CARO
2015 Bodegas Caro
The eponymous flagship 2015 Caro is a blend of Malbec with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. As 2015 was a very challenging year for Cabernet Sauvignon, this vintage has more Malbec than in the past, which seems to have given it extra freshness. The percentage of Malbec has been creeping up since 2012, which has moved the profile toward more red fruit and freshness, and at the same time, they have been reducing the amount of new oak used. It comes from the oldest plots in their vineyards in Paraje Altamira and Las Compuertas. It fermented in stainless steel with neutral yeasts, including malolactic. The élevage lasted 18 months and was in French barriques produced by the Domaine Lafite, of which 60% were new and the rest second use. This is my favorite vintage of Caro so far, always an elegant and classical blend but now with an extra dimension of freshness. It has harmony and balance for a positive development in bottle. It's still young, but it's certainly approachable. 38,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2016. Rating: 94 Luis Gutierrez, www.robertparker.com (Jul 2018)
In Bond
75cl bottles (wood case of 6)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Bright, dark red-ruby. Deeper on the nose than the 2015 Amancaya by a wide margin, offering aromas of cassis, licorice, graphite, mocha and tobacco leaf. Richer and deeper on the palate too, boasting excellent flesh and concentration as well as subtle sweetness to its blackcurrant and mineral flavors. Boasts lovely clarity and inner-mouth lift and spreads out horizontally on the back end, vibrating and building. The tannins are refined and not all austere; this distinctly Old World style of Malbec should evolve slowly and gracefully. Drinking range: 2020 - 2029 Rating: 93 Stephen Tanzer, www.vinousmedia.com (Jul 2018)
(14% alcohol; aged for 18 months in French oak, 60% new): Bright, dark red-ruby. Deeper on the nose than the 2015 Amancaya by a wide margin, offering aromas of cassis, licorice, graphite, mocha and tobacco leaf. Richer and deeper on the palate too, boasting excellent flesh and concentration as well as subtle sweetness to its blackcurrant and mineral flavors. Boasts lovely clarity and inner-mouth lift and spreads out horizontally on the back end, vibrating and building. The tannins are refined and not all austere; this distinctly Old World style of Malbec should evolve slowly and gracefully. Drinking range: 2020 - 2029 Rating: 93 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Jul 2018)
The smoke and currant character of this wine is impressive. Some blackberries and fresh herbs, too. Oak showing now. Full-bodied, tight and linear with juicy tannins. Needs three or four year to polish the finish. More malbec (85%) in the blend than usual, and the rest cabernet sauvignon Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Jun 2018)
Bodegas Caro
The name CARO is simply explained - it is the first two letters from the surnames of the two prestigious wine families who have come together to create this brilliant project CAtena & ROthschild.
The idea of forming a partnership between Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and the Catena family was born in 1999. Initial enthusiasm quickly became a concrete plan to produce a single wine that would combine French and Argentine cultures and the two signature grapes of each producer, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Catena family has produced wine for four generations. Consequently, it was able to draw on its vast knowledge of the high altitude terroirs of the Mendoza region as well as its passion for Malbec to find the best vineyards. DBR (Lafite) contributed its centuries-old skills in growing, vinifying and ageing great Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as its know-how in blending different grape varieties to produce one wine that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Exchanges and selection work began in 1999 to produce CARO’s first vintage in 2000. The success of the early vintages resulted in the creation of another wine in 2003: AMANCAYA which, like its older brother, is based on a harmonious balance between Argentinian identity and Bordeaux style. Bodegas CARO then decided to celebrate the grape variety for which Argentina’s vineyards are famous by selecting a pure Malbec, ARUMA, starting with the 2010 vintage. This is South American wine in a revolutionary style that is altogether more appetising than the norm.
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