93 Point (JS) Malbec - From the Rothschild and Catena Families

MAGNIFICENT MALBEC!

“Two unrivaled wine families, Nicolás Catena Zapata, godfather of Argentinian wines, and Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) have formed an alliance in Argentina. They’ve created Bodegas CARO (CAtena ROthschild) and focus on just two grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The venture combines the Catena family’s deep knowledge of Mendoza's high-altitude terroir and the Rothschild’s skill in the art of winemaking. We just received the stunning 93 point 2018 Catena Rothschild Aruma Malbec – a delightful, pure Malbec wine that sees no oak in order for the fruit to shine. They've been making the Aruma Malbec for a decade, and this is their best ever! It's a delicious, fresh and elegant Mendoza Malbec and, at only $15.99, you can stock up without breaking the bank! Enjoy!” – Glen Knight, The Wine House

IMPORTANT UPDATE!

Due to a Wine House staff member testing positive for COVID-19, we have closed the store temporarily. However, our website is not sick, and emails can still send. These are tough times, and we are a family owned and run retail store that relies on the patronage of our customers, whose support has been unbelievable over the past 10 months. So, to keep the lights on and staff employed, we will continue to send out our unique wine emails. We are grateful for your understanding and continued support.

While the store is closed, we will process some orders; however, we will not be staffed to ship or to handle curbside pickup. Orders will be available for curbside pickup when we reopen the store, which we expect to be Saturday, January 30. That said, please check our website before coming to the store! Thank you, stay healthy and, as always, drink well!

CHAT! If you see a chat bubble in the lower right corner on our website, a Wine House employee who is working remotely is ready to answer your questions. Please note that chat is only available between 11AM and 6PM, and the bubble only displays when an employee is available.

93 Points: “The smoke, black-tea and dark-berry aromas and flavors are really impressive. Hints of coffee. Full body, firm yet lightly rounded tannins and a flavorful finish. Hard not to drink now. Pure malbec. No wood. Drink now” – James Suckling (April 2020)

FROM THE IMPORTER

BODEGAS CARO (Catena & Rothschild)
APPELLATION: Valle de Uco
GRAPE VARIETIES: 100% Malbec
WINEMAKERS: Philippe Rolet
TECHNICAL DATA
Acidity: 3.6 g/L
Alcohol: 14.5%

BACKGROUND
For its tenth anniversary, Bodegas CARO chose to celebrate the grape that has come to symbolize Argentina’s vineyards by selecting a pure Malbec: ARUMA! Originally from France, Malbec (Cahors) was introduced to Argentina by a Frenchman, Jean Pouget, in 1868, which coincidentally was the same year James de Rothschild purchased Château Lafite. A very fruity, exuberant, powerful grape, Malbec has adapted wonderfully to the Mendoza region where the sunshine and cool nights soften its tannins and reveal its velvety-smoothness. “ARUMA” means the “night” in the language of the Quechua, the native Indians of the Mendoza region. We chose this name because it is the intense darkness of the nights in the Andes and the pure mountain air that give the wines the rich, authentic character of their terroir. ARUMA - the wine of the mountain nights.

TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES
Sheltered from the rain by the mountains to the West and the Pampa to the East, the region is very arid. Mendoza wines draw their character from an exceptional sun exposure and wide temperature variations between night and day.

Winter went by with regular temperatures but sprouting occurred a few days earlier than usual (October 5th in the case of Malbec). Furthermore, flowering, fruit set and veraison occurred during the expected dates. Fortunately, good weather predominated throughout the season with little rainfall, specifically during March (16 mm) in relation to the historic average for that month (30 mm). These typical weather conditions (sunny and dry days, and also an important thermal oscillation between night and day), allowed both grapes and tannins to ripen slowly, which helped preserve a remarkable freshness. The harvest started on March 25th and finished on April 22nd.

WINEMAKING & AGING
Grapes were harvested by hand, carefully selected, destemmed and crushed before being placed in stainless steel tanks for fermentation. A traditional winemaking process ensued with pump-over and delestage. Total maceration time lasted from 12 to 15 days.

Aruma is aged in tanks in order to preserve its fruit-driven style and allow the varietal characteristic of the Malbec to come through.

TASTING NOTES
Deep reddish color. The nose shows a great aromatic intensity where we find white flowers, red fruits and cherries. On the palate the wine is fresh, fruity, and it also expresses a pleasant balance between acidity, tannins and softness. The finish is long and delicate.