Alta Vista

The Mendoza region of Argentina has been pumping out some quality wine in recent years. I recently had the chance to taste through a bunch of offerings from Alta Vista, one of but 682 wineries in the region (*).

Alta Vista offers wines in three "classes" -- Alta Vista, Alta Vista Premium, and Alta Vista Grande Reserve. The tasting was a veritable marathon, and my shorthand tasting notes reflect as much...

Alta Vista Chardonnay 2006 ($)
Buttery, New World style Chardonnay. Great for drinkers of California whites.

Alta Vista Torrontes 2006 ($)
Sweet citrus on the nose; almost has a Muscat-like quality. Surprisingly smooth, with more "white wine fruits" and less "muscat" on the palate.

Alta Vista Merlot 2005 ($)
My notes read, "standard Argentine merlot". Argentinian merlot tends to lean towards a Californian style, with focus on the fruit. Price wise, this is a MUST BUY.

Alta Vista Malbec 2005 ($)
A great entry-level Argentinian malbec. Lighter than what most malbec-heads will expect, but offers nice fruit and a "chewy" texture that will please any palate. If you haven't gotten into Argentina's malbecs yet, this is where to start. Nice mellow finish.

Alta Vista Premium Chardonnay 2006 ($+)
Smells as if there is some of the Torrontes in the wine -- Muscat and warm weather citrus fruits dominate the nose. The palate offers more butter than fruit.

Alta Vista Premium Malbec 2005 ($+)
My notes read, "standard representation of Argentinian Malbec". This is the one to start with if you've already entered the malbec-zone (read: Firehouse 12). Spicy black fruits and a nice minerality on the finish. This wine had better replace those jugs at every art opening I attend in New Haven in the next year.

Alta Vista Premium Cabernet 2005 ($+)
This is a nice New World Cabernet with a "dusty" mouthfeel. This would be a great wine for a mix of wine dorks and newbies at the same dinner party.

Alta Vista Grande Reserve Malbec 2005 ($$+)
My notes read, "Where have you been all my life?"
This was a nice, hot, over-the-top malbec. Older vines lend themselves to chocolate and spice on the nose with dark fruits -- black currant, specifically -- on the palate. MUST BUY MUST BUY MUST BUY.

Alta Vista Malbec Rose 2006 ($)
Very interesting and super-complex for an offering under $15, there was only a hint of sweetness on the palate. Cotton candy on the nose. Check the Wine Cask Blog for his review of the '05.