron add personality on the full-bodied, intense finish. The 2010 is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, predominantly from mountain sites. The ability to blend fruit from various top-notch sites works great here. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030. |
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California | 2 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£1,650.00 |
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Vinous (95)The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Cardinale from Cardinale is totally seamless and textured on the palate, with layers of ripe, racy fruit, tons of intensity and an opulent, voluptuous finish that captures the essence of this style to the T. Dark red stone fruits, cinnamon, cedar, tobacco and new leather linger on the creamy finish. Winemaker Chris Carpenter draws across the entire range of Kendall Jackson's Napa Valley properties to craft Cardinale. In 2012, the blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot from nine vineyards in a total of seven AVA's (Howell Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Stags' Leap, Yountville and St. Helena). |
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California | 2 | 97 (VN) |
In Bond
£1,044.00 |
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Vinous (97)The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is simply stunning. A real head-turner, the 2013 possesses superb density and tons of pure power. The flavors are deep, powerful and explosive. Mocha, new leather, and licorice wrap around a core of dark, sumptuous fruit. This dense, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon will require considerable patience, but it is super-impressive. And then some. Chris Carpenter crafted the 2013 from an assortment of parcels, most of them mountain sites on Diamond Mountain, Mt. Veeder and Howell Mountain. This is a real stand out. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£199.00 |
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James Suckling (97)This is one of the most direct and clear Caros in a long time with blue-fruit, violet and sandalwood aromas and flavors. Crushed-stone, too. Full-bodied, yet tight and contracted with a level of shyness to its strength. The length derives from the excellence of the cabernet. One for the cellar. Blend of 74% malbec and 26% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2023, but exciting to drink all the same. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 98 (TA) |
In Bond
£209.00 |
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Tim Atkin MW (98)Combining the considerable talents of Fernando Buscema and Philippe Rolet (the former made the wine, the latter did the blend), Caro is one of the wines of the vintage in 2018. Paraje Altamira is the source of this finely judged cuvée of Malbec and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 80% new wood. Subtle, graceful and perfumed, it’s a wine that carries its structure and concentration lightly, with graphite, cassis and blueberry fruit, fresh acidity and harmonious, caressing tannins. Superb stuff. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 95 (TA) |
In Bond
£235.00 |
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Tim Atkin MW (95)A very impressive red in its own right. Malbec-based with 34% Cabernet Sauvignon for company, followed by ageing in 50% new wood, it’s an inky, structured, nuanced pan-Mendoza blend, showing plum, blackberry and cassis flavours and firm, ageworthy tannins. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 96 (WI) |
In Bond
£419.00 |
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The Wine Independent (96)The 2021 CARO, 79% Malbec and 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep garnet-purple in color. It soars from the glass with expressive notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and licorice with hints of candied violets and spice cake. The full-bodied palate is jam packed with perfumed black fruits, framed by super-ripe, super-plush tannins and tantalizing freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. This is an impressive showing for this joint venture between Lafite Rothschild and Nicolas Catena. |
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California | 1 | 97+ (WA) |
In Bond
£1,100.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97+)The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Featuring a deep garnet-purple color, it sashays out of the glass with gregarious notions of baked plums, warm cassis and blueberry compote with suggestions of kirsch, dusty soil and Indian spices. The palate is full-bodied and laden with bright, lively, energetic black fruits, supported with firm, super ripe tannins and finishing on a persistent exotic spice note. 500 cases were made. |
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Central Valley | 3 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
£592.00 |
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James Suckling (100)An extremely aromatic and focused Clos Apalta with blackberry, blueberry, floral and hot stone character. Full body, very linear and ultra-fine tannins. Focused and tight. Precise and long. This is the most polished and beautiful definition of this wine ever. You want to drink it now but better in 2020. A blend of carmenére, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. |
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Central Valley | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£512.00 |
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James Suckling (99)This is really focused and refined with fantastic dried flowers and dark berries. Dried-lavender and mint undertones. Medium-to full-bodied with refined and polished tannins that are all together and so focused. Really integrated and melted together on the palate. Compact and very linear. Please give this two or three years to come completely together, but it’s already breathtaking. Better to drink after 2022. |
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Central Valley | 2 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
£476.00 |
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James Suckling (100)What a stunning nose of crushed berries, fresh flowers, sandalwood and light vineyard dust. Black olives, too. Very complex. Full-bodied with a beautiful, dense palate of blackberries, chocolate, walnuts and cigar box. Fantastic length and composure. The tannin just rolls over the palate. Very structured. The most classically structured wine ever from here. Goes on for minutes. Outrageous and so polished. A blend of 48% carmenere, 26% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Try after 2025. |
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Central Valley | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£466.00 |
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James Suckling (98)So aromatic and fresh with dried flowers, sweet tobacco and hints of straw. Red fruit, cloves and green peppercorns. Medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins that are very fresh and refined. Fine, silky and beautiful. Hints of minerals and granite to the dark fruit. Such gorgeous length and beauty. 64% carmenere, 18% cabernet franc and 18% merlot. Extremely long and poised. Cooler wine. From biodynamically grown grapes. Delicious to drink already, but another three to four years will make it even better. |
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Central Valley | 4 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£601.00 |
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James Suckling (99)A generous array of ripe black and blue fruit with pink peppercorns, green olives, dried flowers, toffee and chocolate orange. It’s full-bodied with firm, creamy and velvety tannins. Long and polished. Lovely salted caramel and olives at the end. Keeps going. Unfolds on the finish. 70% carmenere, 18% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot. Drink or hold. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 92+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,530.00 |
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Vinous (92+)Full ruby-red. Musky dark fruits and bitter chocolate on the brooding nose, with a strong kirsch note emerging with aeration. Powerful and deep but youthfully closed, with terrific grip to the flavors of cassis, dark chocolate and minerals. Quite closed and young today, but with its fine-grained tannins and slowly building persistence this single-vineyard malbec appears to be built for a positive evolution in bottle. |
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Mendoza | 6 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,029.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)I tasted three consecutive vintages of the reds from Adrianna Vineyard, including the luxury cuvée, starting with the 2014 Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae. It is from the coolest year since 2001 (but cooler will come in 2016), and it has 13.5% alcohol and very high acidity—7.5 grams measured in tartaric acid. What that all means is it's moderately ripe and very fresh, with integrated oak after fermenting in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels and an élevage of 24 months in oak. 4,200 bottles were filled in July 2016. |
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Mendoza | 2 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
£301.00 |
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Vinous (92)From a combination of terroirs in the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo, fermented separately, followed by aging for 18 months in French oak, the majority Cabernet Sauvignon combined with 7% Cabernet Franc, this is a textbook wine. Complex, with aromatic notes including red and black fruit, herbs and oak, it unfolds in layers on the tight, sugary palate, where the grippy tannins provide a precise, enlivening freshness. A surprising wine. |
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Mendoza | 4 | 94 (WA) |
In Bond
£527.00 |
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Wine Advocate (94)The 2010 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino is a blend of grapes from Adrianna and Nicasia, from the deepest, coolest soils in those vineyards, in Gualtallary and Altamira. They were looking for something that represents the essence of Malbec. The first vintage for this wine was 2004, when they finally found the blend and character they were looking for. The name they wanted to use for the wine was Malbec Puro, but they didn’t want any confusion with cigars, so they called it Malbec Argentino instead! It is very aromatic with floral notes, mainly violets and blue fruit, and is nicely defined. It is opulent with sweet tannins but with the hallmark of the freshness found in all the wines from those two vineyards, precise and long. Drink 2015-2020. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£427.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95)I was truly impressed with the nose of the 2011 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino, a blend of grapes from Adrianna (Gualtallary) and Nicasia (Altamira) vineyards in the Uco Valley. Even if the grapes are sourced from the same vineyards as the Adrianna and Nicosia bottling, this wine is quite different. Here the plots are selected from the granitic parts that give it a different, austere texture. There is a seamless granularity with the tannins that go in a straight line, and keep going and going. Super! 11,000 bottles were filled. |
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Mendoza | 9 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£427.00 |
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James Suckling (98)Very dense and powerful with a tight palate of blue fruit and raspberry undertones. Salty with wonderful length and intensity. A blend of malbec from Nicasia Vineyard in Altamira and Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. Drink in 2022 but so great now. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£427.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95)They blend two plots from two of their flagship vineyards, Adrianna in Gualtallary and Nicasia in Altamira to create the 2013 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino. It is a classical Malbec with some creamy, smoky notes, juicy, polished and fresh but with enough power to stand up to food. Some 11,000 were bottles produced. |
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Mendoza | 5 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£464.00 |
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James Suckling (98)Perfumed and seductive nose of purple plums, blueberries, dried roses, violets, lemon zest, chocolate, truffles and cigar box. It’s full-bodied, yet so elegant and weightless. Seamless, finely knit tannins. Beautiful, lengthy finish. Try from 2024. |
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Mendoza | 8 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£447.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96)The 2013 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard is produced with grapes from the vineyard that names it--a vineyard planted in 1997 in the Altamira zone of Valle de Uco. It's mostly Malbec with some 4% Cabernet Franc, but the two grapes fermented together. It has less Cabernet Franc than other years because 2013 was fresh enough that just that pinch provided enough of the character they are looking for. They call this the most Malbec of our Malbecs and it has the textbook aromas of violets and red berries with perfectly integrated oak. The palate is also elegant and fresh and showcases the telltale round tannins of Malbec. This is truly outstanding. Some 8,000 bottles were filled in December 2015. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£447.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96)The Catena Zapata range comprises some single-vineyard wines, like the 2014 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard that comes from a plot of ungrafted vines planted in Altamira in 1996 using Malbec cuttings from the ancient Angélica vineyard. Cropped from a year that delivered moderate alcohol and notable acidity, it fermented with full clusters in 2,000- and 5,000-liter oak foudres with indigenous yeasts. It matured in French oak barrels for 24 months. This shows superbly and is open and expressive, very classical and elegant, floral and mineral, with no excess whatsoever. The palate reveals superb balance, really harmonious and elegant. This one might be overlooked because there is a lot of attention given to the Malbecs from Adrianna vineyard, but this is really at the same quality level. 12,000 bottles were filled in July 2016. |
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Mendoza | 4 | 93+ (VN) |
In Bond
£447.00 |
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Vinous (93+)Bright medium ruby. Blackberry, licorice and violet on the nose. Far tighter and less sweet than the 2014 version; a more minerally and linear version of Malbec that lacks the expansiveness of the '14. Finishes with a firm edge of tannins and terrific length. A bit less ripe--and more green--than the 2014, with tighter tannins. A bit of a question mark owing to its serious tannic spine, this wine would appear to offer excellent potential longevity but it will require patience. |
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Mendoza | 5 | 95+ (VN) |
In Bond
£447.00 |
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Vinous (95+)Bright ruby. Captivating floral and spicy high tones lift aromas of blackberry, cassis and dark chocolate on the subtle, complex nose. Juicy, penetrating Malbec with sharply delineated black fruit, violet and spice flavors carried on the back end by brisk acidity (actually 6.5 grams per liter) and strong salty, chalky minerality. In its focus and youthfully lean style, this is hardly your typical Argentina Malbec. But this wonderfully suave yet powerful wine opens out and rises spectacularly on the saline back end, where the crushed dark berry flavors are perfectly supported by noble tannins. A knockout! Winemaker Vigil's use of a bit of Cabernet Franc in his top Malbec bottlings always leaves me wondering why more of his colleagues don't take this approach. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£306.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The 2018 Malbec Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard, from a vineyard planted in Altamira in 1996 from an old massal selection, has contained ripeness, reflecting the less warm vintage (after 2017). The grapes were picked very early but with good ripeness because of the low yields in a very dry year. It fermented in open-top barrels with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter oak barrels. It's a balanced and elegant Malbec with some restraint and a very fine thread in the palate, with really fine tannins. It follows the path of the phenomenal 2017, fine and elegant. 12,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020. |
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Mendoza | 10 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£389.00 |
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Vinous (96)From Paraje Altamira, the 2019 Malbec Nicasia Vineyard was made with grapes from a selected set of rows in Parcel #1 of the Nicasia Vineyard and aged for 24 months in new and second use French barrels. Dense, bright purple in the glass. The fruitiness of the complex, attractive nose is down to the region. The nose delivers a mixture of fresh plum and blackberry with lavender and violet aromas, hints of country herb and notes from the aging process. Broad but delicate in the mouth with good energy. The palate is gently sculpted by chalky tannins made juicy by the freshness. The fruity intensity is enhanced by the texture. A superb Malbec. |
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Mendoza | 1 | 90 (VN) |
In Bond
£965.00 |
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Vinous (90)(13.8% alcohol; 6.0 g/l acidity; 3.45 pH): Healthy dark red. Highly aromatic scents of dark plum, chocolate and smoke. Rounder and sweeter than the 1997 bottling but showing a bit less lift and detail than the earlier vintage. The plum and chocolate notes carry through onto the palate. Finishes with good density and length, an intriguing saline note and chewy, ripe tannins. (There was no 1998 bottling as this was a disastrous El Niño vintage in Argentina during which steady rainfall led to rot before the fruit ripened properly. In fact, Catena bottled only their inexpensive, entry-level Alamos wines in '98.) |
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Mendoza | 10 | 95 (JS) |
In Bond
£389.00 |
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James Suckling (95)Complex aromas of dark berry, shaved chocolate and minerals. Full-bodied, bright and fruity with a beautiful balance and length. It's so polished and gorgeous. A blend of 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% malbec. |
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North America is somewhat difficult to pigeonhole – though technically ‘new world’, it is In the Northern Hemisphere, and the wines have the same devoted fan base (and often first-growth prices) as many classic European wines. Cooler climate Cabs, Merlots, Pinots, Chardonnays and Rieslings with old-world structure can all be found, though if anything is lacking by comparison it is consistency.
South America is an exciting new melting pot of styles and flavours with a range of soils types and altitudes – taking international varietals and finishing with French winemaking techniques, or in the case of Argentinian Malbec, adopting a largely unloved grape and making it their own.
