2010 Versado Reserva
Intense, spicy, with huge rich fruit and the toasty, complexing aromatics of fine, new French oak barriques. On the palate, the spice continues, enhanced with plums, black pepper, cedar, mint and blackberry. Hints of graphite and the contributing presence of acid creates an elegance that gives balance to the wine’s massive texture and lengthy finish. ~ Peter Gamble
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Score: 95. "Exotic Bordeaux nose that still delivers plenty of Argentine sunshine and black fruit power and concentration. There’s finesse and elegance here. Aromas of smoke, dark spice, and field of black flowers. Full-bodied and smooth though decant for two hours. Serve only the finest cuts of meat with this red wonder. Malbec food pairings: lamb cutlets, beef tenderloin." ~ Natalie MacLean, nataliemaclean.com
Score: 91. "Versado is a tiny project in Argentina by Ontario winemakers Peter Gamble and Ann Sperling. This is a very rich, heavily oaked yet still vibrant Argentine malbec. Loads of nutty/marzipan oak on the nose with smoked bacon, green herbs and ripe cherry fruit aromas. Very smooth, warm and dense. Quite oaky with excellent reach and depth. A bit young however so tuck it away for about three years. Tasted November 2014." ~ David Lawrason, WineAlign
Score: 91 "Aromatics are racing and rising from the glass. A red rain pouring in and out. Has yet to change course. From my earlier, September 2014 note: 'The floral emergence is a lodestar as periscope just now peering up from the seamless cake layering in Versado's most liberally applied oak-imbued Malbec. The 2010 adheres in sticky savour though it remains two to three years away from finding its true gliding form.' From my earlier notes through tastings on Oct. 25 and Nov. 14, 2013. 'This ultra-premium Mendozan from the Canadian winemaking team of Peter Gamble and Ann Sperling boasts fruit from 'the finest barrels from the finest blocks.' While certainly riding a splintered and jammy horse (what fully extracted Mendozan does not), this reserve Malbec has so much else happening, I owe it my time and focus. Dances to a triple jump height in oozing berry, compacted, brick wall infrastructure and overlapping delineation. Really like the consistency here, with no hollow middle, no umlaut, no pregnant pause. Very well made.' Last tasted November 2014." ~ Michael Godel, WineAlign
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 from those sections of the vineyard that were selected for Reserva, yield was approximately 780 g/vine. Manual berry sorting took place on April 22 and 23, and subsequent barrel selection determined those barrels that would make up the 2010 Versado Reserva.
Availability
Ontario
- Cru Wine Merchants, Charles Baker, 905.401.1806
- LCBO Vintages, May 4, 2023 #316984