Maipe Malbec Reserve is made from 100 percent Malbec.
Maipe was the Lord of the Winds for the ancient Andean Indians. He is still called upon to clear the skies after heavy rain, or to temper the summer heat.
The nose reveals dried plum and dark fruits, exotic spices, with hints of violet and chocolate. Round and fleshy, with enticing crushed plum and boysenberry fruit enlivened by a liquorice snap note. Fresh acidity lies buried on the medium-weight, juicy finish.
The grapes are carefully chosen and fermented in small lots to preserve the vineyard identity. Alcoholic fermentation for 12 days with indigenous and selected yeasts, at temperatures of 26 and 30°C, combining, remontage, pigage and delestage in order to obtain the best quality of tannins and structure.
Maipe Malbec is made from 100 percent Malbec.
This Malbec has a deep purple color with violet tints, complex plum, fig, strawberry, spices and floral aromas; rounded and velvety tannins, excellent length with a distinguished character.
Excellent when paired with game, roasted red meats, pasta or pizza.
Pazo de Senorans Seleccion de Anada Albarino is made from 100 percent Albarino.
Straw yellow with greenish tints, vivid and brilliant. High intensity and very expressive. Profusion of aromas with traces of mineral. Great volume and ample body leaving a lasting impression from beginning to end.
Reviews:
I think the 2014 Albariño Selección de Añada could be the finest vintage of this characterful long-aging Albariño, from a year with a more moderate 13% alcohol and very high acidity (and low pH) that make the wine fresher and more vibrant. It is developing very slowly and showing quite young after it spent over 30 months with lees in 1,500- and 3,000-liter stainless steel tanks. It has a pale color and an elegant nose with notes of freshly cut grass, white flowers and wet granite. The palate is vibrant with effervescent acidity, and it has a long, dry and tasty finish with an austere sensation, far away from the tropical notes of some past vintages. This is superb and should continue developing nicely in bottle. Bravo! It wasn't bottled until April 2023, and 14,000 bottles were produced.
-Wine Advocate 96 Points
Tech:
Maipe Chardonnay 2013 is made from 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier.
Manual harvest.
5 hour maceration on skins in temperature controlled steel vats; fermentation with selected yeasts at 14°-16°C; 30% malolactic fermentation.
30% was aged in French oak barrels.
Brilliant yellow golden color with green hints.
The wine is crisp and filled with white peach, pear, green apples flavors, toasty vanilla. Elegant and luscious wine, well balanced. Crisp and long finish.
Pairs well with creamy soups, pork, veal, vegetables.
Justin Vineyards & Winery Isosceles Reserve is made from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot
Dark, ruby/purple core with a medium intensity rim and moderately stained tears. Complex and very aromatic with black cherry, cassis, toasty vanilla, cinnamon, cedar, graphite, oak, dusty leaf notes, star anise and red licorice. Full bodied, with ripe black fruit of cherry, currant and berry with baking spice on entry. The mid-palate features sustained fruit with sweet tobacco, leather, vanilla and licorice, and mouth coating tannins that balance its full fruit character through a very long, fresh and beautifully balanced finish that evolves with a complex mix of fruit, spice and savory elements.
The 2016 ISOSCELES Reserve is a bold, but balanced wine that pairs nicely with rich meat dishes like slow cooked stews and braises, but shines beautifully with a simple grilled ribeye steak.
Review:
Clean lines of blackberry jam, charred toast and crushed slate make for a focused nose in this reserve blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. It is very dense and thick on the palate, where mocha, caramel, loamy earth and dark berry flavors align into an lusciously rich yet elegantly dry experience.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Michel Rolland, Pomerol vintner and consultant to many of the world's top wineries, teamed with Washington State wine visionary Allen Shoup to produce this limited release wine.
With its intense color and inviting aromas of dark berries, licorice, baking spice and a hint of smoke, the Pedestal is a bold wine that leaves a lasting impression. Dark fruit flavors integrated with sweetness from the barrel and richness from the tannins come together seamlessly, lingering across a structured mid-palate and lengthy finish.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested grapes were double-sorted to remove green material that might impart harsh tannins, then most of the lots were cold soaked to build richness and flavor before undergoing whole-berry fermentation in 55L upright French wood tanks. This, combined with gentle pump-overs throughout fermentation, enhanced the wine’s color, texture and mouthfeel. The finished wine was aged 22 months in 85% new French oak barrels.
Review:
"I loved the 2014 Pedestal Merlot and it’s 81% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. It offers a downright voluptuous and incredibly sexy style in its ripe black currants, toasted spice, chocolate and licorice aromas and flavors. Broad, expansive, layered and pleasure bent, with ripe tannin, it's a knockout Merlot that's going to have 10-15 years of drinkability. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #231, June 2017), 95 pts
Holiday Sale
Maipe was the Lord of the Winds for the ancient Andean Indians. He is still called upon to clear the skies after heavy rain, or to temper the summer heat.
The nose reveals dried plum and dark fruits, exotic spices, with hints of violet and chocolate. Round and fleshy, with enticing crushed plum and boysenberry fruit enlivened by a liquorice snap note. Fresh acidity lies buried on the medium-weight, juicy finish.
The grapes are carefully chosen and fermented in small lots to preserve the vineyard identity. Alcoholic fermentation for 12 days with indigenous and selected yeasts, at temperatures of 26 and 30°C, combining, remontage, pigage and delestage in order to obtain the best quality of tannins and structure.
The Chakana Estate
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Malbec, Bonarda Argentina, Cabernet Sauvignon
Elegant and mature wines with 12 months of oak aging, produced
only with grapes grown in our own estates.
Ayni is our icon wine. It is the result of our permanent quest
for the best Malbec terroirs that Mendoza can offer. This wine
comes from the gravely limestone soils of Altamira: powerful
but fresh and lively, this 100% Malbec has been aged in
French oak barrels for 18 months. It is presented in 6-bottle
wooden cases.
Chakana Estate Selection is a line of wines which represent the
best terroirs of each of our estates. Aged in French oak barrels
for 12 months these wines give pre-eminence to the expression
of terroir rather than oak. In every wine we try to craft a drinkable
and seductive style through the careful management of our
soils and grapes and in accordance with our consumers’ taste.
Chakana winery was founded by Juan Pelizzatti on May 2nd, 2002. Juan was driven to enter the wine industry first and foremost by his passion for wine, and also by the desire to invest his time and money on a product of agriculture. Although Juan did not know it at the time, the company was founded on the same day the Chakana was celebrated on the Andes highlands: on that same day, the Southern Cross (the Chakana for the Inca people) becomes vertical in the night Andean sky.
Juan's mission is to create an integral experience to introduce world consumers to the taste and culture of the Andes. His vision is to become one of the top 20 exporters of wine from Argentina, by consistently offering outstanding value for money.
"An incredible discovery for me, this winery was founded a decade ago and named after the Southern Cross ("Chakana" is the local Indian dialect for that constellation). It is located approximately 20 miles south of Mendoza in Agrelo. All three of these wines are highly recommended, and all are fabulous bargains in Malbec." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (June 2012)
Wine is currently produced in four different levels at Chakana, by winemaker Gabriel Bloise:
Entry Level: Maipe
Reserve Level: Maipe Reserve, Cueva de las Manos, Nuna
Estate Selection
Ayni
The Chakana Estate Vineyards
Our grapes are grown in our own estates located in diverse premium micro-regions of Mendoza.
Each of them contributes its character to the final blend of our top quality wines.
Our wines are made in a state-of-the-art 2 million liter facility located in our Agrelo estate.
The Three Chakana Vineyard Areas:
FINCA AGRELO
LOCATION: AGRELO, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza
Description: 120 ha. planted with different varieties between 2002 and 2010. Mainly Malbec,
Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, Viognier and Syrah.
Altitude: 960 meters above sea level.
TERROIR: Varied. Deep clay to loam. Gravel in some areas. Dry and cool climate with important
amplitude in temperature.
Wine Profile: Medium-bodied, elegant, fruity.
FINCA TERRADA
LOCATION: MAYOR DRUMMOND, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza.
Description: 21 ha. 100 year old Malbec.
Altitude: 919 metres above sea level.
TERROIR: Loam and clay with 70 cm deep gravel. Some limestone. Urban
influenced climate, relatively warm.
WINE PROFILE: Complex, ripe fruit.
FINCAS ALTAMIRA
LOCATION: ALTAMIRA, Valle de Uco, Mendoza
Altamira I |16 ha. Malbec. Altitude: 1,068 meters above sea level.
Altamira II |26 ha. Malbec, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, planted in 2006. Altitude: 1,097 meters above sea
level.
TERROIR: Sandy-loam with gravel at 50 cm depth. Dominated by limestone. Temperate climate.
WINE PROFILE: Full-bodied and mineral.
They also source wines from contract suppliers in Ugarteche and Medrano, for entry level wines, and in Vista Flores, for Estate Selection & Ayni levels.
The Wine Making Team:
WINEMAKING CONSULTANT: ALBERTO ANTONINI. Alberto is an Italian winemaker with a pioneering role in
the discovery and development of high quality Malbec. Alberto has brought to us his profound knowledge of
the wine industry, his uncompromising commitment to authenticity and the belief that Argentina will become
one of the leading winegrowing regions of the world.
VITICULTURE CONSULTANT: ALAN YORK. Alan is one of the world’s leading consultants on biodynamic
viticulture. He is also a permanent source of inspiration and insight into the relationship between man, spirit
and nature.
WINEMAKER: GABRIEL BLOISE. Gabriel is one of the stars of the younger generation of Mendoza’s winemakers.
30 years old, he has already made 15 vintages in top estates in some of the most important winegrowing
areas in the world: Tuscany, Priorat, Australia, California, North Carolina, Salta and Mendoza. He is a tireless
explorer of the relationship between nature and its effect on the aromas in wine.
TERROIR CONSULTANT: PEDRO PARRA. Pedro's expertise helps us to understand how to identify and
manage the soil in each plot of our vineyards. His palate is fine-tuned to understanding the impact of soil
structure on the taste of wine. This has made him one of the 50 most influential people in wine according to
Decanter Magazine.
Paul Hobbs West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Hailing from the newly established West Sonoma Coast AVA,.
Lovely ruby red shades catch the eye, while exotic notes of tart Morello cherry and pungent pine forest swirl with fresh raspberry. Bright, pure fruit carries through on the palate, layered with earthy hints of damp loam and rocky salinity, all backed by the elegant, fine-grained tannins and stylish grip that cool West Sonoma Coast offers at its best.
Review:
A rush of sugared beet, pomegranate, and vanilla-soaked raspberry mingles with a touch of salinity on entry, while a soil component reflects the super-cool climate of the appellation. Power and elegance coexist in this red, which finishes with graphite, peony, basil, and exotic incense.
-Tasting Panel 97 Points
Alain Jaume Domaine du Clos de Sixte Lirac is made from 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre
An intense red garnet color. On the nose, aromas of red and black ripe fruit (kirsch and wild blackberry). The mouth is full, with aromas of blackcurrant liqueur and spice. Tannins are both harmonious and elegant thanks to the fleshiness of the wine. Hints of licorice and vanilla on the finish, which gives the wine length and complexity.
Soil type LIRAC vineyard is facing Chateauneuf du Pape, opposite side of the Rhône river. As showed by the picture and following geologist George Truc, soils are almost similar in both side. They are marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. LIRAC is one of the up-coming best area from the southern Rhône valley, as it delivers outstanding wines. Winemaking & ageing Traditional wine-making in stainless still vats. Hand sorted bunches, crushed and destemmed grapes. Fermentation temperature : 30°C. 18 days of vatting with pigeages.