Lamadrid, Single Vineyard Bonarda 2010, Agrelo, Argentina

Tasting Note: When you open the bottle, pour a glass and take in the nose of this wine, your senses will be met by one of the strongest aromas of plum and dark chocolate you’ve ever likely experienced.

Having had a limited sample of Bonarda in Argentina, none of which were as impression-lasting as this one, it is clear that I’m in the presence of something entirely new.

The wine is deep purple (nearly opaque), full-bodied and drenched in red fruit including raspberries and plum with tobacco and oak-flavored highlights. The wine finishes with chocolate in your mouth, not in an offensive way, but in a way that shows power and youth. Give this wine an opportunity to breathe before serving.

Low acidity leads to a round and slightly flabby mouth feel. More acidity would have contributed to a greater sense of balance. This red would pair well with a slice of German-chocolate cake which would increase the perception of acidity in the wine and could offer the needed balance.

I haven’t tasted enough Bonarda to figure out if this is an outlier or more of the grape’s signature fabric.

One thing is for sure – it’s worth sampling if only to introduce something totally different and new to your palate and to begin to explore this relatively new single-varietal bottling showing up on American shelves.

Bottle Note: Mendoza skies, on the west of Argentina, are deep blue, clean and clear. Here our vineyards grow and develop at 900 meters above sea level under that blue spotless sky. The bright sunny days and the cool summer nights help our grapes acquire a unique concentration of aromas and colors that will take you to an unforgettable tasting experience. It has neither been cold stabilized, filtered nor fined to ensure the aromatic integrity. As a result the wine will show deposits after cellaring time. We recommend decanting. Hector Durigutti, Winemaker.