96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2007 Finca Bella Vista is the first bottling of this cuvee since the 2004 vintage because 2005 and 2006 were wiped out by hail. The Bella Vista vineyard was planted in 1910 with yields for this wine at a miniscule 0.75 tons per acre. The wine was aged for 15 months in 100% new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple, it offers up an alluring bouquet of smoke, scorched earth, incense, violets, black cherry, and blackberry. Medium- to full-bodied, velvety-textured, and surprisingly forward, this voluptuous effort has gobs of layered sweet fruit, earth and spice notes, plenty of concealed fine grained tannin, and a lengthy finish. The temptation will be to drink this hedonistic effort without delay. However, it will reward extended cellaring and should be at its best from 2013 to 2022." - Jay Miller (Aug 2009)
95 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine:"Very dense but supersleek, with gorgeous boysenberry and raspberry confiture notes stitched together by melted licorice, black tea and fruitcake notes. The long finish just glides along despite its obvious weight. Shows impressive precision and balance. Drink now through 2015. 753 cases made." –JM (Jul 31, 2009)
93 Points - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:"Saturated bright ruby. Very ripe aromas of blackberry and licorice. Broad, sweet and lush: the richest and most generous of the three 2007 single-vineyard bottlings, with a strong chocolatey character to the layered blackberry and spicecake flavors. As substantial as this is, it also boasts terrific cut. Very long on the aftertaste, with lush, seamless tannins." - Stephen Tanzer (Jan/Feb '10)
98 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2008 Vintage):
"The 2008 Finca Bella Vista has it all. Purple/black in color, it displays an exotic, sexy nose, dense layered fruit, and 5-7 years of aging potential. Satin-textured, mouth-coating, and very long in the finish, it will offer a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2028.
Achaval Ferrer is now firmly established as one of Argentina’s benchmark producers." - Jay Miller (12/2010)
93 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine (2008 Vintage):"This delivers piercing aromas of violet and anise, backed by racy black licorice, blackberry and boysenberry fruit that courses along with graphite, black tea and mineral notes. The superlong finish has nicely embedded acidity. Drink now through 2015. 980 cases made." –JM (10/15/2010)
Focus on ArgentinaBy Stephen Tanzer of International Wine Cellar
"My
tastings of new releases from Argentina turned up a higher percentage
of well-made wines than ever before, thanks in part to an extended run
of very good to excellent vintages. My annual coverage features a
generous selection of stunning values in the under-$20 range, as well as
a growing number of world-class higher-priced items. In addition to
malbec, cabernet sauvignon and torrontes stood out in my tastings this
year."
Read the full article at Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:
http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer/article.html?content_id=68653 96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2007 vintage):
"The 2007 Finca Bella Vista is the first bottling of this cuvee since the 2004 vintage because 2005 and 2006 were wiped out by hail. The Bella Vista vineyard was planted in 1910 with yields for this wine at a miniscule 0.75 tons per acre. The wine was aged for 15 months in 100% new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple, it offers up an alluring bouquet of smoke, scorched earth, incense, violets, black cherry, and blackberry. Medium- to full-bodied, velvety-textured, and surprisingly forward, this voluptuous effort has gobs of layered sweet fruit, earth and spice notes, plenty of concealed fine grained tannin, and a lengthy finish. The temptation will be to drink this hedonistic effort without delay. However, it will reward extended cellaring and should be at its best from 2013 to 2022." - Jay Miller (12/2009)
95 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine (2007 vintage):"Very dense but supersleek, with gorgeous boysenberry and raspberry confiture notes stitched together by melted licorice, black tea and fruitcake notes. The long finish just glides along despite its obvious weight. Shows impressive precision and balance. Drink now through 2015. 753 cases made." –JM (7/31/2009)
