"95 points, James Suckling
Aromas of spices, smoke, berries and bark follow through to a medium body, medium round tannins and a wonderful finish. Love the finish of this, which gives a hint of walnuts, dark tea and ripe fruit. Very sophisticated. A blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon.
93 points, Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate
In their quest for elegant wines, the 2014 Caro was aged in “only” 60% new French oak, down from 100% in the “good old times,” and they have seen that this percentage is the one that works for what they are looking for. In 2014 I saw cleaner, more focused aromas, and the animal notes of the past are absent. The blend this year was two thirds Malbec from Las Compuertas and one third Cabernet Sauvignon from Altamira. This is quite classical, with aromas of lead pencil and cigar box, a core of blackberries and a very polished, elegant palate with ultra-fine tannins. It’s an approachable, elegant and easy to drink red blend. It seems like the Caro team is finding their way… 30,000 bottles produced."
What happens when two people, both focussed on producing wine of the highest order but on different continents, get together and decide to make wine together? Well, we have just tasted the results and they are stunning. What you literally get is all the winemaking skill, the hand-crafted care and attention to detail of a first class wine, applied to different grapes grown in warmer conditions.
The idea of forming a partnership between Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and the Catena family was first mooted in 1998. Initial enthusiasm quickly became a concrete plan to produce a single wine that would combine French and Argentine cultures and the two signature grapes of each producer, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Catena family has produced wine for three generations. Consequently, it was able to draw on its vast knowledge of the high altitude terroirs of the Mendoza region as well as its passion for Malbec. DBR (Lafite) contributed its centuries-old skills in growing, vinifying and ageing great Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as its know-how in blending different grape varieties to produce one wine that is greater than the sum of its parts.
