Some things just need to find the right space to blossom. If you are talking about Malbec, Carménère and Torrontés that place is South America. Malbec and Carménère were both blending grapes in Bordeaux, but never really hit their own renown until they hit the shores of the new world and found their niche in Chile and Argentina. Nobody is quite sure where Torrontés came from but it has made its home in South America. Stop by this Saturday when we’ll be pouring some excellent examples from the Southern Hemisphere.

 
2010 Tomero, Torrontés $12
Located in the Ucco Valley, Tomerro is named after 100 year-old system that controls the life-giving flow of pure Andes snow runoff water that irrigates the vineyard lands and enabled Argentina’s wine growing appellations to flourish in one of the wine world’s most arid regions. The Torrontés has flowery aromas of rose blossoms and jasmine with a fresh citrus flavor and nice mineral accents.
 
2009 Vistalba, Corte C $13
80% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Carlos Pulenta’s family estate is located in Vistalba at the foot of the magnificent Cordon del Plata within the Andes Mountains. The rough characteristic of the soil produces prime Malbec. The winery is constructed to utilize gravity transfer of the wines with temperatures controlled by an elaborate water system. The Corte C has spicy aromas along with cigar box and cedar, cherry fruit with a hint of chocolate.
 
2010 Viña Ventisquero, Yali Wetland Red $9
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Carménère
Viña Ventisquero, located in the Colchaqua Valley in Chile, produces their wines exclusively from sustainably-farmed estate-grown grapes. This Carménère/Cab blend has ripe cassis, plum and cherry flavors (from the Cab) and spicy notes such as black pepper (from the Carménère) along with hints of vanilla and chocolate imparted by barrel aging.
 
2009 Viña Ventisquero, Queulat Carménère $15
95% Carménère, 5% Syrah
The Queulat is Viña Ventisquero’s reserve wine from a single vineyard wine from the Maipo Valley. Full of Carménère character, the wine has aromas of black fruits, sweet spices, an earthy note and a touch of dark chocolate. The mouth offers a rich structure with fat, velvety tannins which give it that full, round finish with an aftertaste evoking chocolate and tobacco.
 
2010 Bodega Noemia de Patagonia, A Lisa Malbec $20
90% Malbec and 9% Merlot and a 1% of Petit Verdot  
The Rio Negro Valley in Patagonia has a considerably cooler climate than the other Argentinean wine growing regions, with a long, drawn out growing season. The A Lisa has lots of aromas of black fruit anise, iron and leather. The body is full and sinuous.