Wine Savvy on November 12, 2013 0 Comments Us wine enthusiasts go through life, drinking and consuming many wines, on many occasions and even on non-occasions. It is usually the occasions which help us remember the wines we enjoyed. Often, it is the occasion which makes the wine, or the wines which make the occasion. However, every now and then, there are those wines you have, lacking any occurrence of such moments or those of celebration which are memorable all their own. They reawaken your senses and inspire. These wines are the ones you tell fifteen friends about. How you came on it by happenstance, on a casual evening by yourself as a treat that went beyond any expectation. The Bramare 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon of Viña Cobos is just one of those wines to have if you’re out to spoil yourself. But, spoiler alert, it will go beyond your expectations. The Bramare label hails from the bodega of Viña Cobos of Mendoza, Argentina. Most people, wine lovers world-wide are familiar with Mendoza, but I would like to elaborate. There are three top sub-regions of Mendoza which are of most importance due to their locations within the valley at the foothills of the Andes mountain range (the “Cordillera de los Andes” as referred to as by the locals). Maipu, Valle de Uco and Lujan de Cuyo are the most important of the Mendoza wine region. The most coveted of the three is Lujan de Cuyo. Of all the sub-regions in this area, Lujan de Cuyo sits at the highest altitude of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) above sea level. This altitude of Lujan de Cuyo and the appellation of Bramare, creates an ideal environment for Argentina’s famous wine grape; Malbec followed closely by Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes see about three-hundred and forty days a sun per year and due to their home in the higher altitudes the sun exposure is a bit more intense. The close proximity of the UV rays aid in developing sugar levels. During the cool, high dessert evenings, the vines are able to relax and feed on the sugars developed during the day so as to evolve their flavors and complexities. It is during this time when the skins of the grapes can reinforce themselves and grow stronger, thus thicker, making for round and even sweet tannins. These characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon of sweet tannins and wonderful complexities seem to be the theme throughout many of Mendoza’s Cabernet Sauvignon, and more so those from Lujan de Cuyo. The creation of Viña Cobos was sought after by California’s very own Paul Hobbs who teamed up with two other passionate enologists from Argentina Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud in 1997. It is shared among them that grapes should be able to express their region in the wine they are crafted from. Their objective therefore, was to create wines which would represent their vineyards in their purest of forms. The Bramare 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon lives up to its expectations and careful but unadulterated creation of its creators. The word, ‘Bramare’, is Italian for “craving” and after one sip, followed by a second, you will forever be cursed craving this wine (‘curse’[d] in this case, being a most positive occurrence). The wine is not lacking any complexity. This aspect is due to the fact that Viña Cobos is not keen on over-clarifying their wines or filtration of them. Over-clarifying during earlier stages of the fermentation process can strip the wine of many desired qualities of aromas and fruit characteristics. Filtration further on can do the same. Minus these extra and sometimes unnecessary processes, the wine is unadulterated and represents the vineyard of delicate earthy notes and maintains its fruity characteristics and more. Furthermore, Viña Cobos ferments the wine with the native yeasts which live symbiotically among their vines. The resulting 2009 Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon is sturdy, yet with a little decantation opens up into black licorice, black berry and currant, sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, clove and much more. The palate is round and complete with rich, yet tame flavors of ripe berry fruit which taper off into with earthy and more savory notes. The tannins are round, which compared with other Cabernets of this vintage, are mature and have the signature sweet textures and flavors so typical of the Mendoza mountain vineyards. This wine, after you’ve spoiled yourself on such a casual occasion will be meant for saving and opening for special moments in the not-to-distant future. Just don’t put off such celebrating for too long. More Wine Reviews: REVIEW: 2009 Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon REVIEW: 2009 Petite Sirah from David Fulton Winery REVIEW: 2008 Sandstone Cellars VI from Sandstone Cellars REVIEW: 2009 Lions Drift Pinotage from Silkbush Mountain Vineyards
