A wine with a beautiful dark ruby red color with violet highlights. Outstanding fruit, with a nose full of red berries, black cherry, black pepper, and hints of violets. Those elements come through on the palate, with fresh black and red fruit, revealing a full-bodied wine.
Viticulture
Our 60-acre estate Fundo Santa Cruz de Coya is the Eastern-most vineyard and one of the highest in Chile located at 3,280 feet above sea level. As a family winery, we have implemented manual harvesting and organic cultivation since our first harvest in 1990.
Vinification
From our organic vineyards, these grapes are carefully harvested by hand, gently pressed, and then fermented in 2,500-liter stainless steel tanks. Then aged in 225-liter French Oak barrels from the Allier and Tronçais forests for 26 months.
Aromas of fresh fruit and a spicy touch of cinnamon and cloves. It is a wine with soft tannins and juicy acidity that impart a fine texture and a long, fresh finish.
Made with our own grapes grown in a ravine in the Andean foothills of the Cachapoal Valley. The grapes are hand-harvested into 12-kg boxes. Following cluster selection, the grapes are destemmed and fall directly into the stainless steel tank without the use of pumps. A cold pre-fermentative maceration for 3 days is followed by the alcoholic fermentation at 22°c-24°c for 8-10 days and a post-fermentative maceration for 10 days. The blend is defined and made and then the wine is tank-aged for 12 months prior to bottling. The wine is bottle-aged for at least 12 months before being released for sale.
91 points ~ James Suckling 95 point Vintage ~ Robert Parker
Tasting Notes
Blueberries, stewed plums, violet essence, and pine needles on the nose. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins and a plush, ripe core of fruit. Drink now. ~91 James Suckling
Vineyard
This wine is born in the majestic Andes Mountains range, in the prosperous Argentinian wine region, Uco Valley. These vineyards are naturally irrigated with meltwater coming from the Andes Mountains and are placed in sandy loam and alluvial rocks with calcareous soils, which provide minerality and complexity. The vineyard is managed under sustainable and organic practices.
Vintage
2018 was a great year for Valle de Uco, Robert Parker blessed this vintage with a 95-point review, and Wine Spectator stated that “nearly ideal growing conditions deliver well-structured wines that feature fine-grained tannins and ripe fruit flavors.”
This amazing value Malbec will become your new Argentinian go-to!
Specs
Specs
Vintage: 2018
Varietal 100% Malbec
Appellation: Valle de Uco, Mendoza
Aging: 2 to 3 months in French oak barrels.
Alcohol: 14.0%
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2014 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
1x 2017 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
1x 2018 Wayra Estate Malbec Valle de Uco Case:
6x 2014 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
3x 2017 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
3x 2018 Wayra Estate Malbec Valle de Uco
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $465/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: Wayra
Founded: 2015
Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Conceived in 2015, Wayra by Calyptra Argentina arises as an extension of Calyptra Chile, adding a new world-class winegrowing region and varietals of a different terroir to the Calyptra Portfolio, such as the emblematic Malbec.
Wayra comes from the Quechua dialect “huayra” which means “wind.” This name is an ode to the Mountain winds where this wine is born. “Of an adventurous and romantic spirit. With its warm breath, the messenger of spring melts the snow of the Andes and brings fertility to the crops.”
Bernardo Bossi is the highly praised winemaker of Wayra. His acclaimed wines have a very special style, making Bernardo one of the most respected winemakers in Argentina.
Winery: Calyptra Vineyards & Winery
Location: Cachapoal Valley, Chile
Calyptra is a boutique winery with a history of more than 30 years. Our vineyards are in Alto Cachapoal, being the only vineyard located in the valley drawer. We have a unique terroir: terraced vineyards between the foothills of the Andes and the Cachapoal River, at almost 1,000 meters above sea level. The characteristics of the field turn out to be optimal for the production of first-level wines. Therefore, Calyptra’s philosophy is to produce unique, authentic, honest wines that reflect the soil, the origin, and the dedication and passion of the entire team at our vineyard.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Origin text on bottle: D.O. Alto Cachapoal Valley, Chile (Estate Grown & Bottled)
I received this bottle with ample time to prepare, so I was able to taste both from the freshly opened bottle and after it had time to decant overnight. I only received a bottle of this one wine, and cannot comment on the other types in the case.
On first opening the it immediately shows how young it is at present. The nose shows hard-to-pin-down fruitiness and almost a crisp apple. Taking a sip, young apricot and currants are the primary flavors I pick out, with the tanins being almost unnoticeable. There’s almost a crisp refreshing quality, but by the end of the first glass the tanins are starting to make themselves known. Enjoyable, but definitely would benefit from some time to open up (or a few more years in the cellar).
On day two the wine seems substantially more mature. The tanins are starting to give it a rounder mouthfeel, and this is turning into the type of rich red I prefer. (I never would have guessed based on the taste profile yesterday; this really needed to open up!) Now the flavors are a bit more complex, with a velvetey raspberry and currant profile. The back label text mentions that it would go well with steak, and while I agree, I would also add chocolate to the list as the berry quality seem like it would be a good fit.
Once done with the bottle I looked closer at the label, and saw that this is 14.8% alcohol; this took me by surprise as the fruitiness completely hid the alcohol. I would have guessed it was a few percent lower.
All in all I enjoyed this wine. I think it could do with a few years of aging, but I don’t think this would be good to cellar for decades. Get a case and drink over the next 5 years or so.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Chilean & Argentinean Mixed Reds - $45 = 27.26%
I hope we hear a report about the 2014. A great varietal mix, in my book. Syrah in the driver’s seat. To my wife and I, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are great blending grapes. I like a little bit of what they bring to the table.
From what @nklb said above, I have hopes the extra couple years on it would be beneficial.
@wardad I thought this was an impressive offering for such a newly started winery (based on the description mentioning it was ‘conceived in 2015’; I’m not sure how that jives with there being a 2014 vintage, maybe just that they came up with the name/branding in 2015 after getting their first usable crop in 2014.)
I agree it would be interesting to see what a bit of extra aging could do.
@nklb@wardad kind of confusing, but it appears that the 2018 is from Wayra, an “extension of Calyptra”, and the 2014 and 2017 are Calyptra which has a “history of more than 30 years”.
I thought I read the 2014 “should be” drank between 2018 and 2021…? I’m not an expert at all, but if the bottling occurred in 2014, the wine is 9 years old. Is it still a good buy? Thanks
@eminnick That a good question. If you find such a bottle, forgotten, in the closet, there’s a good chance the wine is on its way out. Maybe good for stew and such. You odds are like this:
45% bad
35% seen better days, but still good
20% it’s great, aging better than predicted
Here though, your odds are different. More like this, based on my (sadly extensive) history with casemates (and its predecessor):
0% bad
15% seen better days, but still good
85% it’s great, aging better than predicted
I’ve bought many wines form casemates that would seem suspiciously old if seen on a shelf; none were too old or bad. Just a couple times, the wine was still good, but not as great as a couple years earlier. Anyone else remember the Nysa Pinot Noir Vertical? Some were right in their window, incredible value. A couple were . . . kind of interesting and better drink it right now. But that was clear to the buyer, and part of the package deal.
@eminnick@wardad One more point - most mass produced commercial wine (i.e. 95% of what you find at a grocery store and 80% of what’s at BevMo and the like) is made to be drunk young. The wine that is offered here is made to a much higher standard, even the cheap fruit forward stuff. Anything (red) you get here should be fine up to at least 10 years past vintage, even if you’d prefer it younger, and even if you don’t store it properly so long as it doesn’t spend a long time in 85 degree rooms.
My experience with 10+ year old wines from WD mirrors wardad’s - no more than 10-15% were over the hill by 10 years post-vintage.
Labrat checking in!
So glad to get the email and the wine with a few days to try to ensure food pairing was decent and give the bottle a fair try before the offer.
We got the 2014 Assemblage “reserve”. A bit confusing that the varietal percentages on the label were listed “backwards”, in ascending order. This is a Syrah dominant blend - 59% syrah, 30.8% Merlot, 10.2% Cab. Also correction to the info above, the alcohol on label is listed at 15.5%.
The wine itself is a nice deep color - dark garnet with no bricking.
(the photos are a bit misleading, so I’ll repeat no bricking. my lighting was horrible and these were the best of the other 10 options)
Aroma on opening was brambly, sweet, and a touch of dark berry. After 15 minutes, not much change. After 45 minutes, less sweet, but more fruity and more woody.
First sip was just a few minutes after opening, and it wasn’t great - astringent, tight, and no real fruit. After 15 minutes in the large glass, it was clearly opening up, as I hoped based on the age. The wine was more berry and you could imagine how fruity it might have been in it’s youth, medium to full body, and decent acidity.
After 45 minutes, the wine showed very nicely. Give it a chance to breathe! It would probably have been able to decant for a full hour before drinking, but with kids and being end of the week, I just wanted a glass or 2 with dinner. … something about the burden of labrats and not knowing if one should decant in advance…
With the meal (hearty meatloaf with an acidic collared greens side), the wine paired quite well. The complexities continued to evolve, with more pronounced wood (not oak) and the berry flavors playing peekaboo with my palate, along with some spice. I’m not sure I would recommend to hold another 5 years. This seems to be a nice bottle-aged wine, still with structure to spare, but solidly in the transition to those tertiary wine flavors.
2014 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
Tasting Notes
Viticulture
Vinification
Specs
2017 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
Pairing
Specs
2018 Wayra Estate Malbec Valle de Uco
91 points ~ James Suckling
95 point Vintage ~ Robert Parker
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Vintage
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $465/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jun 5 - Tuesday, Jun 6
Chilean & Argentinean Mixed Reds
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2014 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
2017 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
2018 Wayra Estate Malbec
Calyptra Vivendo Assemblage 2017 Reserve
51% Cab Sauv, 35% Merlot, 13% Syrah
Origin text on bottle: D.O. Alto Cachapoal Valley, Chile (Estate Grown & Bottled)
I received this bottle with ample time to prepare, so I was able to taste both from the freshly opened bottle and after it had time to decant overnight. I only received a bottle of this one wine, and cannot comment on the other types in the case.
On first opening the it immediately shows how young it is at present. The nose shows hard-to-pin-down fruitiness and almost a crisp apple. Taking a sip, young apricot and currants are the primary flavors I pick out, with the tanins being almost unnoticeable. There’s almost a crisp refreshing quality, but by the end of the first glass the tanins are starting to make themselves known. Enjoyable, but definitely would benefit from some time to open up (or a few more years in the cellar).
On day two the wine seems substantially more mature. The tanins are starting to give it a rounder mouthfeel, and this is turning into the type of rich red I prefer. (I never would have guessed based on the taste profile yesterday; this really needed to open up!) Now the flavors are a bit more complex, with a velvetey raspberry and currant profile. The back label text mentions that it would go well with steak, and while I agree, I would also add chocolate to the list as the berry quality seem like it would be a good fit.
Once done with the bottle I looked closer at the label, and saw that this is 14.8% alcohol; this took me by surprise as the fruitiness completely hid the alcohol. I would have guessed it was a few percent lower.
All in all I enjoyed this wine. I think it could do with a few years of aging, but I don’t think this would be good to cellar for decades. Get a case and drink over the next 5 years or so.
@nklb thanks for the rattage. enjoying the lilacs in the background too.
@nklb LOVING the lilacs also! where are you located?
@fgfljsb I’m in SE Michigan, near Ann Arbor. Spring only just recently started here.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Chilean & Argentinean Mixed Reds - $45 = 27.26%
I hope we hear a report about the 2014. A great varietal mix, in my book. Syrah in the driver’s seat. To my wife and I, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are great blending grapes. I like a little bit of what they bring to the table.
From what @nklb said above, I have hopes the extra couple years on it would be beneficial.
@wardad I thought this was an impressive offering for such a newly started winery (based on the description mentioning it was ‘conceived in 2015’; I’m not sure how that jives with there being a 2014 vintage, maybe just that they came up with the name/branding in 2015 after getting their first usable crop in 2014.)
I agree it would be interesting to see what a bit of extra aging could do.
@nklb @wardad kind of confusing, but it appears that the 2018 is from Wayra, an “extension of Calyptra”, and the 2014 and 2017 are Calyptra which has a “history of more than 30 years”.
@wardad see my review below. I got distracted and didn’t post last night.
I thought I read the 2014 “should be” drank between 2018 and 2021…? I’m not an expert at all, but if the bottling occurred in 2014, the wine is 9 years old. Is it still a good buy? Thanks
@eminnick That a good question. If you find such a bottle, forgotten, in the closet, there’s a good chance the wine is on its way out. Maybe good for stew and such. You odds are like this:
45% bad
35% seen better days, but still good
20% it’s great, aging better than predicted
Here though, your odds are different. More like this, based on my (sadly extensive) history with casemates (and its predecessor):
0% bad
15% seen better days, but still good
85% it’s great, aging better than predicted
I’ve bought many wines form casemates that would seem suspiciously old if seen on a shelf; none were too old or bad. Just a couple times, the wine was still good, but not as great as a couple years earlier. Anyone else remember the Nysa Pinot Noir Vertical? Some were right in their window, incredible value. A couple were . . . kind of interesting and better drink it right now. But that was clear to the buyer, and part of the package deal.
@eminnick @wardad One more point - most mass produced commercial wine (i.e. 95% of what you find at a grocery store and 80% of what’s at BevMo and the like) is made to be drunk young. The wine that is offered here is made to a much higher standard, even the cheap fruit forward stuff. Anything (red) you get here should be fine up to at least 10 years past vintage, even if you’d prefer it younger, and even if you don’t store it properly so long as it doesn’t spend a long time in 85 degree rooms.
My experience with 10+ year old wines from WD mirrors wardad’s - no more than 10-15% were over the hill by 10 years post-vintage.
2014 Calyptra Vivendo Reserva Assemblage
Labrat checking in!
So glad to get the email and the wine with a few days to try to ensure food pairing was decent and give the bottle a fair try before the offer.
We got the 2014 Assemblage “reserve”. A bit confusing that the varietal percentages on the label were listed “backwards”, in ascending order. This is a Syrah dominant blend - 59% syrah, 30.8% Merlot, 10.2% Cab. Also correction to the info above, the alcohol on label is listed at 15.5%.
The wine itself is a nice deep color - dark garnet with no bricking.
(the photos are a bit misleading, so I’ll repeat no bricking. my lighting was horrible and these were the best of the other 10 options)
Aroma on opening was brambly, sweet, and a touch of dark berry. After 15 minutes, not much change. After 45 minutes, less sweet, but more fruity and more woody.
First sip was just a few minutes after opening, and it wasn’t great - astringent, tight, and no real fruit. After 15 minutes in the large glass, it was clearly opening up, as I hoped based on the age. The wine was more berry and you could imagine how fruity it might have been in it’s youth, medium to full body, and decent acidity.
After 45 minutes, the wine showed very nicely. Give it a chance to breathe! It would probably have been able to decant for a full hour before drinking, but with kids and being end of the week, I just wanted a glass or 2 with dinner. … something about the burden of labrats and not knowing if one should decant in advance…
With the meal (hearty meatloaf with an acidic collared greens side), the wine paired quite well. The complexities continued to evolve, with more pronounced wood (not oak) and the berry flavors playing peekaboo with my palate, along with some spice. I’m not sure I would recommend to hold another 5 years. This seems to be a nice bottle-aged wine, still with structure to spare, but solidly in the transition to those tertiary wine flavors.
Seems like a steal at $10/bottle.
@applepi this would be a good one if you are still looking for variety testing….
Thank you for looking out for me, I’ve got a bit too many in my cupboard right now so I skipped this one.
/showme test
@mediocrebot you pass, congrats.