Wine Review: Proemio Reserve Syrah Garnacha 2015

September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Proemio – "Prologue" in old Medieval Spanish, stands for kick-start or first page. In 2001, Marcelo Bocardo, third generation winemaker and the descendant of a traditional Italian immigrant family founded Proemio with the goal of producing high quality wines that truly represent his ancestors’ passion for viticulture and a legacy for the generations to come. Marcelo Bocardo could be described as a new wave winemaker of Argentinian wines, avoiding over extraction and heavy use of oak, focusing on expression of the terroir (i.e. Uco Valley, Pedriel-Luján de Cuyo and Maipú).

All of September is dedicated to Proemio! This is review #8 of 8 so it's the conclusion of the series, but you can read all of the reviews from this month by clicking here.

The Reserve Syrah Garnacha is 50% Syrah and 50% Garnacha from ten year old sustainable vineyards in Maipú (2,624 feet above sea level). Sustainably grown, manually harvested, fermented and macerated in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, unfined, and aged twelve months in French oak barrels. It has an ABV of 14.5% and will cost you all of $20.

Read More

Wine Review: Proemio Icon Barrel Selection Red Blend 2011

September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Proemio – "Prologue" in old Medieval Spanish, stands for kick-start or first page. In 2001, Marcelo Bocardo, third generation winemaker and the descendant of a traditional Italian immigrant family founded Proemio with the goal of producing high quality wines that truly represent his ancestors’ passion for viticulture and a legacy for the generations to come. Marcelo Bocardo could be described as a new wave winemaker of Argentinian wines, avoiding over extraction and heavy use of oak, focusing on expression of the terroir (i.e. Uco Valley, Pedriel-Luján de Cuyo and Maipú).

All of September is dedicated to Proemio! This is review #7 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.

The 2011 Icon Barrel Selection is 55% Malbec, 35% Syrah, 10% Merlot from various vineyards: 10 year old vineyards in Russell – Maipú (at 2,624 ft asl), 30 year old vineyards in Paraje El Cepillo – Valle de Uco (at 4,265 feet asl) and 100 year old vineyards in Perdriel – Luján de Cuyo ( at 3608 ft asl). The ages of the vineyards vary anywhere between 10 to 100 years old. Manually harvested with cluster selection, fermented and macerated in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, unfined and unfiltered, and aged in French oak for eighteen months. The ABV is 14.5% and it will cost you $30.

Read More

Wine Reviews: Best of Summer 2018!

Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, so here's the best wines that I reviewed for this Summer season!

#5. Minkov Brothers Tradition Cuvee 2013

Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria
Review Release: August 26th, 2018

The wet end of the cork is pure black and the color of the wine is an inky, deep purplish red. Let this bad boy open up because, even though it's five years old, it's still young and holding on to everything tightly until it's given time to breathe. Peppermint candy comes alive on the nose once the wine has awoken, followed by aromas of jammy blackberries, toffee, leather, fine black table pepper, and ethanol fumes. On the palate it's rich and robust with bright acidity and finely grained tannin. There's flavors of blackberries, black cherries, mocha, and... almost like I just licked a freshly cut board of oak. I'm kinda afraid I'm going to get splinters. It finishes strong and tannic with flavors of blackberries, cola, and oak.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $17

Rating: 4.5/5 = Recommended / Highly Recommended(what does that mean?)

#4. VINI Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Region: Thracian Valley, Bulgaria
Review Release: August 12th, 2018

It begins with a cloud of minerality above aromas of pencil shavings, cassis, and black cherries. Lingering in the background there's aromas of vanilla, black pepper, and mint. On the palate it's medium to full bodied with rich mouthfeel and finely grained, astringent tannin. There's flavors of cassis, blueberries, cocoa powder, and cedar. The tannin on the finish leaves your mouth completely dry and really delivers the words of BulgarianWine.com: A crisp, tasty, crunchy cabernet.

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $10

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#3. Matsu el Viejo 2015

Region: Toro, Spain

Review Release: July 15th, 2018

The color of the wine is a dark inky purple that reminds me of my soul. Stewed plums and blackberry sauce lurch over the glass flexing their muscles. Break through the jammy guardians and you'll also find tarragon, salted almonds, and black pepper. It's medium bodied with a velvety yet rich mouthfeel, and a tart acidity that's kept in check by big grippy tannins. Blackberries and prunes combine to make a heavenly dark fruit profile, joined by vanilla and caramel. Then it finishes with a crazy long finish of black raspberries, black pepper, and caramel, with the tannin drying your mouth as the acidity wets it.

This wine is so dark and powerful and... gloomy. It's Batman. This wine is Batman. I can hear it demanding justice. It's just phenomenal, absolutely outstanding, and I can't recommend it enough. I love it when the best is saved for last. Bravo, Matsu!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $47

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#2. Lieb Cellars Merlot 2015

Region: Long Island, New York, USA
Review Release: June 24th, 2018

The color of the wine is garnet, leaning more towards purple than red. There was a lot of tobacco and sandalwood on the nose at first, but they take a step back behind the fruit once it opens up. Just like the 2014 vintage, it's all about the black. Black cherries, blackberries, and black olives. It's medium bodied with softer tannin and less acidity than the previous vintage. On the palate the black cherries are big and juicy, and raspberries brighten up the profile while dark chocolate darkens it. The finish of black cherries and black tea goes on fooooooreeeeeevvvvvveeeeeeerrrrr.

This is yet again a perfect example of Merlot that any fan of the varietal will fall in love with, and $20 is an insanely good deal for the quality you're getting. So I'm gonna give this ANOTHER PERFECT SCORE! Lieb knows how to knock it completely out of the park with my favorite varietal. Keep that Merlot coming, guys!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $20

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

#1. Proemio Reserve Winemaker's Selection 2013

Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Review Release: September 20th, 2018 (Literally yesterday!)

Oh. Oh here we go. See, I don't even want to write a review of this. I'm wasting time here. Instead of sitting on the porch looking at the stars and drinking this wonderful wine I've got to spend the next hour analyzing it, writing about it, and then cutting a video. Goddamn it. Do you see the sacrifices I make for you people? Uuuuugh. Alright, let's get on with it then...

So yeah. The spoiler is out: This wine is PHENOMENAL. It's brick red in color with a slight hue in the purple direction. Black olive is the very first thing that pops up for me on the nose, then there's plums, blueberries, toasty oak, chocolate, mint, and saffron. It seriously the kind of nose that makes you just tilt your head away as soon as you take a whiff and say "Oh. Oh here we go."  On the palate it has a medium body, an acidity that is so perfectly balanced that you don't even know it's there (but it is because you'd notice a lack of acidity), and fine grained tannin that at this point is pretty chill. It finishes ultra long with plums, chocolate, and mint, and leaves a silky coating in your mouth literally forever.

Wine Spectator gave this 90 points. Really, Wine Spectator? Just 90 points? How dare you. This is a goddamn god among its $27 peers! I give it FIVE OUT OF FIVE in price vs quality for Highly Recommended. Spectate THAT! HA!

READ THE FULL REVIEW / WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $27

Rating: 5/5 = Highly Recommended (what does that mean?)

Read More

Wine Review: Proemio Grand Reserve Winemaker's Selection 2013

September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Proemio – "Prologue" in old Medieval Spanish, stands for kick-start or first page. In 2001, Marcelo Bocardo, third generation winemaker and the descendant of a traditional Italian immigrant family founded Proemio with the goal of producing high quality wines that truly represent his ancestors’ passion for viticulture and a legacy for the generations to come. Marcelo Bocardo could be described as a new wave winemaker of Argentinian wines, avoiding over extraction and heavy use of oak, focusing on expression of the terroir (i.e. Uco Valley, Pedriel-Luján de Cuyo and Maipú).

All of September is dedicated to Proemio! This is review #6 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.

The 2013 Grand Reserve Winemakers Selection is 50% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah, and 5% Grenache from various vineyards: 10 year old vineyards in Russell – Maipú (at 2,624 ft asl), 30 year old vineyards in Paraje El Cepillo – Valle de Uco (at 4,265 feet asl) and 80-100 year old vineyards in Perdriel – Luján de Cuyo (at 3608 ft asl). 80 years old is what's listed on the label as the vine's age. Sustainably grown, manually harvested with cluster selection, fermented and macerated in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, unfined, and aged in French oak for eighteen months. The ABV is 14.5% and it will cost you $27.

Read More

Wine Quickie: Luna Vineyards Estate Pinot Grigio 2016

Luna was the first to plant Pinot Grigio in Napa Valley's Silverado Trail, and the 2016 vintage is 100% Pinot Grigio that saw fermentation in neutral barrels and lees aging for five months. It'll run you around $32 and, man, is it worth it. It's an orange and lemon bomb that has an alluring minerality and fresh herbs on the nose, and almonds and green peppers on the palate. And it's not a watery quaffer either. It's full bodied with a silky mouthfeel and a bright acidity that come together to make a stunningly beautiful finish. I am absolutely impressed by this wine, and that rarely happens for me with Pinot Grigio.

Read More

Wine Review: Proemio Reserve Malbec 2014

September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Proemio – "Prologue" in old Medieval Spanish, stands for kick-start or first page. In 2001, Marcelo Bocardo, third generation winemaker and the descendant of a traditional Italian immigrant family founded Proemio with the goal of producing high quality wines that truly represent his ancestors’ passion for viticulture and a legacy for the generations to come. Marcelo Bocardo could be described as a new wave winemaker of Argentinian wines, avoiding over extraction and heavy use of oak, focusing on expression of the terroir (i.e. Uco Valley, Pedriel-Luján de Cuyo and Maipú).

All of September is dedicated to Proemio! This is review #5 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.

So their 2017 entry-level Malbec was my Wine Pick of the Month, and here we are with their 2014 Reserve Malbec. It's 100% Malbec from ten year old sustainable vineyards in Russel, Maipú (2,624 feet above sea level). Sustainably grown, manually harvested with cluster selection, fermented and macerated in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, unfined, and aged twelve months in French oak barrels. It has an ABV of 13.7% and will cost you of $18.

Read More

Wine Review: Proemio Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Proemio – "Prologue" in old Medieval Spanish, stands for kick-start or first page. In 2001, Marcelo Bocardo, third generation winemaker and the descendant of a traditional Italian immigrant family founded Proemio with the goal of producing high quality wines that truly represent his ancestors’ passion for viticulture and a legacy for the generations to come. Marcelo Bocardo could be described as a new wave winemaker of Argentinian wines, avoiding over extraction and heavy use of oak, focusing on expression of the terroir (i.e. Uco Valley, Pedriel-Luján de Cuyo and Maipú).

All of September is dedicated to Proemio! This is review #4 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.

I recently reviewed their 2016 entry-level Cabernet Sauvignon and this is their 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. It's 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from ten year old vineyards in Russell, Maipú. Hand harvested with cluster selection, fermented and macerated in small concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, unfined and unfiltered, and aged for twelve months in French oak barrels. It has a 14% ABV and will cost you $18.

Read More

Wine Review: Proemio Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Proemio – "Prologue" in old Medieval Spanish, stands for kick-start or first page. In 2001, Marcelo Bocardo, third generation winemaker and the descendant of a traditional Italian immigrant family founded Proemio with the goal of producing high quality wines that truly represent his ancestors’ passion for viticulture and a legacy for the generations to come. Marcelo Bocardo could be described as a new wave winemaker of Argentinian wines, avoiding over extraction and heavy use of oak, focusing on expression of the terroir (i.e. Uco Valley, Pedriel-Luján de Cuyo and Maipú).

All of September is dedicated to Proemio! This is review #3 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from ten year old sustainable vineyards in Maipú (2,624 feet above sea level). Sustainably grown, manually harvested, fermented and macerated in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, completely un-oaked and unfined. It has an ABV of 13.7% and will cost you all of $10.

Read More

Wine Review: Proemio Chardonnay 2017

September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!

Proemio – "Prologue" in old Medieval Spanish, stands for kick-start or first page. In 2001, Marcelo Bocardo, third generation winemaker and the descendant of a traditional Italian immigrant family founded Proemio with the goal of producing high quality wines that truly represent his ancestors’ passion for viticulture and a legacy for the generations to come. Marcelo Bocardo could be described as a new wave winemaker of Argentinian wines, avoiding over extraction and heavy use of oak, focusing on expression of the terroir (i.e. Uco Valley, Pedriel-Luján de Cuyo and Maipú).

All of September is dedicated to Proemio! This is review #2 of 8, and you can read all of the reviews I've done so far by clicking here.

This is 100% Chardonnay from 20 year old vineyards in Medrano (2,296 feet above sea level). It was manually harvested, fermented and macerated in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, and 30% aged for six months in French oak barrels. It has a 12.7% ABV.

Read More

September Wine Pick: Proemio Malbec 2017

September is Proemio Month on TheWineStalker.net!

With my recent switch to a different place of employment, I was happy to be reconnected with a salesperson whom I hadn't seen in quite awhile at the old place. She represents different wines now, and I was very pleased with the Proemio part of her portfolio. I mean everything was pretty damn delicious. Obviously I wasn't able to bring everything in (I took their entry-level Malbec, Cabernet, and Red Blend, and looking to bring in more in the future) but their wines impressed me enough that I really wanted to dedicate an entire month to this winery. So I asked and she was more than happy to hook me up. Thanks, Wendy! I am so happy to be presenting these wines to my readers for all of September!

I'll get more into the actually winery in the upcoming reviews, but I'm making their entry-level Malbec my Wine Pick of the Month because 1) when the average consumer thinks of Argentinian wine they think of Malbec, 2) it's less expensive than those Alamos and Trapiche Malbecs you can find everywhere, 3) it's superior in quality to them as well and not even a contest, 4) because of all of those things it's a Malbec every wine shop should look into picking up.

Read More