Christie Kiley on February 17, 2014 0 Comments Quick Characteristics Winery: Las Perdices Location: Argentina Vintage: 2010 ABV: 14.0% Serving Temp: 60-64°F Aged: 8 months in oak barrels Pairs With: Red Meat, fish, pasta, spicy chicken or pork I love a simple wine, more so when the said simple wine is just so good! There are days even a wine professional does not want to think about what they are drinking. Please excuse the next couple hundred words or so. I am just doing my job, tough job that it is. I will let you drink the 2010 Las Perdices Cabernet Sauvignon without doing much thinking, because I would have already done it for you. I’ll catch the next glass or bottle and enjoy it sans thought. This is a great little wine from one of my favorite regions worldwide, Argentina. More specifically it heralds from the region of Lujan de Cuyo in the famed region of Mendoza. Malbec may be the flagship varietal and favored grape of Argentina, but Cabernet follows close in second place because of its ability to grow in high-altitude climates, extreme conditions and excel with a robust yet rich body, meaty, spicy and juicy with sweet, yes, sweet tannins, no matter its age. The winery Viña Las Perdices and the wine got their name from the local wild game birds found in the area. ‘Perdices’ translates as ‘quail’ in English. The story has it that when the winemaker Don Juan Muñoz arrived on his land to cultivate vineyards with the intension of making his own wine, he was surprised of how many quails were running and flying about. Their beautiful feathers can be found in abandoned homes and if you happen to catch a glimpse of them before they startle and fly off, you will find them always in threes. Thus, became the label of Las Perdices with a rustic drawing of three beautiful quails as if they were scurrying about. Viña Las Perdices is located at the foothills of the Andes Mountains at about three-thousand four-hundred feet about sea level in an area called Agrelo of Lujan de Cuyo which was the first sub-region of Mendoza to be granted the lofty certification of ‘Denominacion de Origen Controlada’. For the non-wine geeks out there, in Argentina, this certifies any wine from this region, that any of its fruits which make such wine are those of quality. The winery is only of a modest eighty-five hectares. The region of Lujan de Cuyo, because of its higher altitude in comparison to other sub-regions of Mendoza, thus its vineyards in close-proximity to the sun, its micro-climate and soils all contribute to red wines with those rich, round and sweet tannins I mentioned earlier. It is true and it is delicious. To be further convinced you must try it for yourself. The quality to price point is hard to beat, so it won’t even take any effort. Remember, we’re trying to keep this a simple, easy-to-drink wine you can enjoy without much thought. As it is an easy wine, make it an easy dinner, your best hamburger from your local butcher, great cheese, maybe some sautéed mushrooms and onions. Okay, so not that simple. Or your favorite cut of steak with fries. Is that better? The color is a beautiful ruby, cherry red. Even the aroma is of cherry. I promise, the color did not suggest that in any way. It is spicy with notes of dried thyme and oregano and fresh cracked peppercorn. Its perfume and bouquet is persistent enough you will have a sip and be hooked. This will be your everyday red. Its texture is soft and supple with balanced flavors of mature red berries, cherries (again) with tertiary aromas of licorice and dried fruits. The eight months of aging in French and American oak have rounded out its fruit tannins and are perfectly balanced throughout the palate. They are just as equally soft and supple. Did I mention, sweet? If you want to make a night of this wine or a dinner just a bit more than simple, go for a braised lamb with fresh herbs, wine reduction, sweet, slow roasted medallion onions, mini-Portobello mushrooms and new potatoes with rosemary. More Wine Reviews: REVIEW: 2010 AD the Aviator from Alpha Domus REVIEW: 2009 Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon from Viña Cobos REVIEW: 2009 Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon REVIEW: Cakebread Cellars Red Hills 2010 Zinfandel
