06/29/11 – the Mendoza lineup

By Jesse on June 25, 2011

The perdiz (Spanish for “partridge”) is a medium-sized bird, larger than its cousin the quail, but smaller than its cousin the pheasant.  It’s a native resident of Argentina, and it lends its name to a winery in Mendoza called Las Perdices, whose labels depict a small flock of the stately fellows.  The good people at Vines of Mendoza were kind enough to send the Young Winos a handful of bottles from Las Perdices to taste and evaluate.  Please join us at Jason’s new place on Wednesday evening to do just that!

Those who haven’t tasted a lot of Argentinean wine are in for a treat: across the board, the wines have a rustic elegance that belies their old world roots, but it’s often coupled with a fullness and richness that rivals the best offerings from California and Australia.  What’s more, the prices tend to be right on point.

We’ll be tasting the following bottles:

–2009 Las Perdices Pinot Grigio

–2008 Las Perdices Pinot Noir

–2006 Las Perdices Tunamu (a blend of Malbec, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Tannat)

–2006 Las Perdices Cabernet Sauvignon

–2008 Las Perdices Bonarda*

*Bonarda is a late-ripening red wine originating in Savoie, France, which is widely planted in Argentina.  For my money, it’s often far more rich and interesting than the more popular Malbec.

In addition, we’ll be tasting a few bottles of Torrontés, that beguiling Argentinean white wine that the Winos last tasted way back in 2008Attendees to this meeting are welcome to bring either a bottle of Torrontés or a ten dollar donation to the cause.

We’ll be meeting at Jason’s new place in West LA.  The RSVP system functions like this: if you want in, you click on this link and tell me so (don’t forget your full name, e-mail address, and a cute message conveying to me your intentions). If you’re denied entry due to a meeting exceeding capacity, don’t worry — you’ll be at the top of the list the next week.

Once you’ve gotten your confirmation e-mail, grab yourself a $10 bill (or a bottle of Torrontés, if you prefer). We’ll see you ballers on Wednesday at 9pm.