Tasting Notes from the June ICC “Latin America” Tasting

The ICC group met on Thursday 4^th June  to taste Wines from Latin America.

As you may be aware, I could not attend myself so the wines were shown by Kim and Carrie – thank you to them for stepping in. They persuaded those present to make notes, table by table. So it falls to me to try and compile those – sometimes opposed – views into a coherent note. I’ve done the best I can and tried to rationalise a score roughly in accord with my normal range. Those scores imply a value score when the price is factored in.

Here’s the result of that process:

ARAUCARIA RIESLING/PINOT GRIGIO 2013   Capanha, Brazil   –12½%   (M&S – £9)
Light, confectionery, pear-drop nose with an oily hint. Palate has little varietal character, short and increasingly sweet, with a little apple acidity. Unimpressive and characterless.
Quality: ¹²/₂₀   Value: ¹³/₂₀

SELECCIÓN DE FAMILIA PINOT NOIR (Humberto Canale) 2012  Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina    –    14%   (Great Western Wines – £17.50)
Hints of farmyard and vegetal, herb elements, hints of oak and tobacco. Quite jammy red fruits,  slightly woody or burnt at the finish. Opens after a while – a little unintegrated – maybe needs time?
Quality: ¹⁴/₂₀   Value: ¹³/₂₀

MAITEN VINEYARD BLOCK 1 PINOT NOIR 2012 (Secano) Leyda Valley, Chile  ) –   14½%  (M&S  – £13
Herby and mushroom nose. Rounder, more full-bodied, fruitier and more “New World” palate. Also opens with time but a clearly richer wine.
Quality: ^14.5/₂₀ Value: ¹⁵/₂₀

SELECCIÓN DE FAMILIA CABERNET FRANC (Humberto Canale) 2009  Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina   –   13½%  (Great Western Wines – £17.50)
Stalky, herby nose with sweet red fruits, blackcurrant and damsons – “blackcurrant jam on toast” Palate is structured with big tannins and acidity balanced with sweet – almost dried – fruit and a vegetal hint. Later liquorice or aniseed. Good!
Quality: ¹⁶/₂₀ Value: ¹⁵/₂₀

LA CETTO PRIVATE RESERVE NEBBIOLO 2009  Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico   –   13½%  (Tanners – £14)
Slightly medicinal, vegetal hints to the red cherry fruit nose. Palate is well integrated with slightly herby tannins balancing sour-ish fruit. Good and best value….
Quality: ¹⁶/₂₀ Value: ¹⁶/₂₀

ALÁNTICO SUR SELECCIÓN ESPECIAL TANNAT 2011  Maldonado, Uruguay   –   13.8%  (Wine Society – £13)
Herby nose with coffee and a sweet note. Dark fruit with mouthwatering acidity and spice hints, blackberry with smooth “sinuous tannins”. Good
Quality: ^14.5/₂₀   Value: ¹⁵/₂₀

Thanks everyone.
This is a “committee” note, collated by me, so if your view isn’t included please <comment>.

Until next time…