2011 Mendel Unus

2011 was a medium year. Not really warm and dry. Wines are rich and a little closed.  Ungrafted Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1928 in Luján de Cujo. 16 months in new French oak. 10% Petit Verdot. Very deep cherry red with purple rim. Dark plums, cassis, a little dusty on the nose, a little earthy, less scented than the 2010 but such incredible brightness to the fruit. Firm, compact, chalky tannins, not as supple as the 2010. Dry and subtle on the finish. Super-elegant and dark on the palate if not yet expressive. (JH)

The 2011 Unus is a blend of 65% old un-grafted Malbec, 25% younger Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot from Perdriel, Mayor Drummond and Altamira, aged in new French oak barrels for 16 months. The nose is elegant and complex with subtle notes of soil, a little backward, combining ripe and fresh notes of fruit, hints of cured meats, orange peel, with a great sense of harmony. The palate is full-bodied, a good combination of the backbone of the Cabernet Sauvignon, the meat of the Malbec and a good punch in the palate helped by the Petit Verdot. The blend works really well, both in the nose and the palate. A great blend, quite classical, that should age well. Drink now-2020. Roberto de la Mota is the son of one of the fathers of Argentina’s quality wines, the late Raul de la Mota, who worked for Weinert, Flichman and Humberto Canale in Patagonia. Today, Roberto still advises a number of wineries, including some of his father’s clients. Mendel is the joint venture of Roberto with Anabel Sielecki. They work with some very old vines in Lujan de Cuyo that produce ripe, concentrated and balanced grapes. 2004 was the first vintage produced at Mendel. The wines can be defined as updated classically-styled. I met with Roberto in Madrid, then visited the winery, and tasted intensively with Roberto and Anabel. This gave me a very good perspective on the wines, but (as I’m doing in this first round of Argentina, Spain and Chile) I’m only publishing notes for the most recent releases. In 2007, Roberto de la Mota had a terrible car accident but he’s miraculously alive, so he felt like he had a second chance – like he was born again – and decided to produce a line of wines with his son Rodrigo. They called the wines revancha, meaning revenge. This is a separate line of wines produced at Mendel. Importer: Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA; tel. (415) 332-8466; www.vineconnections.com

(65% malbec, 20% cabernet sauvignon and 15% petit verdot; from 82-year-old vines; aged 16 months in new Taransaud barrels): Saturated, bright ruby. Blackberry, black plum, cocoa powder and spicecake on the perfumed nose. Suave, sappy and broad, showing excellent concentration and a restrained sweetness to its intense flavors of dark fruits, cocoa powder and minerals. I like the combination of density and energy here. Very long on the aftertaste, with ripe tannins thoroughly buffered by fruit. Drink now or over the next ten years.