Argentina’s Mendoza region is producing some exciting heavy weight and intensely fruity numbers right now, so this month the Journal and Jacques Scott decided to sample four wines from the Bodega Terrazas de los Andes vineyards. Ernesto’s was the perfect restaurant choice to enjoy Latin-inspired food to accompany these wines, its hearty well flavoured fare more than a match for these powerful wines. Business Editor, Lindsey Turnbull reports.
The winery
In 1999 Bodega Chandon (a subsidiary of Moët & Chandon, which is in turn owned by luxury goods conglomerate LVMH) acquired the 100 year old plus Terrazas de los Andes vineyards, and in the few shorts years that they have been involved with the winery they have grown the business to produce one of the leading premier wine brands not only in Argentina, but overseas as well (exporting to 40 countries.)
Bodega Chandon’s latest technology using stainless steel tanks combines with the spirit and essence of the old original winery building, the original brick structure having been remodeled from the original foundations to house this modern technology. Thus the winery has managed to meet the needs of the present and at the same time conserve a hundred years of tradition.
Terrazas de los Andes also forms a part of a large project that was put into action by Moët Hennessy in 1997, to inspire all the wineries owned by the company outside France into expansion beyond their domestic markets.
The ‘Terrazas’ themselves are a series of terraces set high in the foothills of the Andes mountain range, from 600 to 1600 metres above sea level. Each terrace has its own microclimate and the winery’s oncologists have identified which grape is suited in particular to which specific terrace. At 980 metres above sea level Cabernet Sauvignon grows in the Perdriel terrace (which is also the location of the winery itself). At 1067 metres Malbec grows in the Vistalba terraces and at 1200 metres Chardonnay grapes grow in the Tupungato Valley Terrace.
Out of this redeveloped winery come three lines of wines. The Terrazas de los Andes produces wines with freshness, youth and intense fruit, while the Terrazas de los Andes Reserva is the next step up, offering wines with greater structure and a more intense aroma. The Afincado range displays wines with even greater complexity, fruit concentration and lingering finish.
Ernesto’s: eat, drink and be merry
Ernesto’s is situated on the site of the old Outback Steakhouse location in the Strand on the West Bay Road but after a total refurbishment the new establishment looks and feels totally different. A wide almost rectangle bar dominates about a third of the room while the remainder is given to comfortable seating and cosy dining tables. The lighting is low, even at midday, the ambiance is that of a typical Latin bar, restaurant or club, and that is exactly what Ernesto’s is – all three rolled into one. The menu is full of well flavoured meat and fish dishes, the bar and wait staff are friendly and fun and the musical beat is a mixture of all things Latin – Merengue, Salsa, Latin jazz, Calypso, Cuban and is a reflection of the food, which hails from all parts of Latin America and Cuba. French/Cuban Stefan Giacometti of Ernesto’s says the name of the restaurant came about from two Cuban icons – Ernest Hemingway and Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara (yes, Ernesto was the famous revolutionist’s first name, ‘che’ actually being a nickname meaning ‘mate’ or ‘buddy’).
The wines
Terrazas Reserva Chardonnay 2005
CI$17.95
100% Chardonnay
With its golden colour and intensely tropical fruit, citrus and honey notes on the nose and palate, this Chardonnay is a great choice if you want to drink it by itself but also goes really well with food such as fish and seafood.
Ross Phillips, Marketing Manager with Jacques Scott notes, ‘This is a well-balanced Chardonnay that successfully maintains both oak and fruit nuances, combining the best of both elements.’
Stefan provided an appetiser platter to be nibbled on while waiting for the first course to arrive, consisting of traditional Mexican guacamole, Manchego cheese marinated in red peppercorns, olive oil and herbs and chicken croquettes on mayonnaise. All of these nibbles worked nicely with the Chardonnay, whetting the appetite for the delicacies to come, but the wine really came into its own with the citrussy Crudo de Langosta, rock lobster marinated in lime juice and Cuban rum and also the fish of the day, which was red snapper grilled to perfection in a lemon dressing.
Terrazas Reserva Malbec 2004
CI$17.95
100% Malbec
In Argentina the Malbec grape has emerged from its traditional place as just another blending component for Bordeaux wines into its own. The grape loves the sun and has flourished in Argentina, producing some really big wines overflowing with over-ripe-to-the-point-of-dried, fruit.
Paul McLaughlin, Retail Manager with Jacques Scott says, ‘This Malbec is muscular and broody and needs a while to properly open up, so decant early and don’t be tempted to sip before the food is ready. It’s intensely red, almost bluish in colour with an aroma of red and black fruit along with vanilla and caramel notes along the way.’
Luis Ortega, Ernest & Julio Gallo Area Manager for the Caribbean, [who was visiting Cayman at the time] says, ‘This Malbec is true to the grape. There is the aroma of black cherry and plums with hints of aniseed as well as a toasted wood flavour. It’s heavy bodied and alcoholic, as denoted by the heavy legs (the viscosity of the wine that can be seen if you swish the wine around the glass and watch as the streaks that form on the wine glass stay on the glass).’
The wine is aged in oak for six months, producing a medium to full bodied wine that’s soft and juicy.
Dishes that went well with this wine are all heavy on the meat (tough luck if you are a veggie). We enjoyed a Churrasco Mixto, a meat platter which included the most amazingly tender and flavouful braised oxtail (Rabo encendido), braised duck breast (Pechuga de pato) and Costillas de Cerdo (roasted pork in a guava glaze).
Terrazas Reserva Cabinet Sauvignon 2004
CI$17.95
100% Cabinet Sauvignon
Another big wine, this Cabernet, which is aged in oak from between four to six months, displays lots of red fruit such as blackcurrants on the nose and palate, along with the aroma of leather that is typical of the grape.
Ross states, ‘This is another well balanced wine, displaying good tannins that aren’t too overpowering. It’s fruit forward, food-friendly, with good volume, sweet tannins and blackcurrant Cabernet fruits mingling with cherries and cassis.’
Paul says, ‘When you think of Argentinean food, you think of beef, and this wine is made to be drunk with a serious steak straight off the barbeque. The tannins are really needed to counteract the richness of the meat.’
The Bife Ancho or the Chuleton (both rib eye steaks) are great choices to be enjoyed with this Cabernet.
Terrazas Afincado Malbec 2003
CI$36.95
100% Malbec
The Afincado range of wines is only produced during exceptional years and in limited qualities, hence the increase in price of this wine. And it really is an exceptional wine, having been aged in 100% French oak for 18 month.
Luis describes the intensity of this wine, ‘The Afincado Malbec displays deeply red and purple hues, and there are jammy black fruit and raisiny accents on the nose and palate along with hints of vanilla, licorice, and toasted caramel.’
Ross states, ‘The tannins in this wine are well established yet sweet, creating a full bodied wine with a long finish which can be laid down for about fifteen years to really allow those raisin tones to fully develop.’
All of Ernesto’s meat dishes did justice to this great wine however a word of warning: you must allow yourself at least three hours for lunch if you are going to consume these wines and dishes at a measured pace, so they may be better consumed over a leisurely supper that takes all night.
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