2010 Amancaya

The 2010 Amancaya is a blend of 65% Malbec and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon from several sub-regions, raised for 12 month in French oak (25% new). The Malbec dominates the floral bouquet with dark cherries, violets and strawberry pastilles that is well-defined. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins that lend the Amancaya a silky smooth texture. There is a touch of red peppercorn on the mid-palate with a spicy-tinged finish that is controlled and very focused. This is a classy wine for the price. Drink now-2017. For those who can no longer accompany every dinner with a bottle of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, there is always this Argentinean estate, Bodegas Caro, which offers high quality wines at far more affordable prices. Debuting with the 1999/2000 harvest, the bodega farms their own vineyards and supplements them from out-sourced fruit. Tasted both in the UK and in Argentina, I admired the fact that there is an inescapable, tangible Old World tincture to these wines that lends them personality and breeding, perhaps a welcome antidote to the more hedonistic wines that flourish. Importer: Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, NY; tel. (914) 630-8200