The Mike Nelson Reports

Argentine Talent - The University of Catena

If you are wondering how all these great wines are coming out of Argentina at the moment you need look no further than the quality of the talent making them. The list reads like a who’s who of viticultural talent. We have Nicolas Catena to thank for most of them as he has had them through his doors at one time or another making wine or working in the vineyards. He even fathered a couple of them. Here is a look at the great names and the wines they are associated with.

Pedro Marchevsky – Pedro is the viticulturalist at BenMarco, his own winery. There he manages the vineyards of Malbec, Cabernet and Bonarda. Here he puts his 30 years experience in the vineyards to work, some gained as viticulturalist at Catena. He holds degrees in Agriculture & Enology and Agricultural Engineering plus he is the professor of Irrigation and Drainage at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. This is a very prestigious position considering the lack of rainfall in the region and their dependence on snowmelt runoff from the Andes. What he does with his fantastic grapes is turn them over to his multi-talented winemaker wife Susana Balbo- She has made wine all over the world including South Africa, Italy, France, California and Australia since earning her degree in 1981. She was also the first Argentine winemaker to be hired as a consultant outside Argentina. Considering she is one of the few females to lead her field in a male dominated arena this was a great coup for her. See their wines in BenMarco and Crios de Susana Balbo.

Mariano di Paola – is the winemaker for Bodegas la Rural and releases wines under the Felipe Rutini label. He is a fantastic winemaker who plied his trade at Catena for two years until Nicolas Catena bought 30% stake in Felipe Rutini and asked Mario to go there and turn the place around. His winemaking skill has rejuvenated the quality of the wines there especially their Merlot which is second to none. He also teamed up with fellow winemaker, Pepe Galante, another protégée of Catena and their winemaker till his son took over. Together Mariano and Pepe produce fantastic wines under their Mapema label. Their 40 years experience in winemaking shows through in their stunning Malbec.

Jose Galante – José Galante is Bodega Catena Zapata's chief winemaker. He graduated from the Facultad Tecnologica de Enologia, Universidad Juan Augustin Maza. He has maintained strong ties to the academic community and over the past 10 years has been a leading professor of winemaking at the university. At the winery he works with Alejandro Sejanovich- the viticulturalist, and possibly the most talented and intelligent viticulturalist I have ever met replaced Pedro Marchevsky when he went off to do BenMarco. He is very passionate about the vineyards and puts to good use his degrees as valedictorian graduate of Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias of the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza, Argentina with a degree in Agricultural Engineering, specializing in Vineyard Management. He also has a masters degree in Vineyard Management and Winemaking from the prestigious Ecole National Supérieure Agronomique de Montpellier in 1994. The wines of Nicolas Catena show well their commitment and talent in the winemaking field.

Luis Reginato- is the new boy on the block but if you look at his wines he knows what he is doing. He is a close friend of Alejandro Sejanovich and is assistant to him at Catena while making wines for Catena’s daughter Laura at Luca and his son Ernesto at Tikal.

Laura Catena – Nicolas Catena’s daughter is a pile of talent in her own right with degrees form Harvard and Stanford and when she is not working at the winery she is an ER doctor in California. Plus she is the mother of two. She is VP of Catena and did their marketing as well. That’s a lot of balls to juggle but judging by the wines she produces her family has got it right. Her winery, Luca is named after her son. Try her Luca Chardonnay and Malbec.

Ernesto Catena – Tikal reflects the passion he has not just for wine but also for Argentina. A skilled horseman, fashion designer, software developer, and book editor, Ernesto pursues all that gives pleasure in life. This passion for life shows through in the wines. It is a style meant to provide enormous pleasure rather than provoke contemplation; an expression of emotion rather than intellect. He has named his wines with passion in mind, Patriota (Patriot) and Jubilo (Rejoice). These are fantastic wines made to be drunk and we love them.

Nicolas Catena has surrounded himself with talent like his own for many years and we have him to thank for the plethora of great wines coming out of the region like we do today. He has been the driving force behind quality in winemaking and viticulture for decades and that is reflected in not only his wines but those of his many offspring, not just his own children but those of his winery. Many consider him the Mondavi of Argentina and they do bare some comparison but Catena is now in a class by himself with an Alumni many countries would envy.

Marvelous Malbec - Tumultuous Torrontes

Has Argentina found its place in the world market now? Is it able to establish its identity and it own recognized style? Well many Argentineans think so and they are proving it with two grapes now synonymous with the country.

Malbec has been at the forefront of Argentine reds for some time now but until recently not many were taken seriously. Soft, fruity and easy to drink they were accepted as light everyday reds. Now more serious efforts in new growing conditions and handling have changed that. Serious Malbec, dark and spicy with aging potential and rich body are emerging challenging the old wines that lacked character. New methods and crop management are leading to some fantastic Malbec and we are fortunate to have the following range to offer you:

Alamos Malbec – Always consistent with dark mulberry, soft spice fruit. Light tannins and hints of tobacco on the finish. This is typical Malbec made like it should be and a great stepping stone into the world of fine Malbec. $9.99

Elsa Malbec – This is made in the cooler area of San Rafael to the south of Mendoza. This doesn’t inhibit the flavor though. Bright and jammy with youthful tannins and rich, herbal fruit. There is some body and sweet berry notes on the finish too. $8.99

La Posta Malbec – this is a new one for us but a great value. From the excellent fruit out of the Angel Paulucci vineyard. The wine is concentrated with blackcurrant, cassis, leather, cedar and fine wood tones on the finish. Fantastic for the money. $16.99

Catena Malbec- Long now the benchmark for wines coming out of Argentina his Malbec goes from strength to strength. Rich, dark and jammy with earthy spice, herbs, cedar and tobacco. There is earth tones mixed with tea leaf and bold tannins on the finish. $18.99

Mapema – The meeting of two great wine minds, Pepe Galante (ex-Catena) and Mariano de Paula (Felipe Rutini), who have been friends for many years teamed up to make this great Malbec. Deep purple color with intense notes of violets, black cherries and powdered chocolate. The flavors are echoed on the palate with hints of herbs, tobacco, dark chocolate and fresh preserves. A stunning effort. $19.99

BenMarco Malbec – Pedro Marchevsky (ex Catena) manages some great vineyards while his wife makes the wine for him. This is a magnificent Malbec with dark fruits, lush oak, cassis, blackcurrants, stewed jam, dark chocolate in layer after layer. Hedonistic Malbec at its finest. $19.99

Luca Malbec – A truly sensory pleasure trip. Laura Catena, notice the name, has herself a firecracker of a young winemaker in Luis Reginato and it shows in this wine. A nose laden with raspberry, black fruit tea and cinnamon oak. The palate follows with dense, intense flavors or berries, oak, tea, herbs, chocolate, cedar … just layers and layers of silky refined fruit and spice. Fantastic $32.99

So we have established that Malbec is the grape to look for out of Argentina when it comes to reds but what about white. There are some fantastic Chardonnays there but it seems the whole world has good Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc doesn’t do too well there and Semillon is not really in fashion except in Australia so what do they have to offer. The answer comes in the form of Torrontes. Huh? Yes the first time I heard the name I said much the same thing. Well it turns out to be a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica. Again Huh? Criolla Chica is a grape from the Canary Islands a sure weigh point on the journey across the Atlantic taken by the conquistadors on their way to South America. Both grapes were surely brought by them and even crossed at on one time and replanted in Argentina. Torrontes really came to light about 10 years ago when it won best white wine at the London Wine Trade Fair turning a few heads in the process. It has not had as steady a rise as Malbec but here are a few winners we think you should try.

Michel Torrino Torrontes – A big ripe nose of floral fruit and Muscat jam. The palate is thick and oily with rose petal and Asian fruits finishing dry and crisp with good tang and bright flavors. $14.99

Susana Balbo Torrontes – Expressive nose of lychee, Asian pear, white flowers and aromatic perfume. The palate is loaded with dried pear, orange blossom and cut flowers leading to a dry but concentrated waxy finish. $13.99