This is one of the months I look forward to putting together most for the Wine Club. While every month is full of fun new discoveries, January's South American selections are particularly exciting for me as this is one of the regions I buy for our stores. So you can imagine how I spend all year squirreling away this special Malbec or that great white blend for the New Year.I don't know what's most important to you in January (New Years resolutions, perhaps), but high on my priority list is keeping warm. I spend most of this month turning up the thermostat, investing in new ski socks, eating hearty, spicy foods and sipping the kind of wines that warm you from the inside out. The wine-drinkers of Argentina and Chile have become well-practiced at this notion, dwelling on the foothills of one of the world's most impressive mountain chains, the Andes. So they know a thing or two about crafting the kind of wine that will warm us on these bitter cold winter days. The white wines for this month's selections, a Torrontes and an unconventional white blend, have the rich, ripe fruit and creaminess that we crave this time of year, while the reds are made of the heartier, bolder grape varieties like Syrah, Cabernet, Tannat and Malbec that carry the kind of spicy-smooth oomph we want now. Here's hoping the New Year finds you healthy, happy and warm.
Vintner Selection
2010 Fabre Montmayou Torrontes
Grape variety: Torrontes 
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Food pairing: Egg and green chile empanadas
If you haven't yet tried the intensely aromatic Torrontes grape, you're in for a treat. Crisp yet slightly creamy, the wine combines the zestiness of Sauvignon Blanc with the floral headiness of Viognier. And it's a grape that you only find in Argentina.Herve Fabre came from a family of wine negociants in Bordeaux, but set his sights on making great Malbec, Cabernet and Torrontes in Argentina in the early 1990's. The indigenous Torrontes grape intrigued him as it intrigues us, offering aromatics of white peach and jasmine unlike other grapes. He makes this wine to be lush and food friendly, pairing well with spicy dishes, grilled seafood and, of course, traditional Argentine egg and green chile empanadas.
More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/argentina/11770.html
2009 Curioso Malbec
Grape variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Food pairing: Argentine beef empanadas
Malbec may have originally been associated with Cahors and Bordeaux in France, but today it's in the Mendoza region of Argentina where Malbec's greatest fame lies. Here on the eastern slope of the Andes mountains, Malbec produces wines of rich flavors, lush mouthfeel, and silky tannin. And this fresh-off-the boat 2009 Curioso Malbec has all the best characteristics of Mendoza Malbec and at a super price.Soft, juicy and flavorful with the tell-tale "Malbec Magenta" color, this approachable Malbec carries extremely fresh, pure purple fruit, and a long sweet-savory, mouth-coating finish. It's a great match to a wide range of foods, from Argentine style parilla grilled meat to American barbecue, burgers, and even a good slice of pizza.
More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/argentina/14647.html
Reserve Selection
2008 Vina Alicia Tiara
Grape variety: Albarino, Riesling, Savagnin
Region: Argentina
Food pairing: Spit-roasted chicken stuffed with green olives
Admittedly, I'm a little baffled by this wine, because the blend just didn't strike me as something that would work. But the visionaries at Vina Alicia must have some mojo up their sleeves, because somehow their blend of 50% Riesling, 40% Albarino and 10% Savagnin (grapes native to Germany, Spain and the Jurancon region of France, respectively, and furthermore grapes that almost no one else grows in Argentina) works out to be one of the most intriguingly balanced, food-friendly wines we've tasted this year. Jay Miller of the Wine Advocate called it "shimmeringly vibrant on the palate, (with) superb acidity, dry, ripe flavors and exceptional length." There were less than 100 cs of this unique wine for the US market, and you, our Wine Club members, are getting most of it. Enjoy.
More info:http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/argentina/14799.html
2008 Mapema Malbec
Grape variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Food pairing: Bison sliders with chimichurri
Two winemakers and a singular idea make one great wine. Longtime friends Pepe Galante and Mariano Di Paola are widely recognized as two of Argentina's best winemakers, and recently they decided to band together with the idea that they'd make only one wine (ok, one Malbec, one Sauvignon Blanc) sourced from only the "premiera zona" or top viticultural area each vintage. No multiple bottlings of single-vineyards or three tiers of classico, reserva and gran reserva for them. Just one wine they can be proud of. That one Malbec, for them, is Mapema. Sourced from 24 year old ungrafted vines 3200 feet in elevation and hand-harvested, the wine carries heady aromas of red and black cherry, a little spicy character from barrique ageing, and a mint cocoa finish. Excellent with grilled meats, burgers, and (we're told) goat.
More info:http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/argentina/07129.html
Cellar Selection
2006 Ben Marco Expresivo
Grape variety: Malbec, Cabernet, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Tannat
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Food pairing: Charcoal grilled lamb chops
Talk about a power couple. The team behind Ben Marco are husband and wife Pedro Marchevsky (one of the most educated and experienced viticulturalists in Argentina) and Susana Balbo (world-renowned Malbec winemaker with her own label to boot.) The Ben Marco label was made as a tribute to Marchevsky's father, Marcos (BenMarco means "son of Marcos" in Hebrew,) who taught him to tend vineyards. Their Expresivo, a blend of 60% Malbec,and equal remaining parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Tannat, is meant to be the boldest, purest expression of Argentine grapes' character. The critics agree the blend is stellar: Steven Tanzer noted "lovely concentration and creaminess, plenty of personality" while James Molesworth enjoyed "fig sauce and vivid raspberry fruit" and Jay Miller called the notes of wood smoke, baking spices, and savory black fruit an "outstanding effort."
More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/argentina/15112.html
2007 Vina Cobos Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon Lujan de Cuyo
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
Food pairing: Smoky Morcilla or Chorizo Sausage
The first of two January selections touched by the winemaking talent of Paul Hobbs (see also Premiere Selection from Pascual Toso), Vina Cobos is all about selecting the best of the best, from winemaker to vines. The small district of Lujan de Cuyo is known as the prime winegrowing zone in Mendoza, with elevations around 2,500 feet, a semi-desert climate and gravelly soils in the foothills of the Andes. Vines here are quite old, the ones used for the "younger" (and here we use that term loosely) Bramare bottling ranging from as much as 40-60 years. Critic Steven Tanzer of the International Wine Cellar called it "very sexy Cabernet," noting "enticingly sweet aromas of black raspberry, dark chocolate, mocha, spices and flowers. Finishes impressively broad and long with sweet tannins." Well done once again, Mr. Hobbs.
More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/argentina/16095.html
Premier Selection
2006 Concha y Toro Don Melchor
Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Maipo Valley, Chile
Food pairing: Chilean beef and chicken pastel (pot pie)
This month, we wanted to bring you the best of wines from the two countries at the forefront of South American winemaking: Argentina and Chile. Our search took us, in both cases, to the foot of the Andes. On one side, we have a stellar Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina, and on the other, a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley of Chile. Our Chilean selection, Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon from Concha Y Toro has been repeatedly hailed as the best Cabernet from Chile by both the Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate. Named after the winery's founder, Don Melchor de Concha y Toro, this wine serves as the flagship at the pinnacle of a large list of wines. The Cabernet for this wine comes from a single vineyard in the Maipo Valley, the Puente Alto Vineyard, planted in 1979. The grapes are harvested carefully by hand, and after fermentation are aged in French oak (60% new, 40% used once) for 14 months. The resulting wine is full and fleshy, with layers of tobacco, cedar, mocha and currant flavors and an excellent balance that should keep it drinking well for as much as two decades to come. 95 points, Wine Advocate.
More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/chile/62152.html
2005 Pascual Toso Finca Pedregal
Grape variety: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Barrancas, Maipu, Mendoza, Argentina
Food pairing: Char-grilled beef asado with chimichurri
In the mid 1880's Pascual Toso set out to Argentina, like many, from his native homeland of Piedmonte, Italy. As many of us know, Piedmonte has a bit of a winemaking tradition, and so it was only natural that Toso established a winery in the well-suited "Las Barrancas" (small canyon) estate. More than a century later, his legacy lives on in a winery known for quality in Argentina and abroad, and in 2001, the acclaimed California vintner Paul Hobbs joined the team as consulting winemaker. Since then, the quality has only gotten better and better.
The 2005 Finca Pedregal is a single-vineyard blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Pedregal de Barancas vineyard in the Maipu district of Mendoza. Aged for 18 months in French and American oak, then aged a further 10 months in the bottle before release, the Wine Advocate noted "an already complex array of pain grille, pencil lead, tar, licorice, earth notes and assorted black fruits. This leads to a burly, structured wine with enough fine-grained tannin to support another 4-5 years of cellaring. It has superior depth, concentration, and layers of fruit leading to a lengthy, fruit filled finish." Drink now through 2020.
More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/argentina/16096.html
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