Mendel Mendoza Malbec 2015

The 2015 Mendel Malbec pays tribute to Winemaker Robert de la Mota and his deft hand with Malbec, Argentina’s quintessential grape variety. And the critics were impressed as much as our tasting panel: the 2015 Mendel Malbec has garnered 93, 93, and 90 point ratings from James Suckling, Tim Atkins, and Wine Advocate, respectively. Wearing a nearly opaque deep purple robe as good Malbec should and exhibiting an aroma redolent with dark cherry, currant, and plum, Mendel’s 2015 Malbec begins to sing from the glass the moment it is poured. Full-bodied and densely packed, this Malbec fills the mouth with concentrated kirsch and plum fruit flavors mingled with hints of dark chocolate, cedar and mint. Known as the “Godfather of Malbec,” Robert de la Mota has imbued the 2015 Mendel Malbec with plenty of energy, flavor and backbone to provide pleasurable drinking now through 2022 and beyond. In short, Mendel’s 2015 Malbec offers plenty to like now and promises even more to come. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest affording the 2015 Mendel Malbec an hour or more of aeration before consuming; it is worth the wait. Enjoy!

For many, Malbec was made to accompany meat, and in Argentina that would mean pairing the 2015 Mendel Malbec with Argentina’s world renowned prime beef. And here in the U.S. a good old-fashioned grilled ribeye with a touch of a spicy rub also makes a sublime accompaniment to Mendel’s Malbec. Lamb and poultry pair nicely, too. We have also enjoyed the 2015 Mendel Malbec with traditional Italian specialties such as Chicken or Veal Marsala, Eggplant Parmigiana, and Potato Gnocchi with grilled chicken and apple sausage, oil cured tomatoes, fire roasted peppers, and mustard greens. For a tasty vegetarian companion consider a Lentil, Quinoa and Carrot Cake topped with Feta or Ricotta Salada. Buen Provecho!

Mendel fashions some of Argentina’s most exciting red and white wines. Proprietor and long-time wine lover Anabelle Sielecki has created Mendel, and with the consummate winemaking skills of winemaker Roberto de la Mota the two have transformed Anabelle’s historic 1928 family vineyard into a world-renowned estate. Together, this dynamic duo, visionary and winemaker, have earned Mendel international acclaim. In homage to Anabelle’s father, a hardworking immigrant and successful businessman, the winery bears her father’s name.

Although many premium wines from Argentina have come to fore, making formidable impressions upon critics and consumers alike for their stout, extroverted natures, very few possess the concentration, depth of flavor, and age ability of Mendel’s wines. At Mendel, Roberto de la Mota uses his consummate winemaking skills to craft red and white wines of considerable stature. Using his French winemaking experiences, Roberto has thrust Argentina’s winemaking movement toward the production of world-class wines where deep and rich fruit flavors, elegance, power, and terroir are not only evident, they are paramount components of his superbly crafted highly acclaimed wines.

Argentina has long been one of the world’s leading producers and consumers of wine. Presently, this sprawling nation, which contains some of the world’s most diverse geography including tropical jungle, barren desert, towering snow-capped mountains and windswept deserted islands that herald Antarctica, is the world’ fifth largest producer of wine and the planet’s third largest consumer of the fruit of the vine, placing it just behind Italy and France. As an interesting comparison, Argentina consumes more than five times the amount of wine per capita as does the United States, (10.5 gallons per capita in Argentina versus just 2.0 gallons per head in the United States). Moreover, Argentina is no longer just a source of good plentiful, every day plonk; it is increasingly a treasure chest of world-class red and white wines.