2012 Versado Reserva
Wildly expressive and exotic nose with black licorice, blackberries and kirsch. A plush, concentrated palate with endlessly evolving layers of flavour – dark fruits, licorice and richly savoury spices. Long, luscious finish. ~ Peter Gamble
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Score: 95. "Owner and winemaking consultant Peter Gamble and chief winemaker Roberto de la Mota have created a blockbuster Argentine red for the 2012 vintage. Made from the iconic Malbec grape, this wine underwent a spontaneous fermentation, rather than one induced by the winemaker with specific yeasts. The wine was aged in oak barrels. This is another gorgeous red wine from Versado - this wine and winemaker perform consistently well every year. Aromas of fleshy black fruit, dried herbs, spices and pepper. Pair with grilled lamb. Highly recommended. ~ Natalie Maclean, nataliemaclean.com
Score: 93. "Dense ruby colour; spicy, floral, blackberry nose with vanilla and cedar notes; medium to full-bodied, dry, ripe blackberry and blackcurrant flavours with a mineral thread and a lively spine of acidity; silky mouth-feel finishing firmly with a chocolate note. ~ Tony Aspler, tonyaspler.com
Score: 93. "Peter Gamble and Ann Sperling’s Reserva is also known as the 'Ancient' malbec with thanks to vines twice their age planted high in the foothills of the Andes. These are not just any vineyards but dry, stony ones begging for droplets of mountain run-off. The glacial cool savour injects vitality into a thick and juicy malbec that wants not for attention. The palate is quite woody, the fruit concentration sheathed and encompassed to see it well into a second decade of life. Healthy berries, impressive extraction, high level acidity and ripe, agile tannins will all work towards a common goal. At present I really think it’s all a bit too much. You will have to age this wine for best results or an exercise in over-the-top Napa Valley floor will result. With patience, by 2022 it will be all mountain Mendoza. As good as the first few Versado malbecs were, this is the bomb. Drink 2020-2027" ~ Michael Godel, WineAlign
A year in the vineyard
This is the vintage that we learned about the Zonda, the infamous drying wind that could be compared to Provence's Mistral. This one came early in the vine cycle and affected flowering, so the crop was small and naturally thinned for the entire season. Consistent warm weather in the early stages of development indicated an early harvest but March was one of the coolest on record, which provided hang time for intense flavour and colour development - something that Malbec loves. We harvested on April 4th, did our usual hand picking into small boxes, followed by stemming and berry sorting. The natural "bleed" was 20%, further reducing the ratio of juice to skin in the fermenter.
Availability
France
- Valade & Transandine, Jean-Luc Soubie, 33 05 57 19 17 52