BY ALAN DOUGHTY
Had a smashing day today with Richard Bonvin, winemaker at Mendoza's renowned Finca La Anita.
Founded by enthusiastic equestrian Manuel Mas in Alto Agrelo, within the larger Lujan de Cuyo District, it was the first new winery to reset roots there in 1992 before other big names followed suit - in your face Catena Zapata!
I try not to be "Varietalist, but Malbec often stretches that mantra for me, perhaps because it tends to taste like fish wrapped in violet candy. However, this one is remarkably pleasant. It's velvety and rich, but also bright, showing a blend of both blue and red fruits along with some more balancing savoury notes and sweet herbaceousness. There is still a floral perfumed characteristic in there, but is definitely adequately subdued. Best of all - no fish.
The Cabernet Sauvignon is more structured and brooding, with tons of juicy blackcurrant fruit along with the perfect amount of ripe pyrazine lingering on the finish, showing more coffee notes rather than bell pepper. Definitely an overachiever for the new world Cabernet lover who wants something impressive, but without all that manipulative purple nonsense.
The Petit Verdot on the other hand is joyfully mouthwatering and full of black, blue and perfectly naturally occurring purple fruit. Stacked with enough intensity and weight, yet showing a cutting beam of acidity that needs about 5 pounds of sweet lamb fat to work with (the local standard serving).
The Cabernet Franc is the anomaly for me in the lineup. The varietal wines generally see 12 months of mixed use French and American oak, but the younger Cabernet Franc only sees 9 months. However, there is more oak presence in this wine than any of the others, and it's the sweetness of the American oak that seems to poke through the most. I have absolutely no explanation for this whatsoever, and don't really care, because the result is a beautifully creamy ripe dark fruited version of this grape, that could quite likely risk the ire of cool climate Cab Franc swigging purists. However, it pleases me no end - and I do love me some peppery Bourgueil or wherever funk.
The last wine in the lineup is the Grand Corte. Richard and a fellow winemaker both have a stab at making this blend and then taste them blind in order to avoid a punch up. The 2021 is comprised of 55% Malbec, 20% Cab Sauv, 15% Petit Verdot and 10 % Cab Franc. It really is a lovely, well balanced wine that is no doubt ridiculously versatile with food. It shows more restraint than the rest, but also, having run through the varietal wines first, the parts of it's sum can be identified within the wine if you just concentrate on one at at time. I think this is what complexity is about, or if it isn't, I'm suitably fascinated anyway. All in all, it's an incredibly elegant yet approachable wine fit for whatever South American steakhouse tsunami comes your way.