Review: 2009 Alma Negra Sparkling Chardonnay Medoza
Bottom Line: Chardonnay's true calling in the Mendoza? Dangerously friendly and surprisingly easy to drink a lot of. A good go-to bubbly for the upcoming holidays. $20
The Rest Of The Story: (Disclosure: This wine was received as a press sample.) Hate to say it, but the Chardonnays we've had from Argentina lately have been under whelming. They seem to be confused, muddled in their flavors, with a nutty funkiness. Blech. (Read on...)
Enter Alma Negra, one of Ernesto Catena's projects in Argentina's Valle De Uco (Catena is the talent behind the impressive Tikal Patriota). Packaged in a sexy bottle no dissimilar to that of the Tikal, the Alma Negra is a sparkling Chardonnay.
Is there a better calling for the nutty flavored white varietals in Mendoza?
Where the distinct nutty/funky flavors are off-putting in still wines in which undisturbed fruit flavors are prized, they're right at home in a bubbly. Fast, bright fruit nose. Wow. Very easy drinking . Dangerously easy drinking. Dry with a long finish. Falls short of luxurious, but doesn't suffer because of it. A sparkling you want many successive refills of. Full flavored without any sweetness. Just the right saturation of bubbles, too. Believe it or not, equally good on day two.
Rock on.
The Rest Of The Story: (Disclosure: This wine was received as a press sample.) Hate to say it, but the Chardonnays we've had from Argentina lately have been under whelming. They seem to be confused, muddled in their flavors, with a nutty funkiness. Blech. (Read on...)
Enter Alma Negra, one of Ernesto Catena's projects in Argentina's Valle De Uco (Catena is the talent behind the impressive Tikal Patriota). Packaged in a sexy bottle no dissimilar to that of the Tikal, the Alma Negra is a sparkling Chardonnay.
Is there a better calling for the nutty flavored white varietals in Mendoza?
Where the distinct nutty/funky flavors are off-putting in still wines in which undisturbed fruit flavors are prized, they're right at home in a bubbly. Fast, bright fruit nose. Wow. Very easy drinking . Dangerously easy drinking. Dry with a long finish. Falls short of luxurious, but doesn't suffer because of it. A sparkling you want many successive refills of. Full flavored without any sweetness. Just the right saturation of bubbles, too. Believe it or not, equally good on day two.
Rock on.