Searching Argentina for a Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon Blend? Well, I found the answer: AMANCAYA by Philip S. Kampe

 

After a weeks worth of my beloved Argentine Malbec, ARUMA, I decided to see what else is on the horizon from the partnership of Nicolas Catena and Barons de Rothschild Lafite. ARUMA, one of their wines, was so wonderful and affordable and was a great escape from European wines. 

What else do they make that is in or under the twenty dollar range? ARUMA was under fifteen.

A wine friend of mine from San Francisco suggested a Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon blend, called AMANCAYA. Its 72% Malbec and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon. She suggested that I try the 2017 because it’s classified as an exceptional vintage. 

The wines from Rothschild are well known for their lightly toasted barrels, which helps to preserve the aromatics. The oak integrates with the fruit, producing a well balanced, harmonious wine in the Bordeaux style. 

After finding AMANCAYA online,  it was apparent that the 2017 is a perfectly balanced blend of both the Bordeaux and Argentinian styles, resulting into an evolution of Malbec’s fruity side paired with the elegance  of Cabernet Sauvignon. The high altitude of Mendoza seems to be the perfect setting for the 2017 AMANCAYA Reserve Red Blend. 

The taste profile of this wine darts from dry to fairly acidic, a bit tannic, yet bold in style. The wine is an example of the meeting of the minds of Nicolas Catena and Barons de Rothschild Lafite.

Notes of vanilla, chocolate, plum, blackberry, leather, earth and smoke intermingle to make this a seamless wine. 

And a wine you should try.

Argentina is a land of wine bargains, especially those made by this partnership. I can only imagine what a high end wine might taste like. If the two under twenty dollar wines I have sampled were this good, there’s no telling what is in store in the premium category.

Stay tuned for my next installment.

Philip S. Kampe

Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com 

ARUMA, an Affordable Argentinian Malbec You Should Have by Philip S. Kampe

 

What could be better than sampling wines online with a master instructor.

Thank you Philippe Rolet for leading an interactive tasting of recently released wines from Mendoza (Argentina). I’m still amazed how someone, in this case, Mr. Rolet, can come into my house via the internet (Webinar) and make such a compelling presentation about the wines he represents from Argentina.  

Immediately after the presentation, I  purchased a case of this amazing Malbec for my personal use. 

The wine I am talking about is a 2018 Cantena ARUMA Malbec, made from a partnership between two giants in the industry, Nicolas Catena Zapata, who put Argentina on the map, and Baron de Rothschild. 

Together, they crafted this Bordeaux style Malbec, using no oak and made to drink young,

Sampling this pedigree wine found great balance between the 14.5% alcohol level, smooth tannins and remarkably long finish. Malbec, originally a French clone, has found a permanent home in Argentina, where the powerful grape exudes concentrated fruit into a sea of unending smooth flavors. 

Several years ago I visited Mendoza and realized the hot days and cool nights were a perfect blend for the Malbec grape. The result, at least in this case is a remarkable wine that has elegant balance, lots of juice and a hint of spice. 

Try it!

Philip S. Kampe

Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com 

Mosketto-The Last Fizz of the Season by Philip S. Kampe

 Its been a great summer, at least weather wise. With the pandemic taking center stage, its been difficult to entertain. Well, that still may be the case, but, with proper distancing and some fun wines to enjoy, possibly the next few weeks when the weather may be agreeable for the last time until next year ( depending where you live), an outdoor get together makes sense. 

Last week, we had our second socially spaced get together in six months. It was outdoors and well spaced for three guests. Knowing that this was an experiment, I chose to serve wines that were fun, vibrant and effervescent.

 Bubbles, with low alcoholic content was the way to go on a day when temperatures hit the 80’s. Crisp, fruity and lively wine was the answer.  Who needs a 15% red?

The plan was intact. We would start off with an Americano Negroni, then switch over to Moscato afterwards. 

Choosing the Moscato was easy. I was introduced to Mosketto, red, white and rose, awhile ago. The wine is from Piedmont (Italy) and is naturally fermented, low alcohol (5.5%) and addictive.

When our guests arrived, I served them the Americano version of a Negroni, made the traditional way with white Mosketto, sweet Vermouth, Campari, ice cubes and a slice of orange. 

After cocktails, we ate Andalusian gazpacho paired with pink Mosketto, then pulled pork with red Mosketto, followed by my favorite Italian pastry, sfogliatelle with white Mosketto.

The wines from Asti, the home of Moscato, really set the tone of the evening. 

Enjoy your outings before old man winter sets in.

Philip S. Kampe

Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com 

Malvazija-The Versatile White Wine of Istria by Philip S. Kampe

 

The title says it all. Malvazija from Istria is truly versatile.

Istria, a peninsula, was once in the hands of Italy, Yugoslavia and Austro-Hungary. 

It is now part of Croatia and a region I visited on my travels. Istria is a fairy tale land abutting the sea and dotted with beautiful green hillsides, castles, vines, herbs, small seaside communities and world class truffles. 

Most natives have vines and produce wine for themselves. Croatia has begun to make an inroads into the international wine scene. Istria is no exception, but, has limitations with a little more than 10,000 acres to harvest. 

Don’t let that fool you, as many of the bottles are exported to America.

Malvazija has many flavors from this peninsula, depending where the vineyards are located. The vines can grow near the Adriatic or can grow on the mountainside, which reaches above 3,500 feet. 

I thought it would be best to sample a Malvazija from each area. I chose a 2018 Ritosa Vina Malvazija from near Porec, close to the Adriatic and a 2019 Fakin Vina Malvazija from the inland, near Motovun. Both wines are available in the U.S.

The two styles were completely different, as the 2018 Ritosa, from the seaside was refreshing, acidic and made for seafood. Its light straw color had a faint greenish overtone. There is a presence of orchard fruit, almonds and saline on the palate. It is a clean and fresh wine and the style of Malvazija for easy drinking.

Contrast the 2018 Ritosa to the 2019 Fakin Malvazija and you will see the versatility of the grape. The inland location with different soil and altitude, minus sea breezes and the reflective sun, made this wine a completely different animal. The 2019 Fakin was full of depth, very earthy, rich, dry, bitter, nutty, honeyed and a food friendly wine. Fortunately, I sampled the wine with Croatian friends who ran to their refrigerator with a couple ounces of truffles to pair with this wine. It was a match made in heaven because where the vines grow, so do the truffles. 

In summary, it is my recommendation to try both styles of Malvazija Istarska. It is like Malvazija 101, an easy course to understand the obvious differences that location, soil and altitude make. 

Philip S. Kampe 

Philip.kampe@thewinehub.com