This wine is perceived as bright and concentrated with vivid violet-red notes. On the nose it has typical aromas such as fresh plum, spices, and menthol. The wine fills the palate with flavor and elegance with soft tannins that accompany the long and persistent finish.
Deep red with purple hints. On the nose, this is a complex wine with diverse floral and fruit notes also a subtle touch of aniseed. The depth of the fruitiness is complemented by a licorice undertone and aromas of bitter cocoa, coffee, tobacco, and vanilla, given by the aging in French oak casks. It has a great concentration in the mouth with a long and complex finish. This wine shows the Coen’s expression of the identity found in the internationally recognized Uco Valley.
Food Pairings:
Salad, Tapas, Cheese, Meat, Pasta
Specs
Vintage: 2019
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Appellation: Uco Valley, Argentina
Alcohol: 13.9%
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2019 Coen Malbec Reserve, Uco Valley, Argentina
2x 2020 Coen Malbec Classic, Uco Valley Argentina Case:
6x 2019 Coen Malbec Reserve, Uco Valley, Argentina
Coen Estates, situated in Tupungato, Mendoza, is a hidden gem nestled 3,000 feet above sea level. This idyllic location boasts the ideal climate for grape cultivation, with cold winters and hot summers, irrigated by abundant rainfall and sourced from a 1300-feet-deep underground water reservoir originating from the majestic Andes Mountains. In this pristine environment, devoid of industrial contamination, Coen Estates thrives as the perfect haven for crafting world-class wines.
At the heart of Coen’s success are two magnificent certified organic vineyards: Finca Poloc, with over 30 years of history, and Finca la Victoria, around a decade old. Covering approximately 50 acres each, these vineyards are meticulously managed by the Vera family, seasoned vineyard owners with over 40 years of experience. With their dedication to organic farming, Coen ensures that every grape carries the pure essence of the Uco Valley terroir.
In the world of winemaking, one name stands out as a true luminary – Mr. Attilo Pagli. Hailing from Italy, he is not only the Chief Winemaker at Coen Estates but also a global force who elevated Argentinian Malbec to international acclaim. Mr. Attilo’s trajectory in the world of wine began over 30 years ago, when he graduated from the Oneological School of Siena in 1983 and then began working with iconic Tuscan winemaker, Giulio Gambelli.
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
A bottle of the 2020 Coen Malbec Classic arrived earlier this week. Thanks as always to Alice and the Casemates team for the opportunity to rat today’s Black Tie offer.
I don’t drink full body wines often, like Malbec; preferring a lighter red such as a Pinot Noir. However, I find today’s offering enticing. On the nose, I smell blueberries, blackberries, and a whiff of earthiness, or even minerality. After initial tasting, I taste blackberries with a bit of floral like violet. This is dry, with structure that will only develop further over the next couple of hours as the bottle opens. I think this is an interesting international add to any wine cellar at the listed price point.
I would pair this with a juicy rib-eye steak or weeknight burgers this summer.
A two-bottle shipper arrived earlier this week, one side was a Casemates tumbler and the other a bottle of the 2019 Reserve! Love getting a chance to rat, so thanks to the CM folks for sending it my way.
First off, the bottle is HEAVY. One of those absurdly heavy bottles that’s intended to convey “this is serious wine”. Whatever. It’s what’s in the bottle that counts, right?
On opening my first impressions were (a) this is fairly closed and (b) this is rather Bordeaux-like. The aromas were far from being a fruit bomb Argentinian Malbec and instead emphasized the herbs, mint, earth, and all that good stuff. Sure, there’s some red fruit peeking in here and there, but it’s clearly not the focus of the wine at first sniff. This impression was sustained with the first sips, too. The wine needs air but it’s also clearly not a New World insipid mess, thankfully. (Can anybody tell my assumption of what an Argentinian Malbec usually is??)
We ended up cooking instant pot lamb shanks with a fairly heavy and savoury sauce and the pairing was surprisingly good. Nice that this appears to be a food wine. As I look at the offer, the Italian background of the winemaker might have something to do with the more old world sensibilities about this wine.
Over the 2+ hours this has been open, the air has done it some good. More red fruit pokes through now and again, but this remains a primarily savoury wine - right up my alley.
My only kvetch on the wine is that the finish is a bit on the leathery and oaky side - something I associate with lower quality fruit bombs. I would expect this to largely resolve with a couple more years of bottle age, though.
If I was buying, this would be an attractive wine to have a few bottles of for whenever somebody asks to open a Malbec. I’d happily let a few of these sit around to see what happens in the next 5-8 years.
molarchae enjoyed the wine too, but isn’t being all that forthcoming with notes at the moment.
@klezman Those massive, heavy bottles have really started to annoy me as I get older. Just a waste of glass and additional overhead costs all around. Makes no sense. But to your point, it’s what’s inside that counts!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Coen Wines Mixed Agentinean Malbecs - $35 = 17.94%
Okie dokie, so it’s Friday…and with the time change and being dark, I’m still waiting on the caffeine machine to warm up…so who cares right? On to what we all care about, the thoughts of the pros. (and marketing placements maybe?)
Ok here is a few thoughts on the 2020 Classic:
Vinous:
“The 2020 Malbec Classic is made with grapes from Tupungato, Uco Valley by the oenologist Atilio Pagli. The region’s altitude shielded the vineyard from the worst of the warm weather resulting in a nose of fresh sweet and sour cherry with hints of herbs along with a gentle, juicy and balanced palate. A simple, fruity wine, the finish leaves some of that fruit lingering on the tongue”. Joaquín Hidalgo
Andrew Chalk from The Chalk Report (?) :
We were really impressed with the 2019 Reserva a few months ago. This is the regular bottling (labelled ‘classic’) and sells for just over half the price. One’s first impression, having tasted the reserva is that the classic is more fruit-driven. Raspberries and blackberries share joint billing on the nose with a layer of earthy forest floor providing a backing track. The palate is the strongest facet to my mind, offering the aforementioned fruits, mint, a furnace of forest floor flavors that can be mused upon for minutes. Finally, medium-plus acid provides the liveliness and velvet tannins the plush frame for a well-rounded wine. August '21
tastings.com:
86 points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. Fruity, oaky & rich & full. Black garnet color. Aromas and flavors of grilled baguette, ripe plums, and hibiscus with a round, crisp, dry medium body and a tingling, medium-length finish conveying accents of graphite and roasted nuts with moderate oak flavor. A chewy Malbec with a dry and serious personality.
Here’s a familiar name, Loren Sonkin, IntoWine, had this to say:
This is a very nice entry level (maybe a step up) Malbec from Argentina. Purple with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, plums, char and baking spices. Medium bodied. On the palate, black cherries and plum with underlying char. Medium tannins. Good acidity. Nice concentration and some complexity. This should improve a bit with a year or two of cellaring, but it is drinking well now. Drink over the next three to five years. A nice wine with a burger off the grill or maybe ribs. Grade: A- Score 91 December '21
USA Wine Ratings, 2021 (?) Silver Medal. 87 points. Aromas of primary blue fruit, fresh floral herbs too. The wine is bright and racy on the palate with hints of ripe cherry, raspberry jam and cinnamon spices.
And here comes James Campanini, thewinenovice.com (?)
Malbec Classic is the winery’s No. 2 wine but should not to be tagged “entry level”. In my view, it’s several notches in quality above a starter wine and is well worth the above-average price point. Grapes are selected from two primary vineyards – Finca Poloc and Finca la Vittoria – and hand-picked by Vera and his team. Stainless steel fermentation is followed by 250 days of aging in cement tanks. The wine sees no oak.Malbec Classic features an enticing color in the glass – ruby red with violet accents – and pleasant aromas of plum, cherry and sweet spices. My key impression? It’s medium-bodied, soft on the palate and rich in red and black berry flavors that endure through a long, dry finish. I paired Coen Malbec Classic (5,000 cases produced) with Mexican beef and chicken fajitas and was ecstatic with the result. March '22
New York International Wine Competition, 86 points.
On to the 2019 Reserve:
Chalk not quite so wordy this time:
Appearance: Opaque ruby core.
Nose: Blueberries, pencil lead.
Palate: Blueberry and black cherry fruit balanced with bright acid. Chewy tannins. Ready to drink now. May '21
thewinenovice.com:
No doubt this is a No. 1 Malbec in every way. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, it is aged in French oak barrels for 400 days which delivers a plush mouthfeel indicative of a Cahors Malbec. Yet, it’s ideally Tupungato – clean, bright, intense and delicious. While Malbec Classic is good, Malbec Reserve is simply marvelous. The balance is spot on and the tannins superbly refined. Pour it into a glass and this purple-colored wine disperses deep scents of cinnamon spice, licorice, chocolate and sweet tobacco. Once in the mouth, intense flavors of blackberry and black cherry soar and stimulate secondary notes of coffee, mocha and sweet spices. Complexity reigns. The texture is luxurious. The finish is dry, uplifting and persistently long. You don’t want the Malbec experience to end. Coen Estates produced 2,000 cases – 24,000 bottles – of the 2019 vintage, which Pagli says can age gracefully for up to 10 years.
usawineratings:
Silver Medal. 88 points. Nose of bright and gorgeous berry fruit. Palate is wide, generous, and bright with flavors of blueberry, creme de cassis, blackberry liquor and fresh spices. The wine is silky and elegant.
Wine Enthusiast:
87 points. The aromas offer notes of ripe berries and toasted oak. Fruit flavors are mild alongside light acidity and soft tannins. Hints of oak lead to a medium finish. — Jesica Vargas 12/1/22
Parklander Magazine (?) :
Critically selected grapes in the hands of a dedicated winemaker usually lead to a higher selling price. The question now: Is it all worth it? In the case with this wine — yes, yes, and yes. There is a smoothness about this wine that rivals the best of the best from anywhere in the world. Had I not read the label, I might have believed this wine had received many years of extra aging. The finish of this wine, too, is something special, as it is very long and a revolving display of all the flavors that a great Malbec is famous for cherries and summer berries along with a host of fruit under-flavors. These under-flavors are subtle and constantly intermingling with each other. I will add that I believe that this wine is probably one of the finest Malbecs that I have sampled in a long time.
Wine Along The 101:
…is a shy bloomer, that slowly unfurls its charms with time. As such, it’s best to open the bottle 2-3 hours before drinking, or maybe decanting an hour before. The time and effort involved will be rewarded, because this wine evolves in the glass. You might say all wines do, but this Malbec is even more so, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the tannins. Initially it seems to be a lighter-bodied wine, with an intense palate, but as it aerates, a richer yet more delicate balance occurs, with the red and blue fruit, sweet spice notes of cinnamon, cocoa, and coffee, and hints of graphite becoming one. A silky mouthfeel and long, persistent finish defines this Malbec, tasting more like a European wine than traditional Argentinean Malbec.
tastings.com:
88 points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. Ruby black color. Aromas of ripe plum, blackberry preserves, hints of tobacco, and caramel with a slightly chewy, crisp, dryish medium body and a tingling, captivating, medium-long chocolate-covered berries and toasted almonds finish with moderate oak flavor. A dry-yet-juicy Malbec with great balance and food-affinity. 7/13/21
92 points Wine & Spirits:
…this fruit ripened to huckleberry flavors in 2019. The fruit sits atop the oaky richness. There’s an intriguing baking-spice note that offers something to come back to, even for those who prefer lighter, fresher styles of Malbec. It’s a bottle they might be happy to drink with those who like the oomph. Corey Warren
92 points Vinous:
…presents a nose of nutmeg, cigar box and hints of oak over diaphanous fruit flavors such as plum. On the palate the tannins are gentle with a voluminous, juicy flow before the bold finish in which the fruit and oak combine. A subtle, nuanced wine.
Whew, so many sample bottles I’m surprised anything left for retail. Well at least I got a couple of doppios in…one more?
2020 Coen Malbec Classic, Uco Valley Argentina
90 Points - Vinous
Tasting Notes
Specs
2019 Coen Malbec Reserve, Uco Valley, Argentina
92 Points - Vinous
92 Points - Wine & Spirits Magazine
Tasting Notes
Food Pairings:
Salad, Tapas, Cheese, Meat, Pasta
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $420/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, Apr 8 - Tuesday, Apr 9
Coen Wines Mixed Agentinean Malbecs
4 bottles for $64.99 $16.25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $159.99 $13.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Coen Malbec Classic
2019 Coen Malbec Reserve
2020 Coen Malbec Classic
A bottle of the 2020 Coen Malbec Classic arrived earlier this week. Thanks as always to Alice and the Casemates team for the opportunity to rat today’s Black Tie offer.
I don’t drink full body wines often, like Malbec; preferring a lighter red such as a Pinot Noir. However, I find today’s offering enticing. On the nose, I smell blueberries, blackberries, and a whiff of earthiness, or even minerality. After initial tasting, I taste blackberries with a bit of floral like violet. This is dry, with structure that will only develop further over the next couple of hours as the bottle opens. I think this is an interesting international add to any wine cellar at the listed price point.
I would pair this with a juicy rib-eye steak or weeknight burgers this summer.
2019 Coen Malbec Reserve
A two-bottle shipper arrived earlier this week, one side was a Casemates tumbler and the other a bottle of the 2019 Reserve! Love getting a chance to rat, so thanks to the CM folks for sending it my way.
First off, the bottle is HEAVY. One of those absurdly heavy bottles that’s intended to convey “this is serious wine”. Whatever. It’s what’s in the bottle that counts, right?
On opening my first impressions were (a) this is fairly closed and (b) this is rather Bordeaux-like. The aromas were far from being a fruit bomb Argentinian Malbec and instead emphasized the herbs, mint, earth, and all that good stuff. Sure, there’s some red fruit peeking in here and there, but it’s clearly not the focus of the wine at first sniff. This impression was sustained with the first sips, too. The wine needs air but it’s also clearly not a New World insipid mess, thankfully. (Can anybody tell my assumption of what an Argentinian Malbec usually is??)
We ended up cooking instant pot lamb shanks with a fairly heavy and savoury sauce and the pairing was surprisingly good. Nice that this appears to be a food wine. As I look at the offer, the Italian background of the winemaker might have something to do with the more old world sensibilities about this wine.
Over the 2+ hours this has been open, the air has done it some good. More red fruit pokes through now and again, but this remains a primarily savoury wine - right up my alley.
My only kvetch on the wine is that the finish is a bit on the leathery and oaky side - something I associate with lower quality fruit bombs. I would expect this to largely resolve with a couple more years of bottle age, though.
If I was buying, this would be an attractive wine to have a few bottles of for whenever somebody asks to open a Malbec. I’d happily let a few of these sit around to see what happens in the next 5-8 years.
molarchae enjoyed the wine too, but isn’t being all that forthcoming with notes at the moment.
@klezman Those massive, heavy bottles have really started to annoy me as I get older. Just a waste of glass and additional overhead costs all around. Makes no sense. But to your point, it’s what’s inside that counts!
@jhkey @klezman
And they’re dammed heavy when humping a case to an upper shelf as well; but that’s the bottle I want in a street scrum.
@jhkey @klezman @rjquillin Street scrum much?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Coen Wines Mixed Agentinean Malbecs - $35 = 17.94%
Okie dokie, so it’s Friday…and with the time change and being dark, I’m still waiting on the caffeine machine to warm up…so who cares right? On to what we all care about, the thoughts of the pros. (and marketing placements maybe?)
Ok here is a few thoughts on the 2020 Classic:
Vinous:
“The 2020 Malbec Classic is made with grapes from Tupungato, Uco Valley by the oenologist Atilio Pagli. The region’s altitude shielded the vineyard from the worst of the warm weather resulting in a nose of fresh sweet and sour cherry with hints of herbs along with a gentle, juicy and balanced palate. A simple, fruity wine, the finish leaves some of that fruit lingering on the tongue”. Joaquín Hidalgo
Andrew Chalk from The Chalk Report (?) :
We were really impressed with the 2019 Reserva a few months ago. This is the regular bottling (labelled ‘classic’) and sells for just over half the price. One’s first impression, having tasted the reserva is that the classic is more fruit-driven. Raspberries and blackberries share joint billing on the nose with a layer of earthy forest floor providing a backing track. The palate is the strongest facet to my mind, offering the aforementioned fruits, mint, a furnace of forest floor flavors that can be mused upon for minutes. Finally, medium-plus acid provides the liveliness and velvet tannins the plush frame for a well-rounded wine. August '21
tastings.com:
86 points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. Fruity, oaky & rich & full. Black garnet color. Aromas and flavors of grilled baguette, ripe plums, and hibiscus with a round, crisp, dry medium body and a tingling, medium-length finish conveying accents of graphite and roasted nuts with moderate oak flavor. A chewy Malbec with a dry and serious personality.
Here’s a familiar name, Loren Sonkin, IntoWine, had this to say:
This is a very nice entry level (maybe a step up) Malbec from Argentina. Purple with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, plums, char and baking spices. Medium bodied. On the palate, black cherries and plum with underlying char. Medium tannins. Good acidity. Nice concentration and some complexity. This should improve a bit with a year or two of cellaring, but it is drinking well now. Drink over the next three to five years. A nice wine with a burger off the grill or maybe ribs. Grade: A- Score 91 December '21
USA Wine Ratings, 2021 (?) Silver Medal. 87 points. Aromas of primary blue fruit, fresh floral herbs too. The wine is bright and racy on the palate with hints of ripe cherry, raspberry jam and cinnamon spices.
And here comes James Campanini, thewinenovice.com (?)
Malbec Classic is the winery’s No. 2 wine but should not to be tagged “entry level”. In my view, it’s several notches in quality above a starter wine and is well worth the above-average price point. Grapes are selected from two primary vineyards – Finca Poloc and Finca la Vittoria – and hand-picked by Vera and his team. Stainless steel fermentation is followed by 250 days of aging in cement tanks. The wine sees no oak.Malbec Classic features an enticing color in the glass – ruby red with violet accents – and pleasant aromas of plum, cherry and sweet spices. My key impression? It’s medium-bodied, soft on the palate and rich in red and black berry flavors that endure through a long, dry finish. I paired Coen Malbec Classic (5,000 cases produced) with Mexican beef and chicken fajitas and was ecstatic with the result. March '22
New York International Wine Competition, 86 points.
On to the 2019 Reserve:
Chalk not quite so wordy this time:
Appearance: Opaque ruby core.
Nose: Blueberries, pencil lead.
Palate: Blueberry and black cherry fruit balanced with bright acid. Chewy tannins. Ready to drink now. May '21
thewinenovice.com:
No doubt this is a No. 1 Malbec in every way. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, it is aged in French oak barrels for 400 days which delivers a plush mouthfeel indicative of a Cahors Malbec. Yet, it’s ideally Tupungato – clean, bright, intense and delicious. While Malbec Classic is good, Malbec Reserve is simply marvelous. The balance is spot on and the tannins superbly refined. Pour it into a glass and this purple-colored wine disperses deep scents of cinnamon spice, licorice, chocolate and sweet tobacco. Once in the mouth, intense flavors of blackberry and black cherry soar and stimulate secondary notes of coffee, mocha and sweet spices. Complexity reigns. The texture is luxurious. The finish is dry, uplifting and persistently long. You don’t want the Malbec experience to end. Coen Estates produced 2,000 cases – 24,000 bottles – of the 2019 vintage, which Pagli says can age gracefully for up to 10 years.
usawineratings:
Silver Medal. 88 points. Nose of bright and gorgeous berry fruit. Palate is wide, generous, and bright with flavors of blueberry, creme de cassis, blackberry liquor and fresh spices. The wine is silky and elegant.
Wine Enthusiast:
87 points. The aromas offer notes of ripe berries and toasted oak. Fruit flavors are mild alongside light acidity and soft tannins. Hints of oak lead to a medium finish. — Jesica Vargas 12/1/22
Parklander Magazine (?) :
Critically selected grapes in the hands of a dedicated winemaker usually lead to a higher selling price. The question now: Is it all worth it? In the case with this wine — yes, yes, and yes. There is a smoothness about this wine that rivals the best of the best from anywhere in the world. Had I not read the label, I might have believed this wine had received many years of extra aging. The finish of this wine, too, is something special, as it is very long and a revolving display of all the flavors that a great Malbec is famous for cherries and summer berries along with a host of fruit under-flavors. These under-flavors are subtle and constantly intermingling with each other. I will add that I believe that this wine is probably one of the finest Malbecs that I have sampled in a long time.
Wine Along The 101:
…is a shy bloomer, that slowly unfurls its charms with time. As such, it’s best to open the bottle 2-3 hours before drinking, or maybe decanting an hour before. The time and effort involved will be rewarded, because this wine evolves in the glass. You might say all wines do, but this Malbec is even more so, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the tannins. Initially it seems to be a lighter-bodied wine, with an intense palate, but as it aerates, a richer yet more delicate balance occurs, with the red and blue fruit, sweet spice notes of cinnamon, cocoa, and coffee, and hints of graphite becoming one. A silky mouthfeel and long, persistent finish defines this Malbec, tasting more like a European wine than traditional Argentinean Malbec.
tastings.com:
88 points. Silver Medal. Highly Recommended. Ruby black color. Aromas of ripe plum, blackberry preserves, hints of tobacco, and caramel with a slightly chewy, crisp, dryish medium body and a tingling, captivating, medium-long chocolate-covered berries and toasted almonds finish with moderate oak flavor. A dry-yet-juicy Malbec with great balance and food-affinity. 7/13/21
92 points Wine & Spirits:
…this fruit ripened to huckleberry flavors in 2019. The fruit sits atop the oaky richness. There’s an intriguing baking-spice note that offers something to come back to, even for those who prefer lighter, fresher styles of Malbec. It’s a bottle they might be happy to drink with those who like the oomph. Corey Warren
92 points Vinous:
…presents a nose of nutmeg, cigar box and hints of oak over diaphanous fruit flavors such as plum. On the palate the tannins are gentle with a voluminous, juicy flow before the bold finish in which the fruit and oak combine. A subtle, nuanced wine.
Whew, so many sample bottles I’m surprised anything left for retail. Well at least I got a couple of doppios in…one more?
fwiw
@kaolis WOW Lots to report!
*Argentinean
Do you think this order will ship this month or is it still in South America?