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By Manos Angelakis
The wines of Argentina are continually improving, to the point where the better Argentinean winemakers can now stand toe-to-toe with any French or Italian producer, without any apologies for their wines.
A very good example is the outstanding wines of Bodegas Salentein. Barbara and I tasted some of the premium range a few days ago at BLT Prime, with Salentain’s chief winemaker Laureano Gómez and the advertising and brand managers of Palm Bay International that imports the Salentein wines in the US. These wines are made for meat-eaters; paired with a succulent, prime steak they complement the meat admirably.
I had already tasted most of the Salentein Reserve line, and the wines are quite enjoyable; at $20 list per bottle, they are actually very good especially the 2006 Reserve Malbec. But¸ what really impressed us was the 2004 Primum Malbec. At $65 list per bottle, it is far superior to many similarly priced wines that I had lately.
Salentein’s entry-level wines are marked as Reserve. In the case of numerous South American wines, Reserve, simply means that the winemaker considers these wines the best product of the vintage. This has been a bone of contention with the European vintners; for European wines Reserve means that the wines have spent more time in wood than an entry level wine. For example if an entry-level has spent 6 months in barrel, a Reserve of the same grape from the same winery would spend 12 to 18 months or even more. Some traditional wineries in Spain for example, keep their wines in wood sometimes for 10 to 15 years prior to bottling. But, each wine producing area has its own regulations.
As I previously stated the Salentein Reserve Line is exceptionally good. They are excellent for everyday drinking. The 2008 Chardonnay, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2006 Malbec are produced in the El Portillo estate, in Mendoza’s Valle de Uco. The grapes are hand-harvested and cluster selection and soft-destemming take place upon receipt at the winery. Great care is taken not to break the berries – the traditional berry pressing/crushing does not take place. The berries are placed virtually whole, together with dry-ice to avoid oxidation, in stainless tanks. Cold carbonic semi-maceration takes place from 3 to 5 days, depending on the varietal. Then select yeasts are introduced and fermentation in controlled temperature takes place. This process keeps a high level of aromatics, especially fruit aromas. Again, depending on the varietal, the wine is barrel aged for 5 to 15 months and bottled aged for 4 to 8 months prior to release. The wines are very aromatic; the white shows citrus, tropical fruit and light oak on the nose; the reds jammy black fruit, plums and cherries and a hint of tobacco and vanilla.
A higher-level red wine called “Numina” is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Merlot. This is a beautifully balanced wine, perfectly rounded and with a long finish. It is highly aromatic, with ripe raspberries and ripe plums on the nose and hints of vanilla and cigarbox.
Finally, the Primum line; their top-of-the-line, flagship line.
2004 Primum Malbec, and 2004 Primum Pinot Noir. These wines receive the same care in handling as the Reserve line, but instead of fermentation in Stainless Steel tanks, both are placed in French oak vats where fermentation takes place under controlled temperature. The wine is racked to 100% new French oak barriques where malolactic fermentation takes place. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration. These are powerful wines, with ample flavors and sweet tannins. Elegant, long finish.
© February 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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