In Argentina, to be be able to put “Gran Reserva” on the label, a wine must be aged for at least 24 months before release and comply with INV regulations. We are very proud to produce these wines, all of which have been aged over two years in French Oak Barrels, both first and second-use. The French Oak gives our wines the perfect pinch of old world refinery to mix with new world character and flavor.
While all of our Gran Reserva Wines are ready to be consumed now, they are produced to be aged: these wines will only reach their full potential in perhaps ten years. That does not mean we advise against drinking them now. Perhaps drink one bottle now and try another bottle in a year or two to see if you notice the difference aging makes.
Here is a list of our Gran Reserva Wines:
Roberto Carlos Blend: Our Roberto Carlos Blend is named after my paternal grandfather, Roberto Carlos Argüero. Roberto was in many ways the inspiration for Vectors South wine and we feel this particular wine would fit him perfectly. Like many Argentines, Roberto was a great asador (grill master) and this blend is perfect for meats on the grill. Half of the wine is composed of wine from our very own Malbec grapes, while the other half is from the best Syrah grapes in the Uco Valley. The Syrah component brings a bit of Rhone Valley or even Australian Shiraz to our Malbec. The 50/50 between the two varietals makes the perfect combination between the classic Argentine wine and French and Australian influences. In order to meet the Gran Reserva requirements, the Roberto Carlos Blend was aged for over two years in first and second use French Oak barrels. At 14.5% alcohol, our Roberto Carlos Blend is perfect to drink now, but it will only improve with age. We think it may actually not reach its full potential for ten years.
Miriam Blend: Our Miriam Blend is named after my grandmother and Roberto’s wife, Miriam Garcia Argüero. Like Miriam, whose mother was from Genova, Italy, this wine is a perfect blend of the old world and new world. The rough idea behind the creation of this wine was to make a sort of Bordeaux blend. A native grape to France, Malbec is usually used only as a blending grape in the Bordeaux area, perhaps 2% - 5% in a given bottle. We have chosen to stick with our guns and use 50% of wine made from our own Malbec grapes grown on Vectors South Vineyards. For 45% of the blend’s composition, we have branched out and used some of the best grapes from the Uco Valley. The wine also contains 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, the most popular grape in the Medoc or Left Bank region of Bordeaux, while 15% is from Merlot, the most popular varietal on the right bank, primarily in the Pomerol and Saint-Emilion areas. We have also added for good measure 5% of our very own Cabernet Franc, which like Malbec, is traditionally a blending grape in Bordeaux. Our Miriam Blend has been aged for over two years in first and second use French Oak Barrels and has an aging potential our Premium Wines do not have. We recommend that our customers do drink this wine now, but should think about putting a bottle away for storing as it won’t reach its best for five to ten years.
Vectors South Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc and Malbec: We have also released our traditional wines made exclusively from grapes from our own vineyards. The Gran Reserva Cabernet Franc and Malbec each have the same admirable characteristics as our Premium Line versions, but with more attention paid to the plants used for these Gran Reserva wines. The pruning is more precise and every grape is hand picked. Like our Roberto Carlos and Miriam Blends, these two wines are also aged for over two years in a combination of both first and second use French Oak Barrels. Similarily, they are ready to drink now, but have the potential to reach their best in five to ten years.
