2006 La Posta Bonarda Estrela Armando Vineyard Mendoza 13.5%
The few Bonardas I've tried have not been memorable, so I was curious to try this highly-touted single vineyard example made under Laura Catena's auspices. Aromas of strawberry jam and oak vanilla. Good acid/fruit balance, light tannins, more cherry than strawberry on the palate. The alcohol is well integrated but the fruit tastes a bit too ripe for me, and the oak sticks out a bit too much. The acidity, though adequate, tastes discrete (in the mathematical sense) and feels poorly integrated. In short, I found no unprecedented or particular flavor that might characterize a Bonarda trademark and, perhaps more damningly, not much in the way of pleasure either. But Marcia liked it (she's more partial to the international style).