Even though I’ve only been writing for Eve Wine 101 since 2009, I’ve been a wine lover for a lot longer than that – well over 30 years. Not being much of a traveler, I’ve always focused mainly on California wines. For me, the wine experience isn’t just about the wine but about the land, the winemaker, and the people on the other side of the tasting table. California provides us with such a great opportunity to do that and my palate is definitely a home-grown one. At the same time, our bounty here has limited my experience in wines from other parts of the world.
James Suckling does not have that problem. First with Wine Spectator and since 2010 with his own JamesSuckling.com, he is known worldwide as one of the foremost wine experts, traveling around the world and reporting back to his faithful readers, as well as hosting marvelous tasting events.
On September 30, Mr. Suckling brought his “Great Wines of the Andes” event to Mr. C’s in Beverly Hills, showcasing some of the wines he tasted on his last trip to Chile and Argentina earlier in the year. He tasted a lot of wines [about 1,300!] and put together an event that was guaranteed to the satisfy the attendee – wineries were limited to pouring two wines that had to have been rated 90+ points by James Suckling.
Based on that, my wife Karen and I were glad to go check it out. Knowing that Argentina has a reputation for Malbec and Chile for Carmenere, we expected to sample tasty wines of those varietals as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and some Bordeaux-style blends, which we did. But we also got a few surprises along the way. Here were some of our favorites. [Note that in some cases I have only noted the winery and wine name; any comments I do have are in italics – absolute favorite wines of the day are in bold. I take full responsibility for spelling and punctuation errors.]
Abremundos
2012 Malbec Valle de Uco 8th Octava Bassa
2012 Valle de Uco 8th Octava Alta Blend [Malbec and Cabernet Franc]
Marcelo Pelleriti Wines
2013 Malbec Valle de Uco Reserve
2012 Valle de Uco Pelleriti Selection Grand Reserve Blend of Terroir [Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc]
Felipe Staiti
2012 Valle de Uco Vertigo [Malbec and Syrah]
Juanchi Baleiron & Marcelo Pelleriti
2014 Malbec Valle de Uco Malbecaster 2014
[All of the above {Abremundos, Marcelo Pelleriti Wines, Felipe Staiti, and Juanchi Baleiron & Marcelo Pelleriti} are under the MarceloPelleriti Wines label. I especially liked the Malbec/Syrah blend, which was one of my favorites of the day and a real surprise to me. Very silky.]
Bodega Piedra Negra
2015 Malbec Valle de Uco Reserve
2016 Pinot Gris Valle de Uco Alta Coleccion
[Karen especially enjoyed the clean, fresh taste of the Pinot Gris.]
Puro Uno
2009 Malbec Mendoza Limitado
2011 Malbec Mendoza Mega
Ritual Winery
2014 Pinot Noir Valle de Casablanca Monster
[Admittedly, Pinot Noir isn’t usually my “thing.” In this case it was.]
2015 Chardonnay Valle de Cacablanca Supertuga Block
Grandes Vinos de San Pedro
2014 Valle de Cachapoal Andes Sideral [Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc]
2013 Valle de Cachapoal Andes Cabo del Hornos [Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah]
[Two outstanding blends. I really like the addition of Rhone varietals into the mix.]
Susana Balbo Wines
2011 Valle de Uco Nosotros Single Vineyard
2015 Torrontes Valle de Uco Barrel Fermented Signature
[The Torrontes, a white varietal, was clean and refreshing. The Valle de Uco Nosotros Malbec had amazing richness and depth of flavor.]
Valdivieso
2010 Carignan Valle de Maule Eclat Vigno
[Old vine Carignan and Monastrell. Wow! Opened my eyes to what Rhones can do here. ]
2013 Apalta Caballo Loco Grand Cru
Valsecchi Wines
2007 Valle Calchaquies Cafayate Desano [Malbec and Tannat]
2008 Valle Calchaquies Cafayate Altoandion [Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat]
[Yes, these are the current releases. Winemaker Diego Valsecchi believes in holding back his wines until they are at their peak. Outstanding wines that are drinking great right now. I think this was Karen’s favorite table, although Diego’s charm may have had something to with that too.]
The above is just a sample of what was being poured at 46 tables. Overall, I was impressed with the quality, at all price points. At the lower end, you’d be hard pressed to get comparable quality in domestic wines. And the higher end wines were equal to great wines from anywhere. I got a lot of what I expected, plus some nice surprises. I was especially excited about the Rhone varietals, and James Suckling told me we can expect to see more of these. All of these wines are worth seeking out – Chile and Argentina are not just for bargain hunters any more. Sign up on JamesSuckling.com so you don’t miss future events.
Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.
