Lamadrid Agrelo Cabernet Sauvignon

When wine lovers think of Argentina we automatically think Malbec.  Argentina has the best, after all, so perhaps other types from that incredible region don't get the respect they may deserve.  Well, guess what.  We think we found a gem in this little Argentine Cabernet.  

The key word on the label here is Agrelo.  If this was ordinary everyday red wine it would have just been labeled Mendoza Cabernet, which in all honesty would have been plenty prestigious enough.  But Agrelo means so much more.

Mendoza is a huge desert plateau that has become Mecca for large wine companies everywhere.  Everyone wants to have a piece of the prized Mendoza action.  But if you head west in Mendoza into the Andes and higher elevations you enter the Lujan da Cuyo province and within that province you find Agrelo, one of the finest venues for big complex Mendoza reds.

Malbec still rules in this region just like everywhere in Mendoza.  Half of the Agrelo production is Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon making up a mere thirteen percent of the pie.  Argentine wine law says a varietal wine must be at least 85% of that type so it's reasonable to assume some of that prized Malbec has found its way into the Lamadrid blend.  

So what makes the Agrelo terroir so special?  At 1,000 meters above sea level Agrelo soils are erosion from higher Andes altitudes making them rocky enough for good drainage while also enabling tap roots to access nutrients and minerality below.  This region also has the diurnal temperature shift so essential for acidity to balance the fruit in rich red wines.  And it has a fortuitous rain shadow, a mountain providence of shelter from excessive rain.  Since there is plenty of water from runoff from above, water is not a problem.  

Think about a case of this one, folks.  It could go a long ways to getting you through the holidays.