Wine Reviews: DiamAndes Malbec Blend, Lustau Cream Sherry, Champagne Pommery Blanc de Blancs and Champagne Mandois Brut Origine

I was recently offered four wines for review – all of which I had never sampled before. Because of this I jumped at the chance to try a new-to-me Malbec blend from Argentina, two non-vintage Champagnes from France and a Cream Sherry from Spain. I received the technical sheets and some information on each winery, as shared below, and have included my notes on color, aroma, and flavor. I found all four worthwhile and would welcome enjoying them again and again.

Tasting and Information

  • Champagne Mandois Brut Origine ($55):Average age of the vines are 25 years, and the soil is a mixture of clay, chalk, limestone, and flint. It is vinified in 90% stainless steel and 10% oak barrels. It ages over three years in cellar. The grapes used are 40% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier.

EB: From a Google search I found the average retail selling price that I share above. Also, that this wine is a non-vintage. Light yellow color and the bubbles ranged from small to medium sized – and left a nice bubbly frothy foam along the inside rim of the tasting glass. Starting with sweet Meyer lemon, then came limeade, fresh sliced cantaloupe melon and white peach on the nose followed by that same fresh melon and citrus on the palate, as well as bruised Golden Delicious apple and a mild acidity.

About Mandois

Mandois is a family-owned Champagne House, renowned for its craftsmanship and the exceptional quality of its champagnes. Situated at the crossroads of the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs, Mandois upholds the time-honored traditions of the Champagne region while constantly innovating to create finely crafted champagnes. Headed by Claude Mandoisand driven by generations of family passion, the Champagne House exemplifies excellence and refinement in every one of its bottles, adding cachet to each drinking experience. Mandois also owns one of the largest organically certified vineyards in the Champagne region. (Read more here.)

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  • Champagne Pommery Blanc de Blancs Apanage ($72): This cuvée has been crafted from a meticulous selection of chardonnay grapes providing vivacity and a rich complexity. Delicate, elegant, and fresh, this wine is floral on the nose with white fruit on the palate.

EB: From the tech sheet I learned that the wine is 100% Chardonnay and spent four years in cellar. It is also a non-vintage. Never had this particular Blanc de Blanc before and was anxious to sample it. The color was a light gold, with plenty of bubbles racing from the bottom to the top, in several upward streams. The nose reminded me of crisp apples, yellow peach, sweet Meyer lemons, biscuit cookie, Brie cheese and smooth rocks in a clear stream. On the mouth I got a lively mouthfeel with a lot of fresh fruit – the same apples, peaches, and Meyer lemon that I felt was on the nose – with an extra-long finish that had a bracing minerality added to the lovely fruit.

About Maison Pommery

Pommery is the Maison that introduced Brut to the world in 1874. Clément Pierlot, only the 10th chef des caves since 1836, crafts cuvées from meticulous vineyard selection with a unique history of balancing tradition and modernity. Located in Reims, the extraordinary Château is built on 11 miles of chalk cellars. Champagne Pommery welcomes over 130,000 visitors every year to experience the exceptional contemporary art collection at the Domaine, continuing the tradition of Madame Pommery and her lifelong reverence for the arts.

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  • 2019 DiamAndes de Uco Grande Reserve ($45): This Malbec-dominant blend showcases Argentina’s queen grape with its velvety tannins and sweet fruitiness, complemented by the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged 20 months in French oak and cellared for 3 years, it’s intense, elegant, and perfectly balanced.

EB: Looking at the tech sheet for this Malbec I also learned that this 2019 vintage was awarded 92 points from Vinous and 93 from James Suckling. It’s 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 75% Malbec. It was handpicked and the winery practices sustainable farming. I opened and sampled the wine, found it a little tight on the aromas and flavors so I decanted for 30 minutes before having again. (This is not an unusual practice for young red wines.) The color was a very dark purple and completely opaque. Sweet plum, black cherry, blue fruits, and forest floor all greeted me on the nose. Those same dark fruit notes were present on the mouth as well, including blackberry and black pepper. The wine is very balanced, with a medium tannin structure and medium length on the finish.

About Bodega DiamAndes

In the heart of Clos de los Siete, Bodega DiamAndes produces intense, complex, elegant, and well-balanced wines. Located at the foothill of the Andes, DiamAndes is a single block of 130 ha at 1100 meters a.s.l. With its unique terroir, combined with the Bordeaux know-how of the owner family and the Argentinean team, it gives birth to distinguished and stylish wines.

The vine training is based on the concept of sustainable farming and global environmental care. The process is entirely done by gravity flow system, with 64 small thermo-regulated stainless steel vats with a double cap system.

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  • Lustau VORS Cream Sherry ($124): Each wine (Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez) is matured, separately in its own solera for more than 30 years. Once blended, the resulting sherry is returned to an exclusive cask solera for a further 3 years aging. A complex nose of nougat, orange peel, and coffee, with a smooth, intense palate and hints of aged brandy. 

EB: Once again, reading the technical notes I learned that this Cream Sherry is considered sweet with 80% Oloroso and 20% Pedro Ximenez, should be served 50 to 54 degrees (so I chilled prior to making my notes below) and has 20% alcohol. It has been awarded both gold and silver medals in wine competitions. I chilled the sherry and served in small wine tasting glasses that I keep in our freezer. The color was a rich mahogany, very opaque, and thickly coated the glass. Rich honey, toasted oak, plums, burnt popcorn and coffee all greeted me on the nose. On the mouth I got an incredibly rich mouth-coating viscosity with flavors that included golden raisins, toffee candy, caramel, baked apple – all with no mouth burn and a finish that held on for a luxuriously long time.

About Lustau

Lustau VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) Cream has its origins in the searching and blending process that Sergio Martinez, Cellar Master of Lustau, made among the greatest wines of Lustau. This cream exclusively comes from only one cask.

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Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.