Day 1 Mussi Tasting
including the stuff you can only get here
I’m writing this at lunchtime on the first day at Karim’s HQ in Maipú, Mendoza. We’ve already tasted 12 of the 42 wines he makes each year. Karim felt it was appropriate that I try everything before I head to the main winery in La Consulta on Monday. I’m not complaining.
This is not a typical Not Yet Named blog, although it is more of a typical blog where I just talk about wines I tried. Probably boring for the reader, but I think if you try to imagine it from my perspective, where I’m looking to find potential votes that can excite, educate entertain AND make tasty wine, then I think it’s an interesting read. I’m sure you’ll tell me if it’s not.
The Tasting
Alandes Concreto Sauvignon-Semillon 2024
An excellent expression of Sauvignon-Semillon, if unspectacular. But it’s aromatic, has freshness, has lift, well-defined fruit flavour. It’s expert but simple winemaking. Something you can just drink. But if you like aromatic wines, this is the evidence it can be done.
Qaramy Chardonnay 2024
Another traditional wine that reminds me of the Argentine Chardonnay I used to sell by the bucket load at Majestic. It’s ripe, for sure, that style of Chardonnay is generous. Some old oak is present and it’s just plain tasty.
Side note: I was in Priorat recently working at a winery who routinely add 5% of ‘new’ wine to give lift and freshness, that much is permitted without having to declare it as multi-vintage. Does it express the vintage? Maybe not. Is it better than adding a pinch of tartaric acid? Maybe not. Are both better than having a flabby wine? Maybe. That’s as much conviction as you’ll get from someone who actively hands over decision-making routinely.
El Jardín de los Caprichos Semillon 2022/23
This was a revelation for sure and proved to me that this place has the potential to make some of the best wines in the world. This doesn’t make it to the UK sadly, they make about 700 bottles and sell directly only to their wine club or at the cellar door. It’s $110 a bottle and tastes like it. 100% Semillon blended across 2022 and 2023, a multi-vintage approach that, in my view, is an under-practised technique.
AltoCedro Merlot Rosé 2024
100% Merlot rosé from their ‘barrel selection’, yes that means fermented in barrel. I was a little underwhelmed with it though, perhaps the barrel-aged rosés I’ve had from Rioja / Bandol are somewhat an unfair bar to compare with, or maybe it just needed more time in barrel or bottle. I’ve heard excellent things about some of their older rosés, some Malbec; these do age well. And unlike the Caprichos wines, perhaps within the NYN budget…
Altocedro Ano Cero Malbec 2024
Here’s the classic Malbec, maybe not so interesting for us but not one to overthink. It’s just tasty.
AltoCedro Ano Cero Pinot Noir 2023
Wild! I wasn’t sure if I liked it because it didn’t feel like it was from Mendoza. I was honestly in Otago or Oregon. It was very good, an unusual brown colour but without any hint of oxidation. I couldn’t place it. When I get to the cellar in La Consulta, I can’t wait to dig into how they do this.
Paradoux Red 9eme
Definitely Bordeaux inspired, the plush new world fruit is eschewed in favour of a more complex savoury style.
NFT Series II Tannat 2023
Good expression of Tannat, poor expression of tasting notes. I was more interested into probing what this whole NFT thing was about. I don’t think I got very far but I’ll try again. “The opportunity to participate in and witness the ‘behind the scenes’ of the process of creating a wine.” It sounds like it could be an advert for Not Yet Named but I’m still backing my claim that we have the most immersive Wine Club in the world….
Bodega Alandes Gran Cabernet Franc 2022
We had this at the last Mussi tasting we did in December and it was wine of the night. Notes are poor, was still thinking about NFTs.
This my tasting buddy Baco, a 10 month old German Shepherd named after the Roman God of wine. He spent the day catching flies.
Altocedro Gran Reserva Malbec 2022
And I’m back in the room! I didn’t appreciate it in the same way when we tried it in December. There’s a cool video I’ll try and get hold of to share around, but basically this is Malbec co-fermented in barrel with 5% Semillon. But how do they get the grapes in and out of a tiny bung-hole, I hear you cry with incredulity! Simple, but painful. They take the head off each barrel - this is where the video would be useful - fill it up, hammer the head back on, then roll it up and down in place of punchdowns/pumpovers for 30 days. After ferment, they take the head off again and press the grapes back into barrel. This is so much fun, if we’re allowed to do it I’m not even offering it as a vote. If there’s a revolt then the Dictator will re-emerge to make his own wine on the side..
El Jardín de los Caprichos La Célébracion NV
Another from the Wine Club unavailable to the UK, made in conjuction with another winery, Piccolo Banfi, which has Michel Rolland as an advisor. He also was advisor to a collab that the Priorat winery were doing, that bloke gets about! Not my favourite of the 3 Caprichos
There was more cheese until we left Baco unattended for 10 mins, the flies were a ruse.
El Jardín de los Caprichos ‘Sapere Aude’ 2022
This was epic! They saved the best one until last for me. 100% Cabernet Franc, if David W has read this far… book a flight and bring an empty suitcase.
first impressions
There’s more possibility than I initially imagined. Incidentally, ‘sapere aude’ is also my old school motto - dare to be wise. A motto you could hold with you throughout this whole voting process. I’ll try to be brave, offering the ideas that make you curious, or could push us into something exciting… and I’ll leave it to you to be wise, daring or both. The possibilities based on today’s evidence could be huge, but as with all things in life, we’ll have a few practicalities to hurdle. It’s looking good so far.
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