Bodega La Azul Azul Reserva 2003

Bodega

Range

Wine

Vintage

Origin

Price

La Azul

n/a

Azul Reserva

2003

Valle de Uco

AR$? (US$?)

Appearance

Deep violet red with violet hues.

Nose

Lush, ripe dark red fruit - plums - and black cherries.

Palate

Light to medium bodied, with a savoury and enormously spicy black pepper impression on the front palate. Ripe red plums and black cherries, green peppers, hints of liquorice. Robust but fine tannic structure, excellent fresh acid balance and good length.

Overall

Bodega La Azul is a very small boutique winery on a windswept plain near the north end of the Valle de Uco, close to the enormous Salentein operation. But of the two wineries it is the minnow that's really impressing. This corte is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot. Given 15 months in French and American oak (of varying uses), the fruit integration is impressive while retaining characteristics of its components, and the structure hints at further improvement and developing complexity over time. Well worthwhile.

****

(October 06)