Mary Ewing-Mulligan Reviews Argento Bonarda 2010 – 89 Points
May 17th, 2012Mary Ewing-Mulligan has written a really interesting article about Bonarda, the “underdog” red wine variety from Argentina, for Wine Review Online. She reviews our Argento Bonarda 2010 and awards it 89 points.
A Different Taste of Argentina
15 May 2012
“Ever since I first visited Argentina, I have been intrigued by Bonarda… I saw Bonarda as a welcome change-of-pace from the ubiquitous Malbec and its alternative, Cabernet Sauvignon. Bonarda’s underdog image — once the most planted variety in Argentina, usurped by Malbec twenty years ago — heightened the intrigue. Now, the availability of this lovely, great-value, award-winning wine has given me all the excuse I need to spread the word about Bonarda.”
“Argento Bonarda comes from an area in the Mendoza province called Rivadavia, the historic zone of Bonarda, south and east of the town of Mendoza. The vines are 80 years old; Nick notes that making Bonarda as an unblended wine requires the best grape sources so that the fruit flavor can match the power and weight inherent in Bonarda.”
“The 2010 Bonarda is… complete and well-formed. The color is deep ruby-purple; the wine’s aroma suggests blue and black fruits, black cherry and blueberry, with a note of spicy oak and a hint of floral perfume. In my mouth, the first impression of the wine is its softness; this is not a sweet-dense-pulpy softness but rather a smoothness and a lack of rough edges. The wine is medium-bodied and fully dry. Despite its vivid fruit flavors it doesn’t come across as what I would particularly call a fruity red, because it has savory notes and very fine tannins that give it character beyond simple fruitiness.”
“Something about its fruit flavors inspires me to recommend it with duck. Any grilled summertime fare should also be a good accompaniment.”
Read the full article here.
Mary Ewing-Mulligan, MW, is co-author of Wine for Dummies and six other books, president of International Wine Center, executive director of U.S. programs for the Wine & Spirit Educational Trust, president of the Institute of Masters of Wine (North America) and wine columnist for The New York Daily News and the trade magazines Nation’s Restaurant News and Beverage Dynamics.