The wines of Mendoza, Argentina have a mostly deserved reputation as being robust, polished, and generally “international” in style. Terms like “old-school,” “terroir-driven,” and “rustic” are rarely used in the press when the subject is Mendoza, unless the winery in question is Cavas de Weinert. Today’s discovery is proof positive that the Southern Hemisphere can produce a traditional, age-able, terroir transparent masterpiece that deserves its place among the world’s great wines. Made from 60-120 year old vines, aged in giant oak casks for a whopping nine years, and rested in Weinert’s deep, cold cellars that date back to the 1890, “Gran Vino” surely lives up to its name. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot makes this an easy comparison to the top Châteaux of Bordeaux, but in truth this is world-class wine of unique, and sublime, distinction. Oh, and it’s a screaming good deal too! You know what to do.
Cavas de Weinert was founded in the early 1970s as what the European’s would call a “micro-negociant".” They purchased an old, deep wine cellar that was originally built in 1890 and then renovated and expanded in 1975; their first vintage of “Gran Vino” was 1977. The Weinert team works with 16 different small vineyard owners and farmers, purchasing their harvest every vintage and thereby guaranteeing them a solid income that they would not achieve on their own. The vines are located in one of Mendoza’s most exciting subregions: Luján de Cuyo. At almost 3000 feet of elevation, this is one of the highest elevations where grapes grow anywhere in the world. The soils here are high in sand and silt, which makes them resistant to lots of diseases, including phylloxera, and helps to explain why there are so many century plus old vines growing on their own rootstock. In a word, this is perfect terroir to coax optimal ripeness out of Cabernet, Malbec, and Merlot while still maintaining old-world style structure and freshness.
All of the old vine grapes are hand harvested between mid-March and late April (this is the Southern Hemisphere, after all) and transferred in small bins to the winery. Fermentation with native yeasts is completed in epoxy lined cement tanks, then the wine is moved into Weinert’s signature oak casks, that range in size from 2000 to 6000 liters. The “Gran Vino - Cask Selection” is the final result of the best casks, as determined by the winemaking team, after they’ve spent over nine years aging, evolving, and gaining boatloads of depth and complexity.
The current release of “Gran Vino” is from the 2011 vintage, a slightly cooler year (by Mendoza standards) which resulted in a wine of impeccable balance and excellent structure. Treat this wine like a great Classed Growth Château: Serve at cellar temperature in large Bordeaux stems after a decant of an hour or more. The deep, garnet red color with an almost black core and just a hint of brick at the rim leads to a broad range of aromatics and flavors: cassis, preserved plum, black cherry, bitter chocolate, espresso, baking spice, fruitcake, candied orange, and hints of wet earth all culminate in a long, saline, and mineral finish. For pairings I think keep it simple with a perfect cut of steak done Argentine style. This tour de force red is in its prime drinking window now, where it will stay for another five years or more. All of this and a sub $50 price tag!?! Buy as much as you can.
