Country of Origin & Region

Winery

Argentina, Mendoza region

Viña Alicia

Tasting Notes

This wine is of an intense ruby red color, that will progress to garnet as it ages. Aromas of roses, blackcurrants, violets and coal tar can be found.

Food Accompaniments

This wine is particularly apt to accompany lean meat dishes, “La Bresaola” (cured, finely sliced meat), stewed meats, served with sauces. Also good with patés, stewed hare, spicy meat casseroles, “Brossatto al Nebbiolo” (large, marinated cut of meat, slowly cooked in Nebbiolo).

Awards, Reviews and other Notes

90 pts Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (ST)
Bright ruby-red. Slightly medicinal aromas of black fruits, tobacco, mocha, menthol and dried flowers. Suave and juicy on the palate, with very good clarity and lift to the penetrating flavors of dark fruits, minerals and mint; a suggestion of band-aid quickly disappeared. Classically dry, energetic wine with real nebbiolo character. With its firm tannic spine, this is built to age. Shows little sign of its 15% alcohol. It's hard to think of a better nebbiolo made outside the Piedmont.

Winemaker Notes

Harvest: This is manually performed, using 12-14 kilo plastic cages, to ward against berry damage and protect from contamination. At this stage, two bunch selections have been practiced: the first after flowering and the second when the fruit colored, to discard misshapen, imperfect or insufficiently colored bunches. Winery Arrival: Upon arrival at the winery, the third selection of fruit bunches is carried out manually over special tables to separate immature grapes, dry or withered, before proceeding to remove stems. This operation is performed by a machine placed across the opening of the fermentation vessel. Winery Method: In the case of this variety, it is very important that fermentation temperature does not exceed 28-29°C. This ensures that fruity character and aromas are not lost. Overall maceration time is 10 to 15 days. This obtains a better component extraction. “Pumping up “ and “Punching down” procedures are performed in a very gentle manner. Casking: Once alcoholic fermentation is completed, malolactic fermentation follows in barrels that have been used only one time before, to make sure that the oak does not smother the characteristic aromas of rose and vanilla, typical of this delicate variety. American oak barrels are used for a small quantity, and the greater proportion is set into French oak ones. The wine rests only a few months in wood. After this, it is swiftly bottled, consistent with the strategy of protecting the aromas of black cherry, plums and roses. Bottling: The wine is kept 60 days in a “cold chamber” at very low temperature for stablilization. Then is bottled without filtering, careful of preserving the components. The time spent in bottle develops its distintive qualities. The wine sits one to two years before being set on the market.

UPC Code

Chemical Analysis

Varietal

752183281638

Alcohol %: 14.8
Total Acid: 5.4 gl
Free/Total Sulfur: 25 mg
pH: 3.6
Residual Sugar: 1.87

Other Red