Bodega Aniello Trousseau 2017
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Suckling
James
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Pale ruby red color, with aromas of red fruits, orange peel and earthy undertones. Good weight with fine-grain tannins, and a long, fresh finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of flowers, sliced oranges and vibrant berries, such as sliced raspberries. Medium-bodied with bright fruit and acidity. Light tannins. Vivid finish. Back to form here. Drink now.
Other Vintages
2016-
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Tasting
Bodega Aniello is a small winery looking to explore the value of the ancient winemaking tradition of Patagonia, while keeping contact with the Italian roots of its members. The winery’s CEO, Maria Cruz De Angelis, is a descendant of Raffaele De Angelis, an Italian who made wine in Sorrento a century earlier.
Aniello’s wines fully channel the character of Patagonia in general and Rio Negro in particular. Geographically dynamic, Argentina’s cool climate Patagonia region is a combination of jagged mountains, plateaus, snow, rivers, plains and sea. The eastern bank of the upper Río Negro region is carpeted by sandy, loamy soils. The constant breezes and low relative humidity help keep the Aniello vineyards pest-free. The resulting wines are considered more elegant and refined than many of the more common, warm-weather wines from the Mendoza area.
Indigenous to the Jura region of France, Trousseau is an intensely hued red wine grape that can make powerful wines with aging potential. Parentage analysis shows that it is related to Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Savagnin. Though no one is certain how or why, Trousseau made a long journey west across France and the Iberian Peninsula well over 200 years ago to take a second home under the alias, Bastardo, in Portugal. It is also permitted in the production of Port. Somm Secret—Trousseau also goes by the names, Maturana Tinta, Merenzao and Verdejo Negro.
One of the most southerly regions on the globe for fine wine production, Patagonia has experienced extraordinary vineyard expansion since the early 2000s.
Patagonia vineyards occupy the lower foothills of the Andes at 1,000 to 1,600 feet. Here cold air drops at night from incredibly steep elevations—the Andes reach well over 15,000 feet in this zone—a phenomenon that produces drastic diurnal shifts. Cold nights contrasted with hot summer days produce grapes with striking color, full ripeness, great finesse and aromatic intensity.
Favored for its luxury brands, the Patagonia wine growing region of Argentina focuses on a diverse array of international varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillón and Viognier among the white grapes, and Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon for reds.