Wine

A really good winemaker like Mauricio Lorca sometimes dots the i’s and crosses the t’s with a little touch of something else. In this case Mauricio has used a little Syrah – powerful, spicy, dark Syrah –  to inject a little extra pizzazz into this already very attractive Malbec. The key to the wine’s huge appeal is, like many good things in life, its simplicity and honesty. Simple, juicy, fresh and delicious; what’s not to like?

100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Mauricio Lorca’s own vineyards in Vista Flores in the Uco Valley, 30% of which is lightly oaked. High density, high vertical vine training, just under 7,000 vines per hectare, approximately 2 bottles of wine per plant, this is the Fantasia philosophy.

Dark, brooding colour; a most intense nose reminiscent of black wine gums, sweet black plums and blueberry pie; the palate is softness itself, very smooth tannins and an impressive finish with hints of tobacco leaf and fresh mint.

The delicate aromatic qualities of the Torrontés (just 5% in the blend) adds an extra, subtly aromatic, floral dimension to the wine. It also adds a dash of refreshing acidity. Malbrontes Red is designed to be soft, simple and delicious

Classic Cab Franc notes of fresh capsicum and pencil shavings on the nose, fresh and clean on the palate with delicious red berry fruits. Unoaked.

With a big volume into the palate, there are soft and ripened tannins, achieving a  perfect balance with the oak.

Sottano Winery is located in one of the most unique wine regions for growing high-end grapes in Mendoza. Thirty kilometres away from the City of Mendoza and on the way to Chile, Sottano Winery enjoys the magnificent Andes Mountain Range as its backdrop.  Red fruits and mint with cassis, cappuccino and chocolate add a great complexity to this Cabernet. The ripe, round tannins enable good balance and a long finish.

This Tinto is actually 100% Bonarda grown at 1,500 metres above sea level at the Maggio Estate vineyard in Calingasta, where the vines are more than 50 years old and look more like small tress than vines. The wine is black in appearance. The nose offers dense meaty notes at first, almost Bovril like, then gives way to a wave of herbaceousness and sweet black fruits. Muscular in texture, this is a chewy, rich red wine with fantastic concentration and amazing length; a wine that people are already talking about as being arguably the best, most honest and impressive ‘Bonarda’ in Argentina. As with all the Cara Sur wines, production is tiny. This is by far the biggest volume wine with a total run of 4,500 bottles!

Demente by name, demented by nature. Talk about pushing the envelope? A blend of 55% Malbec and 45% Cab Franc from eight separate vineyards with forty days between the first and last pick.  This is a wine with layer upon layer of character and complexity, amazing lemony notes on the nose with herbs and dried flowers. Very dark in colour, nervy and tense in the best possible sense on the palate.