WTN: Amancaya,Montpertuis,Ellner,Allora,Bois Noir

[Jenise]

Some recent wines:

2006 Amancaya Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina
Damn, for $18 this wine's got it going on: Solid blackberry and black cherry cabernet flavors in a restrained, European style as befits a Rothschild project (which this is). Good fruit but with savory notes as well good concentration, structure and balance that outperform it's price. And I note that it's the first bottle of four emptied, even though the other couple at the table typically prefer fruitier California-style wines. I might buy some for near-term cellaring.

2000 Bois Noir, Bordeaux Superior
The savage green notes this wine had earlier on are gone and it's showing as well right now as it ever has and most likely ever will, but it seems tart and soul-less next to the seductive Amancaya.

1990 Charles Ellner Champagne
The degree of baked apple in this wine caused me to guess I was drinking a mid to late 80's wine. Rich, toasty brioche flavors are very satisfying, but the
bubbles are waning and I wouldn't cellar additional bottles further.

1998 Montpertuis Chateneuf-du-Pape
Disappointingly flawed. Cloudy red color and weak on the mid-palate where I'd expect this wine to be spectacular about now.

1999 Allora Sangiovese, Napa Valley
Served by friends side by side with a 97 Brunello whose name I never managed to get, and paired with a classy cioppino. It was a brilliant pairing because this wine did not jump straight out as a poser, even without the acidity of the real Italian. It had true Sangiovese flavor, something few Cal-Itals in my experience get anything close to. But alas, over a few hours it faded in the glass and turned pruney. Drink up!

2006 Amancaya Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina
Damn, for $18 this wine's got it going on

Thanks, Jenise. This might be something I can find here. I'll make a point of looking for it.

The Amancaya is 50% malbec and 50% cabernet sauvignon. First time I tasted the 06 I posted a (cost-adjusted) rave here on WLDG. A few weeks later I bought two cases to use in parties and those were/have not been as good. Will pop one of the remaining bottles soon to compare with Jenise's notes.

[David M. Bueker]

I have had some really good and some very disappointing bottles of the Montpertuis. It seems nearly as variable as the Les Cailloux bottlings.

[Jenise]

The Amancaya is 50% malbec and 50% cabernet sauvignon. First time I tasted the 06 I posted a (cost-adjusted) rave here on WLDG. A few weeks later I bought two cases to use in parties and those were/have not been as good. Will pop one of the remaining bottles soon to compare with Jenise's notes.

Really? I didn't get any of the 'pretty' notes of malbec on the nose. But more to the point, why is it not then labeled as a cab-malbec vs. being labeled cabernet sauvignon only?

Really? I didn't get any of the 'pretty' notes of malbec on the nose. But more to the point, why is it not then labeled as a cab-malbec vs. being labeled cabernet sauvignon only?

That's weird, this is what my label looks like:

Amancaya.jpg

The back says Malbec 50% - Cabernet Sauvignon 50% and is written in English...

[Jenise]

Really? I didn't get any of the 'pretty' notes of malbec on the nose. But more to the point, why is it not then labeled as a cab-malbec vs. being labeled cabernet sauvignon only?

That's weird, this is what my label looks like:

Amancaya.jpg

The back says Malbec 50% - Cabernet Sauvignon 50% and is written in English...

Oswaldo, I called the store I bought the bottle at and you're entirely right. I for some reason never saw the word 'malbec' there, but it was.

I found the 2006 Amancaya Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina, to be a wonderful addition to my cellar. Great price and an ager I think. I paid $15 per.

Drew

[Jenise]

I found the 2006 Amancaya Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina, to be a wonderful addition to my cellar. Great price and an ager I think. I paid $15 per.

Drew

It's a lot of sophistication for the money, isn't it? The straight malbec is good too, though I prefer the addition of the cabernet sauvignon.

I found the 2006 Amancaya Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina, to be a wonderful addition to my cellar. Great price and an ager I think. I paid $15 per.

Drew

It's a lot of sophistication for the money, isn't it? The straight malbec is good too, though I prefer the addition of the cabernet sauvignon.

I don't believe the joint venture makes a straight malbec, both their wines - the Amancaya and the Bodegas Caro - are malbec/cabernet blends. The latter twice as expensive but, IMHO, not better, just different.

[Jenise]

I don't believe the joint venture makes a straight malbec, both their wines - the Amancaya and the Bodegas Caro - are malbec/cabernet blends. The latter twice as expensive but, IMHO, not better, just different.

Hmmm...you would know, you were clearly right about this one. But funny that this time I would buy the bottle and see only "Cabernet Sauvignon" where previously I bought a bottle and saw only "Malbec". I actually had to look back just now to see if I posted a TN on it, and I did not, but rather mentioned the wine in response to your post comparing Amancaya to the less fortunate Catena.

I liked this exchange:

Me: It was just that much more complex and sophisticated. A crazy value.
You: Yes! I may be stretching things a bit, but it reminded me of Tignanello (it's a Supermendozan! )

Btw, I snagged my local retailer's last two bottles yesterday to lay down for some future date, as promised (threatened?). How long have they been making this wine, btw; is there a track record to predict the future by?

Btw, I snagged my local retailer's last two bottles yesterday to lay down for some future date, as promised (threatened?). How long have they been making this wine, btw; is there a track record to predict the future by?

This page says that 2003 was the first vintage for Amanacaya:
http://www.lafite.com/en/php/vins/7_2_1 ... chateau=46

I'll try another bottle sometime this week to renew my memory of its "stuffing" but I'd be surprised if it's built to last more than five years or so.

Speaking of "built to last" and other phrases one hears like "98% of wine is made to be consumed within a year or two", I wonder what "built to last" means from the winemaker's point of view. We know of all these tools to make wine accessible earlier (like microoxygenation, picking more mature grapes, using less SO2, etc.), but if a wine maker wants his wine to last longer, what is it, exactly, that he can do? Add tons of SO2?

[Jenise]

I'll try another bottle sometime this week to renew my memory of its "stuffing" but I'd be surprised if it's built to last more than five years or so.

That's how it tasted to me, hence my initial statement that I might buy a few for "near-term cellaring".

but if a wine maker wants his wine to last longer, what is it, exactly, that he can do?

Send it to Bill Spohn.