2012 Versado Malbec
"Even as you pour this wine in the glass, its boldness is apparent; it's rich and dark ... everything you expect from Malbec. There is still a lot of youthful fruit on the nose, but deeper there is a subtle range of classic characters - red berries, bergamot, wood smoke and black fruits. The palate is satisfying (like a good steak), with mouth-filling flavours, a weighty mid-palate and good length. It stays fresh from entry to finish due to just enough acidity, but primarily from the minerality so perfectly provided through the old vines and deep alluvial soils." ~ Ann Sperling
;)
Score: 90. "Versado is the Argentinian fruit of the Canadian superstar winemaking team of Ann Sperling and Peter Gamble. There is a viscous texture and full bodied personality of plum, raspberry, dark flowers, blueberry, cinnamon, smoke and cigar box. The tannins will allow cellaring; drink over the next 8 years." ~ Evan Saviolidis, evanwinesavvy.com
9.0/10 "This is a youthful wine, showing ruby with a narrow ruby-violet rim. On the nose there is pretty red and black fruit plums and blackberries – along with a little orange zest, vanilla and a slight earthiness. The wine is dry, with good acidity, more than medium alcohol and medium ripe tannins. On the palate the fruit is ripe but not jammy, with some freshness; the oak is evident but balanced, and the finish is long. This is so elegant and pleasant to drink now, but would also benefit from a year or two in the cellar." ~ Tim Appelt, winediscovery.com
"Rich, succulent, weighty. Canadian/international winemaking team Ann Sperling and husband Peter Gamble are making Malbec from high-altitude, old vines in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza. A fantastic representation of this variety, you can expect intense mocha and wild briary berries, fine spice, sunbaked earth, dried flowers and dried herbs. The palate is slick and weighty - almost glycerol in texture. Rich molten chocolate, espresso, vanilla, black berries and spice hold across a long finish." ~ Daenna Van Mulligen, winediva.ca
"A rich, generous, deep and powerful Malbec sporting aromas and flavours of blackberry, blackcurrant, woodsmoke and mocha. There's good tannic structure here framing oodles of big, bold fruit. Quite impressive. Pair with smoky steaks and chimichurri, meaty pasta or winter stews." ~ VINTAGES panel
Score: 90."Peppery and full-bodied with blackberry, some mint, some smoke and dark spice on the nose. Intriguing and robust and velvet smooth texture. Savoury, juicy and long on the finish. Terrific with a wide range of meat dishes. Good bones and breeding. Malbec food pairings: grilled radicchio, lamb cutlets, pasta, beef tenderloin, smoky steaks and chimichurri, meaty pasta, winter stews." ~ Natalie MacLean, nataliemaclean.com
A year in the vineyard
This is the vintage that we learned about the Zonda, the infamous drying wind that could be compared to Provence's Mistral. This one came early in the vine cycle and affected flowering, so the crop was small and naturally thinned for the entire season. Consistent warm weather in the early stages of development indicated an early harvest but March was one of the coolest on record, which provided hang time for intense flavour and colour development - something that Malbec loves. We harvested on April 4th, did our usual hand picking into small boxes, followed by stemming and berry sorting. The natural "bleed" was 20%, further reducing the ratio of juice to skin in the fermenter.
Availability
Ontario
- LCBO Vintages release: November 23, 2013 SOLD OUT