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Bodega Familia Blanco 2018 'Mairena Desafío' Mendoza Bonarda

Bodega Familia Blanco 2018 'Mairena Desafío' Mendoza Bonarda

An excellent look at Bonarda… full of life.
Descorchados
dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
DC 93
An excellent look at Bonarda… full of life.
Descorchados

Mission Codename Charbonardo!

“Move Over Malbec, Bonarda is Argentina’s Next Red.” – Wine Folly

Make your moves Operatives, we may have found the BEST one!

Would you be more enticed if we called this a Charbono? Because that’s what Bonarda is. In any event, Pinot and Zin fans, this one is for you because variety is the spice of life. Wine is the safest practice for variety in life if you think about it, when asked “what’s this Bonarda thing?” you don’t really have to start with “honey, it’s not what it looks like, I can explain!”

Well, let’s explain anyway, just to be safe.

Remember the “B” Malbec blend from the same Bodega Familia Blanco we featured not too long ago? The one Descorchados urged us to “make room in your cellar” and gave it 94 points? Well, this little Bonarda went to the market with it, and we were FLOORED when we tasted them side by side. How could a cute, cuddly, juicy-as-can-be red stand up on its own feet next to a massive Bordeaux blend, we thought. It obviously has Charbono genes… and not just that, but the flagship actually has 11% of this very same Bonarda in there to add red and blue fruit tones elevating its complexity. So here it is, in its purest form…

Can a wine be described as crunchy? Between the refreshing succulence and that feeling you get biting into a cold nectarine, it’s exactly that. Plump and juicy, with expressive blackberry, bramble and savory pepper flavors follow a nose that is distinct as can be, with boysenberries, nectarine, spearmint, laurel, exotic flowers, and spices. The finish lasts longer than chewing on chocolate-coated orange peel, tastes that delicious too. It’s so unique that being enjoyed on its own, chilled, is best, think of it as stealing the next party, far more revitalizing and complex than a pitcher of red sangria. Just under 12%, it’s easy on the alcohol too.

Renowned consulting winemaker Giuseppe Franceschini here claims that “great wine is the perfect link connecting the best work of nature with the best work of man.” From pristine vineyards soaring over 3,000 feet in the Andes, the terroir of Luján de Cuyo’s Ugarteche district is singular, locally and globally. The freshness in these wines is from the high elevation, providing intense, long sunshine hours, pristine snowmelt feeding roots, and a cool mountain microclimate with dramatic temperature swings between day and night.

A pallet is all we’ve got… call it Bonarda or Charbono. Either way it truly shines above the clouds.

93 Points – Descorchados

“An excellent look at Bonarda. From a 55-year-old vineyard in the Ugarteche zone, they’ve opted not to age it in oak and to let the best expression of the variety and this selection of micro-blocks of old vines to really shine. The acidity is firm, the tannic texture is fine and piercing, and the alcohol is low in order to show the fresher, redder side of the variety. A nervy Bonarda, full of life.”

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Tasting Profile Can a wine be described as crunchy? This sure feels so!

dryness
acidity
tannin
body
fruit
Bodega Familia Blanco 2018 'Mairena Desafío' Mendoza Bonarda 750ml Wine Label
Look

A lovely vivid ruby with incandescent streaks of violets and deeper magentas within

Smell

Distinct as can be, with boysenberries, nectarine, spearmint, laurel, exotic flowers, and spices

Taste

Crunchy as the refreshing succulence and that feeling you get biting into a cold nectarine

Finish

The finish lasts longer than chewing on chocolate-coated orange peel, tastes that delicious too

Pairing

It’s so unique that being enjoyed on its own, chilled is best, more revitalizing than red sangria

What the Winery Says 2018 'Mairena Desafío' Mendoza Bonarda

Bodega Familia Blanco
Bodega Familia Blanco
Consulting winemaker
Giuseppe Franceschini
Winemaker
Ernesto Bajda
Varietal
100% Bonarda
Vintage
2018
Appellation
Ugarteche, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza
Alcohol
11.8%
Elevation
3,182 - feet above sea level
Soils
Alluvium, silt, rocky soils with scarce organic matter
Training
Pergola
Total acidity
5,29 g/L
pH
3.8
Aging
6 months
Vessels
100% neutral concrete

About the Winery Bodega Familia Blanco

Bodega Familia Blanco Winemaker Giuseppe Franceschini
Bodega Familia Blanco Winemaker Giuseppe Franceschini
Bodega Familia Blanco 2018 'Mairena Desafío' Mendoza Bonarda 750ml Wine Bottle
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Bodega Familia Blanco 2018 'Mairena Desafío' Mendoza Bonarda 750ml Wine Bottle
Offer Expired Dec 28, 2023 at 11:59 pm
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