| Country: | Argentina |
| Region: | Patagonia |
| Winery: | Cholila Ranch |
| Grape Type: | Malbec |
| Vintage: | 2019 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Named for the former Ranch owned by Butch Cassidy and the sundance Kid.
Cholila Ranch Malbec is made from 100% Malbec. The estate-grown grapes are manually harvested, carefully sorted, and destemmed. The wine undergoes traditional maceration for 21 days with selected yeasts. Cholila Ranch Malbec is aged both in American and French oak for 9 months, followed by a minimum of 6 months bottle aging prior to release.
Deep purple color. Aromas of ripe plum and mulberry with violet hints. Ripe black fruits and fig on the palate with touches of smoke and vanilla. A truly powerful yet balanced wine with a persistent finish.
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 90 Points
Argot Simpatico Ranch Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Powerful aromas of key-lime, white flowers, orange blossoms and a fierce, flinty, sauvage note define a wildly complex nose. Once in the mouth, gracefully pronounced textures coat the palate delivering an exotic interpretation of cool-climate Chardonnay character — lime peel, orange blossom, ginger and clove —lingerings deep into a vibrant finish.
Planted 1978. Shallow volcanic soils on the gently-sloped, south-facing foothills of Bennett Peak on Bennett Valley’s floor. One of California’s coolest Chardonnay vineyards. In the final year of 3-year draught cycle, Simpatico Ranch saw its earliest ever harvest and smallest crop, exposing a reserve of exoticism and minerality previously untapped. A watershed vintage for both the vineyard, and appellation. Night harvested by hand on 9/16, whole-cluster pressed direct to barrel; no settling to ensure maximum lees contact. Barrel fermented on heavy lees. Malolactic fermentation. 16 months in French oak, 50% new. Finished 2 months in steel tank, low Sulphur during barrel elevage.
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
Laird Cabernet Sauvignon Flat Rock Ranch 2019 is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
A single-vineyard Cabernet from the estate Flat Rock Ranch in the Yountville appellation of Napa Valley, aged twenty-one months in French oak (roughly 43% new). It is a polished, full-bodied Cabernet with dark berry fruit, baking spice and firm, ripe tannins.
Winery Info: Laird Family Estate was founded by Ken and Gail Laird in 1999, after three decades spent growing grapes for many of Napa Valley's most respected producers. The family farms extensive estate vineyards across the valley's appellations.
Review:
-James Suckling 93 Points
Trione Zinfandel Flatridge Ranch 2019 is made from Zinfandel.
From the secluded Flatridge Ranch, a ten-acre vineyard planted in 2008 in the coastal hills using a Zinfandel clone taken from a century-old Cloverdale block, and aged eighteen months in American oak. Aromatic and generous, it shows ripe blue and black fruit, sweet spice and a supple, elegant palate.
Winery Info: Trione Vineyards & Winery is a three-generation Sonoma County farming family whose winery was established in 2005, crafting estate-grown wines from prime sites across Alexander Valley, the Russian River Valley and the Sonoma Coast.
Review:
-James Suckling 92 Points
Enemigo El Enemigo Gran Enemigo is made from Cabernet Franc.
Gran Enemigo Agrelo is intense, balanced, and elegant. Cabernet Franc brings light notes of eucalyptus and thyme, Malbec provides ripe black fruits, and oak provides a touch of chocolate and vanilla. Certified Sustainable by Bodegas de Argentina.
Gran Enemigo Agrelo pairs beautifully with steak, veal, and roasted game birds such as chicken, turkey, and duck.
Reviews:
The 2019 Gran Enemigo Agrelo Single Vineyard shows the completeness of the vintage, a year with good yields and a cooler winter and summer. The result is a very balanced wine with full development of aromas and flavors, moderate ripeness and good freshness and balance. It has a fine texture, some chalky sensations and a dry finish, despite the fact that the soils have no limestone. The vines here are over 40 years of age.
-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 97 Points
#73 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
The 2019 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Agrelo also includes 15% Malbec from the clayish soils of Luján de Cuyo. Aged for 15 months in foudres, this purplish wine reveals enticing cigar ash notes alongside blueberry and plum aromas, with a subtle cedar backdrop. Dry, rich and plush on the palate, it quickly tightens due to its fine-grained, reactive, clay-like tannins. This long-lasting red lingers on the ashy notes, beautifully layered and crafted with a modernist touch in a slightly cool vintage.
- Vinous 97 Points
Clos Du Val Yettalil is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec
The 2019 Yettalil opens with aromas of fresh blackberry, ripe plum, and racy cassis layered with hints of violet, bay leaf, and thyme. Beautifully balanced and elegant on the palate, vibrant acidity and polished tannins give way to a concentrated core of black cherry, vanilla, and cedar. The texture is velvety and plush with a backbone of graphite and dark chocolate that lingers through a long finish.
Review:
-Wine Independent 95 Points
Named for the former Ranch owned by Butch Cassidy and the sundance Kid.
Cholila Ranch Malbec is made from 100% Malbec. The estate-grown grapes are manually harvested, carefully sorted, and destemmed. The wine undergoes traditional maceration for 21 days with selected yeasts. Cholila Ranch Malbec is aged both in American and French oak for 9 months, followed by a minimum of 6 months bottle aging prior to release.
Deep purple color. Aromas of ripe plum and mulberry with violet hints. Ripe black fruits and fig on the palate with touches of smoke and vanilla. A truly powerful yet balanced wine with a persistent finish.
The Cholila Ranch Winery
The Cholila Ranch Winery is one of the first four wineries from the dessert region of Neuquen, Patagonia. It is named after the ranch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid settled. The Cholila Ranch Winery made the area famous with their innovative wine styles. Neuquen is one of the most remote wine regions. The land consists of dust and stone roads in a dry backdrop. Surviving, let alone producing here is proof of man’s capacity to cooperate in unison with the environment.
The primary winemaker for Cholila Ranch Winery is Roberto de la Mota. His team consists of 100% Argentine winemakers.
[In February 20, 1901, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, boarded the British ship Herminius and steamed off to build a new life for themselves in the "United States of the Southern Hemisphere". They settled in a sheep ranch at Cholila Ranch, in the deepest Argentine Patagonia, under the alias of James Ryan and Harry A. place, where they were considered respectable citizens. - Extract of "Digging Up Butch & Sundance, by Anne Meadows]
Some wines by Cholila Ranch Winery:
Any Cholila Ranch wines we have in stock are listed below, if you don’t see the wine you are looking for please don’t hesitate to ask for it.
Viejo Isaias Juana Cabernet Franc is made from 100 percent Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet Franc has an intense bright velvety red color. In the nose this wine reveals a complex expression marked by fresh berries followed by hints of floral aromas. It also displays some smoke and vanilla from the oak barrels. It is rich and balanced in the mouth with an elegant tannic structure and long fresh fruit end.
Vineyard information:
Location: Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo, on the highest area of the Mendoza river - Mendoza.
Altitude: 950m above sea level.
Soil: Stony, from Alluvial origins
Coming from our estate vineyards in Perdriel and Lujan de Cuyo.
Aged in 50% French and 50% American Oak barrels for 12 months. First and second use only.
Wine was slightly filtered before bottling.
Excellent when paired with red meats, pasta with spicy sauces, matured cheeses.
Review:
-James Suckling 92 Points
James Goddard was an ancestor of the Clarke family. Born in West Sussex, England in 1823, James spent his 74 years as a sailor, a whaler, a bullock driver, farmer, prospector, miner and hotel keeper. From an illiterate runaway living rough on the streets of London, he became a rich, successful and admired pillar of South Australian society.
James arrived in Adelaide in 1839 as a 16-year-old sailor. Twelve years later, his life changed forever with the news of gold findings. For the next 20 years, James roamed the country learning the geology that improved his chances of prospecting.
James Goddard Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
In 1870, he tried his luck near his farm in the Barossa Valley and discovered the region’s first gold deposits, creating the prosperous Lady Alice Mine. The Lady Alice Mine, though it is no longer operational, was & still is the most successful gold mine in South Australia. From these roots, the Thorn-Clarke family has been connected to the region for the last 150 years.
James Goddard Shiraz is a blend Shiraz sourced from the Milton Park vineyard in the north of Eden Valley, and the St Kitts vineyard in the far northern area of the Barossa. Fruit is harvested in the cool of the night to maintain maximum flavour and freshness and it is fermented for 8 days. The ferment is pumped over twice daily to extract the colour and flavour from the fruit. Once finished fermentation the wine was then matured in a blend of French and American oak for a period of 10 to 12 months depending on the vintage.
Deep vibrant red with purple hues to the rim. The nose shows lifted plums, vibrant purple berries and a delicate spice note. The palate has concentrated satsuma plum, blackberry with lovely charry oak in the background. Long, juicy and even with plush fruit on the finish.
Review:
“Blended from two estate vineyards, St. Kitts and Milton Park, this shiraz offers its richness without any aggression or overt perfume. It’s just lush and delicious, a friendly embrace of firm tannins and purple-red fruit. The texture and flavor combine in a saturated meatiness, for Korean barbecue.”
- Wine & Spirits Magazine, 92 points
Alain Jaume Cairanne Les Travees is made from 65% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre.
Our selected vines for this cuvée are on slopes facing south.
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The wine delivers an intensive nose, with loads of black fruits.
Starting full and concentrated, with silky tannins, the mouth reveals blackcurrant and a cherry fruit typicity.
It finishes with typical notes of pepper and earth.
Enjoy with roasted lamb or braised or BBQed pork. gpoes also very well with mild cheese, such as brie or camenbert.
Review:
-James Suckling 92 Points
Segries Lirac Rouge Cuvee Reservee is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 10% Mourvèdre
Dark garnet in color. Expressive Red fruits and spicy. Sweet tannins and good length
Ageing up to 10 years
Vineyards Clay and limestone Area: 24 hectares Age of Vines: 80 years Yeild: 24 Hl/Ha Production: 570 Hl Harvest and VInification Harvest by hand and 100% destemmed. Maceration for 21 days in cement tank - Fermentation with controlled temperature at Château de Ségriès.
Pairs well with Stews, Grilled meats, Game, Various cheeses
The nose here is brilliantly red fruited, with layer upon layer of subtle spice, bright floral notes, herbs, and stone. Its not all poetry and pageantry, though, and the first impression of the wine was simply, “oh that’s goooood.” A fair assessment, and sometimes that it all one requires. Further tastes show fine tannin throughout, a juicy, vibrant mouthfeel that is very likeable, and deft, long-developing layers of fruit that reveal themselves severally.
Patton Valley's flagship wine, The Estate is the most comprehensive expression of their vineyard site, and the wine that truly defines their place in a given vintage.
Review:
"Glistening red. Vibrant red fruit, floral and spice scents show very good clarity that picks up subtle hints of succulent herbs and smoky minerals with air. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, the 2017 offers gently sweet cherry raspberry and rose pastille flavors and a touch of spicecake. Smooth, well-integrated tannins make a late appearance on a long, floral-tinged finish that shows no rough edges.
- Josh Raynolds" - Antonio Galloni's Vinous (August 2020), 92 pts
-Wine Enthusiast 90 Points
Antica Vigna Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva is made from 65% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone, 5% Merlot.
Amarone DOCG has maintained unchanged its typicality, so that “the essence of the territory” of Valle di Mezzane and Cazzano di Tramigna powerfully emerges. Rich in color, firmly structured but with fresh notes.
WINEMAKING AND AGING:
Manual harvest early October with selection of the best bunches.
Drying: natural drying in fruit cellar for 3/4 months with a sharp drop in weight of around 30%.
Vinification: soft crushing of destemmed grapes in the months of January and February.
Fermentation: at a controlled temperature of 18/21°C. Fermentation time: about 30 days
Aging:· 80% in oak barrels for 30 months of which 2/3 in American and French barriques, half of which are used for the second and third time, 1/3 in large
THE TERRITORY:
Geographical location: Tenuta di Mezzane, Tenuta di Cazzano di Tramigna
Height: 350/400 meters asl
Exposure: south
Soil type: limestone
Vineyard training system: guyot and pergola
Vine planting year: from 1972 to 2009
Vine density: 4,000 to 5,400 vines per hectare Vineyard management: sustainable agriculture and great attention to natural
cycles
Pairs well with grilled and roasted meats, as well as cheese.
Timeless Notes:
Dark cherry in color, firm on the palate with a vibrant acidity underbelly. Thought lush on the palate the flavors are complex and elegant from entry to mid-palate with hints of currant and wild berries. The finish brings in a touch of tobacco and leather notes ,classic examples of this region, with more ripe fruit flavors that linger on long strain tannin finish. Complex with depth and elegance on the palate. This one is drinking now, but can handle more time in the cellar with ease. An excellent value in the Riserva category.
Philippe Milan Bourgogne Blanc is made from 100% Chardonnay
The wine is produced from vines planted in the commune of Chassey le Camp at high elevation, which brings freshness to this Chardonnay. Ripe fruit is nicely balanced with delicate notes of oak and a hint of citrus on the finish. Full flavored and complex.
Merryvale Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is made from Chardonnay.
Merryvale Vineyards works out of a historic 1933 stone cellar in St. Helena — the first winery built in Napa Valley after Prohibition, and where the Mondavi brothers made their earliest wines. Owned by the Swiss Schlatter family since 1996, Merryvale draws on prized vineyard sites across Napa and Sonoma. This Sonoma Coast Chardonnay — barrel fermented and aged roughly ten months in about 30% new French oak — is the first Merryvale has sourced across cool-climate Sonoma Coast sites. It is bright and energetic, with layers of lemon and lime zest, apricot and white peach leading to a long, mineral-driven finish.
Review:
"This marks the first Chardonnay Merryvale has sourced from excellent sites across the Sonoma Coast. The wine is barrel fermented and aged for 10 months in approximately 30% new French oak. It is expressive and energetic and showcases elegant layers that build on its medium-bodied richness and refined minerality. Bright notes of lemon and lime zest are complemented by apricot, crunchy white peach, and grapefruit zest, leading to a long, mineral-rich finish. This beautifully balanced and vibrant Chardonnay offers complexity and freshness with every sip."
- Jonathan Cristaldi, Wine Enthusiast, 93 Points