2008 Maipe Bonarda, Mendoza, Argentina

Dear Rene, After winning the 2008 red wine BOTY ("Bargain of the Year") trophy with their Malbec, the Maipe winery is back with our leading contender to date for the 2009 prize! Don't miss this impressive Bonarda. Haven't heard of Bonarda? Don't be afraid to try something new, this is outstanding and the price is way way low for the quality. Here's what Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate had to say about it... "The purple-colored 2008 Bonarda offers an enticing bouquet of smoke, mineral, and blueberry. Round and ripe on the palate, it has surprising depth and length for its humble price. Drink this succulent wine over the next three years. 89 points. ($13)." Dr. Jay Miller, Wine Advocate (Dec 08) If Dr. Miller was surprised by this wine's excellent depth and length at the "humble price" of $13 per bottle, how pleased will you be if you get this wine at just $7.99 per bottle? That's more than 38% off the suggested national price. If you're a fan of deep, long, flavorful reds and if you don't object to a true bargain, get to a phone and call us soon to reserve your case(s) of Maipe Bonarda (our number is 703-525-0990). Wines offering this incredible combination of high quality and low price just don't come around very often. A NOTE ON THE SECOND SHIPMENT OF MAIPE MALBEC: If you ordered the Maipe Malbec in December and are waiting for the next shipment, it is expected at Arrowine on Friday, March 27th. Also, we have a few spots left in our Grand Barolo & Barbaresco Tasting and Dinner at D'acqua Restaurant on March 18, 2009. Please see below for details. Jim Cutts 2008 Maipe Bonarda, Mendoza, Argentina 2008 Maipe Bonarda, Mendoza, Argentina National price: $12.99 Our Reg.: $9.99 each Super Case Special: $7.99 per bottle Only 112 cases available-- this will go fast! The estate-bottled Maipe Bonarda comes from the excellent Lujan de Cuyo zone, in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The excellent winery where Maipe wines are made was the first stop on my trip to Argentina last year. The winery was impressive, with a noticeable energy and a focus on improving every aspect of their production. As noted in a recent Wine Advocate article, "Alberto Antonini (think Altos Las Hormigas) is a consultant at Maipe which in and of itself is an indicator that the winery is focused on quality." The quality showed in customer favorite 2007 Maipe Cabernet Sauvignon and their 2008 Malbec, our 2008 BOTY winner. This Bonarda makes the quality focus of this winery even more obvious. Here is the review from the Wine Advocate: "The purple-colored 2008 Bonarda offers an enticing bouquet of smoke, mineral, and blueberry. Round and ripe on the palate, it has surprising depth and length for its humble price. Drink this succulent wine over the next three years. 89 points. ($13)." Dr. Jay Miller, Wine Advocate (Dec 08) One thing we'd add is that this impressive fruit-filled bonarda is more food-friendly than the malbec. You'll enjoy this with everything from herb-roasted chicken to a charcoal grilled steak. More on Argentina:  Argentina is very quickly becoming an extremely important wine country and sales of Argentine wines are rocketing upward. Both Doug and I traveled to Argentina last year to identify the best areas and the best wines. If you haven't yet explored Argentina's wines, or if you've only tried Malbec, this bonarda would be an excellent way to try something new. The price can't be beat and the wine is outstanding, coming from 30 year old vines. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate recently featured an article titled "The Love Affair with Argentina Wine Continues," in which Dr. Jay Miller made the case for why sales of wines from Argentina "continue to explode despite economic hard times in the USA." The reasons U.S. imports of Argentina wines tripled from 2002 to 2006, boiled down to several factors: Outstanding terroir, especially in select zones of Mendoza (like Lujan de Cuyo, the home of Maipe). "High quality (as compared to the mediocre 'critter' wines that have so tarnished Australia's reputation)." Low production costs (inexpensive land and labor) have made surprisingly low pricing possible. An ideal climate with lots of sunshine and cool nighttime temperatures makes high quality possible at every price level. The U.S. Dollar has remained strong relative to the Argentine Peso. To order please call 703.525.0990. We need your Visa or MasterCard information including expiration date. Wine arrives tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11th.  Thank you for reading. Jim Cutts