2010 Versado Malbec
Plums, cherries, hints of orange zest and vanilla on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with bright, rich fruit and complex earth notes through the mid-palate. Approachable now but should age effortlessly for a decade. ~ Ann Sperling
;)
4.5/5 "Well worth pointing out is the long-awaited release of Versado, the Argentine project of Canadians Ann Sperling (Southbrook, Sperling Family Vineyards), her highly respected consulting husband Peter Gamble, and local guru Roberto de la Mota. Their 2010 Versado Malbec delivers on the promise of refinement and class from high elevation vineyards in the Luján de Cuyo sub-region of Mendoza. This is finely structured, with light wood spice, fine-grained but grippy tannins, lively acids and moderate alcohol (13.8%) and very good length. But more importantly, infinitely drinkable." ~ John Szabo, Wine Align
Score: 90. "Deep ruby colour; vanilla oak, floral, blackberry on the nose; lively acidity, dry, savoury, black olive, tarry flavours with a herbal finish. A very impressive debut." ~ Tony Aspler, www.tonyaspler.com
"Balanced and beautiful, the nose beguiles with mocha, sweet vanilla and dark berry fruit. It bathes the palate with rich, dark, black currant and plenty of lively herbs and spice with a shot of espresso roast. It’s medium weight, nicely textured with a long, balanced fruit-laden finish. This is a crowd-pleaser in good company with barbecued red meats." ~ Vic Harradine, winecurrent.com
"(Peter) brought along a rare bottling of his 2010 Versado and 2009 Versado Reserva. The 2010 was great with toasted dark fruit, licorice, floral, plumy, spicy complexity ... Both wines were fabulous displaying power and a tannin character that is more akin to Italian reds than a Bordeaux varietal. 10+ years of aging easily for both wines is not out of the question. They take Malbec to a whole new dimension. Look for them in Vintages, Mar. 30/13 ..." ~ Edward Finstein, aka The Wine Doctor, Beach Metro News
A year in the vineyard
There was a delay of approximately 10 days at budbreak that carried through the entire season. January and half of February were typically warm, with March and April temperatures mild with cool nights. The results were a later harvest of grapes that showed intensity both aromatically and chromatically, with more elegance than 2009. Harvest took place on April 22, 2010, and yield was 908 g/vine. Manual berry sorting took place on April 22 and 23.
Availability
Ontario
- LCBO Vintages release: March 30, 2013 SOLD OUT