Susana Balbo - Vallée d'Uco BenMarco Expressivo 2020
Argentina
Red
Sold individually
Drink or Keep
96/100
James Suckling
-
93/100
Robert Parker
-
93/100
Adega
"This mountain-side blend of Malbec and Cabernet Franc will introduce you to complex and surprising aromas that invite you to travel!
"A nuanced but deep nose, showing crushed stones, fresh, bright blackberries and blueberries, then flowers, asphalt, cocoa powder and chalk. Broad, exuberant and concentrated, but not at all heavy. Juicy, polished and dense, with silky, chalky tannins that coat the blueberry fruit. Fleshy, tight and homogeneous. Long and very seductive now. 85% Malbec and 15% Cabernet Franc. Vegan. Drink or cellar. (James Suckling 2022)
Features
Estate
Susana Balbo
Cuvée
BenMarco Expressivo
Vintage
2020
Designation
Vallée d'Uco
Region
Argentina
Grape varieties
85% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Franc
Terroirs
Gualtallary region, Mendoza (Valle de Uco), alluvial limestone soils, vines at an average altitude of 1,300 metres
Viticulture
Traditional and meticulous
Harvest
Manual
Winemaking
Hand-picked berries, destemmed, lightly crushed, daily pumping-over and delestage, 4-day cold maceration, temperature-controlled fermentation (30°C maximum) with indigenous yeasts.
Breeding
14 months in French oak barrels (70% first use, 30% second use)
Alcohol content
14,5%
Tasting & pairing
Eye
Deep, brilliant ruby
Nose
Expressive, nice depth, black fruit scents: blueberry and blackcurrant, notes of fresh flowers and cocoa seed, all complexified by a very interesting, slightly black olive background.
Mouth
Supple attack, silky tannins accompany flavors of black fruits, cut grass and soft, pleasant spices, the development is complex and supported by a fresh, invigorating acidic framework, gourmet and slightly saline finish.
Serve
AT 14-16°C
Open
1 to 2 hours before
Drink from
2024
Drink before
2028
Food and wine pairing
Enjoy with veal blanquette, roast pork loin, tagine...
Susana Balbo
Uco Valley
Expert opinion
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Rated (guide 2022) 93/100 (Wonderful wine)
Domaine noté Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the wine:
BenMarco Expresivo 2020 is a blend of Malbec and 15% Cabernet Franc from Gualtallary, harvested in a hot, dry year when the grapes ripened quickly and deeply to reach an alcohol content of 14.5%. It has notes of creamy oak and sweet spices and matured in new and used oak barrels for 14 months. It is juicy and medium-bodied, with fine tannins and chalky notes, as it was selected from whiter soils with more stones and limestone. 2022-2027
James Suckling
Rated wine (guide 2022) 96/100
Recommended area
About the wine:
A nuanced but deep nose, showing crushed stones, fresh, bright blackberries and blueberries, then flowers, asphalt, cocoa powder and chalk. Broad, exuberant and concentrated, but not at all heavy. Juicy, polished and dense, with silky, chalky tannins that coat the blueberry fruit. Fleshy, tight and homogeneous. Long and very seductive now. 85% Malbec and 15% Cabernet Franc. Vegan. For drinking or cellaring.
Adega
Rated wine (guide 2022) 93/100
About the wine:
A red made from Malbec and Cabernet Franc grapes grown in Gualtallary, in the Uco Valley, aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, 70% of which are new. Ripe red and black fruits are followed by floral, herbaceous and spicy notes on the nose and palate, underpinned by firm, sandy tannins and refreshing acidity. The finish is full and persistent, with notes of plum, blackberry, fresh herbs and violet. A fine interpretation of a warm year at Gualtallary.
Customer reviews
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