Before we even delve into the wine itself, can we talk about how awesome Mauricio's name is? Much like "cellar door"or "chicken chimichanga", I believe it's a glorious example of euphony and I have a grand time just saying his name while looking at the bottle, rolling the "R's" as dramatically as possible.
Say it with me... "Mau-rrrrreet-sio Lorrrrrrr-kuh." I really hope that's how he pronounces it.
I’ve had the good fortune of enjoying two Argentinian wines, from high altitude, in the last week or so. I can’t say my uneducated palate knows the difference in elevation immediately, but when you sit with the wine for a while and start to dissect the elements, you begin to understand the fascination with wine grown at heights that would leave many people short of breath.
With higher elevation grape growing comes deeper skin pigmentation, sometimes fewer or smaller grapes and more resilience to temperature change... which leaves us with a grape that’s strong, hearty and maybe even a bit sweet.
How this translates into a decadent wine is the winemaker’s part of the equation, but it looks like Mauricio had a bit of fun while making it, using only 30% oak-aged grapes with the rest remaining "unoaked" (which in the Chardonnay world is one of my favorite words).
~Mauricio Lorca Angel's Selection Malbec of Mendoza, Argentina, 2018
The Review: 3.5/5
With just the first few whiffs it comes off as being higher on the alcohol spectrum. Not overly heavy, it’s just noticeable enough on the nose and there are some serious legs to it. It says it's only 13.5% though...maybe I'm just sensitive today haha.
So we begin with alcohol. I mean, it has been locked up in a bottle for a while, you can’t be upset about a bit of the booze rushing out to join the party. Along with the initial tinge of ether comes some rich cherry, not quite black cherry, maybe some plum and the wood (which is only at 30%, so says the label) seems to be an underlier along with the aroma of a grilled piece of meat that’s only half-way done cooking. I also caught a hint of raw tobacco, just a snuff, like someone was doing surgery on a large, unlit cigar at the next table. All good things.
Once you splash it across your palate it shines with deep red and black fruits. The acidity is on the lower end while the sugar seems a bit higher, as expected with the use of some high elevation grapes. The fruits almost encapsulate the other elements and rush them over your palate so they get all the attention. Taking a second to let the wine absorb into every cell of your tongue and cheeks brings out the nuances and that distinct Malbec spice.
There's the wood, not so much new oak as it is an aged, dry piece of timber that’s evaporating a bit of morning dew in the sunlight. The fruit continues to develop and swirl into an endless vortex of spiced jam. Sure, at first your palate is attacked with fermented grapes from extremely south of the border, but the wine rounds out quickly and shows up with plenty of fruit and just a touch of maturity and excitement.
Let's say it one more time. "MAU-RRRRRRREET-SIO LORRRRRRRRRRR-KUH." That was fun, wasn't it?
Cheers!
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