Sunday, April 3, 2011

Bodega Goulart

Marshall Gastao Goulart, the leader of Brazil’s Constitutional Revolution in1932, while spending time in Mendoza purchased two separate 15 hectare properties and planted them with Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Some many years later his granddaughter Erika while looking through her Grandfathers things, came across the deed to this abandon vineyard.  After many years and countless hours, money, and sweat Erika and her husband relaunched Bodega Goulart.  Erika currently is producing 4 different wines that are meticulously made through sustainably farmed vineyards, hand harvest and sorted grapes, and help from Luis Barraud(consulting winemaker and partner with Paul Hobbs in Cobos) to produce some of the best wines from Mendoza.  With total production less than 5000 cases, the wines are not easily found but definitely worth the hunt! 

Erika's Notes:

  • Torrontes 2009, Mendoza Argentina:  Torrontés is Argentina’s signature white wine varietal. It flourishes in the province of Salta and in the plains of Mendoza. There are several clones of Torrontés. We decided to plant the Medocino clone which is best suited for our climate and soils. The grapes are fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks in order to preserve its lively fruit acidity and floral bouquet.

  • Malbec 2010, Mendoza Argentina:  Goulart’s entry level Malbec offers some initial savory spice, leather and earth notes with an ever so slight floral lift lying over the top of a combo of red and darker red to almost black fruit on the nose. Think of dark raspberry, currant and darker blackberry fruit as the aromatic foundation of the wine which becomes more pronounced with aeration. The palate shows good concentration on its medium fuller to fuller bodied frame, with a suppleness to the texture that is accentuated by the wines softer, ripe tannins. Offering a fleshy mid palate and juicy, sweet dark red berry fruit flavors this has good structure and surprising persistence on the finish. Just now starting to hit its stride this should drink impressively over the next couple of years. A very good value for the money this will have a lot of fans for its engaging juicy fruit, fuller frame and structure.

  • Reserva Malbec~Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Mendoza Argentina:  The Reserva is made from old vines planted in two original vineyards and represents the best barrels from the cellar. Its bright blackberry aromatics and flavors combine well with an elegant and complex,aided by aging in French barrels for 12 months.  It is a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet. 

90 pts Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:  Aromas of blackberry, licorice, violet pastille and espresso. Sweet, spicy and intensely flavored with a creamy quality to the fruit but also excellent energy. Finishes with broad, serious tannins and excellent length. This offers terrific value.

  • The Marshall Malbec 2007, Mendoza Argentina:  The Marshall pays tribute to the founder. These grapes are selected from the oldest vineyard rows on the Lunlunta vineyard in the Lujan de Cuyo. The Intensity of low yielding old vines produces some of the best Malbecs in the world. Its deep ruby red color and brooding flavors of blackberry and wild cherry yield a complex, yet elegant wine. Further dimension comes from aging in French Barrels for 18 months.

91 pts Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate (JM):  The 2007 The Marshall “M” is 100% Malbec aged for 18 months in 40% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up a nose of toasty new oak, cinnamon, allspice, violets, black cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it is rich, savory, and plush bordering on opulent. With excellent depth and grip, this substantial effort will evolve for another 2-3 years and offer prime drinking from 2011 to 2029.

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