In our week of wine training, we did another winery tour in Luján de Cuyo … My favorite wine tour of the region so far!
We visited ACHAVAL-FERRER, MELIPAL & WALTER BRESSIA. Three wineries where you can enjoy stunning landscapes, state-of-the art buildings, fabulous food and of course top-notch wines!
We started the day at Achaval- Ferrer Winery whose wines have already been worldwide recognized among some of the best wines in Argentina and the world.
A group of Argentinean and Italian friends started this adventure in 1998. Santiago Achaval - current president of Achaval- Ferrer winery and Consultant Winemaker for our project of Private Vineyards Estates - and Manuel Ferrer are the Argentinean partners. The Italian partners are Roberto Cipresso, (the winemaker), and Tiziano Siviero. Both Italians also own La Fiorita Winery in Montalcino.
Achaval- Ferrer bought three distinctive old vineyards in three well differentiated terroirs from which they make their best rated wines, being Malbec the superstar grape to make these single vineyard wines; FINCA BELLA VISTA – Luján de Cuyo, FINCA EL MIRADOR – Rivadavia - & FINCA ALTAMIRA – Valle de Uco. They are also working with other red grapes with amazing results such as cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon always used to make their only blend-based wine named QUIMERA.
The tour finished with an amazing wine barrel tasting of all their wines… where you can start enjoying and forecasting the points Robert Parker will give to each of these wines in two years when they will be finally released. My favorite of this tasting was Finca El Mirador 2008; violet wine with black hues with amazing aromas of blueberries and violets. Big, rich, juicy and so velvety!
The next destination was MELIPAL, one of Mendoza's new bodegas that are ultra-modern with a great determination to show the best potential of Malbec. The building itself is spectacular and they offer the perfect venue to enjoy a great malbec wine-pairing lunch with an extraordinary view of the majestic Andes. A tip… if you come to Mendoza by summer or spring time, finish your wine tour at Melipal and enjoy sunset at their comfortable white lounge chairs on the terrace drinking a glass of Malbec!
It was hard to leave, but once we got to Walter Bressia’s winery, we were highly contented again. Marita and Walter Bressia Junior gave us an amazing wine tour and we sat at their lounge to enjoy their magnificent wines. You don’t need much context to fall in love with each of their wines… In every sip you can sense their wine passion and expertise. We tasted Bressia Monteagrelo Chardonnay 2007, Bressia Lagrima Canela 2007, Bressia Monteagrelo Malbec 2006 and Bressia Monteagrelo Syrah, their latest wine to be launched into the market. It is hard this time to pick a favorite… but maybe influenced by the excitement of the new release, I pick Bressia Monteagrelo Syrah! We also talk about their new icon wine Ultima Hoja to be launched into the market by the end of the year... a blend that will be soon among the most expensive wines from Argentina!... can't wait to taste it!
No doubt… you can not miss ANY of these wineries when you come to Mendoza!!! Meanwhile, you can start enjoying some of these wines from our On Line Store!
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