Medium gold color; pineapple, mango, peach, pear, lemon-lime, green apple, oak, caramel, butter, vanilla, nutmeg, sweet spice, minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; minimal tannins; good acidity (3.3 pH). Medium-plus body; creamy mouthfeel with tangy finish. Fermented in concrete eggs (50%) and stainless steel tanks. Partial malolactic conversion (30%) for creamy notes that avoid butter bomb and preserves tangy lemon-lime and mineral elements. Aged six months sur lie in American oak barrels, 30% new, remainder neutral oak. Partial malolactic conversion and restrained oak aging creates a crowd-pleasing balance between Old World minerality and New World fruitiness. 13.5% ABV
Finca La Mascota lies at the foothills of the Andes Mountains, about half a mile from the Mendoza River. Fresh breezes from the Andes and the river caress the vines and also cause significant diurnal shift, a key to Mascota’s reputation for outstanding wines. The vineyards cover around 250 acres. Main grape varieties include cabernet sauvignon, malbec, shiraz, and chardonnay. The oldest cab vines are more than 40 years old with malbec and chardonnay a tick younger. The average age of the vines is around 30 years, although there are some blocks much younger. Diversity contributes to the wine’s depth and complexity.
The chardonnay vines are planted at the winery’s highest altitude blocks in Gualtallary at 4,300 feet above sea level. The soil is particularly rich in calcium carbonate, which contributes significantly to the minerality and flinty elements in the wine. The vineyard height also magnifies the diurnal shift, with UV exposure during the day thickening the skins and the plunging nighttime temperatures evoking brisk acidity.
Rodolfo “Opi” Sadler is the winemaker. He notes: “As a little boy, I used to see my grandfather and father engaged in their winemaking tasks and I always wished I could one day make my own wines of which to feel proud. The wines of Mascota Vineyards are the outcome of that dream. They have my personal imprint and are a testimony of my life story.”
La Mascota Vineyards Unánime Chardonnay, Argentina 2022: Consistently a good value that blends Old and New World approaches to chardonnay. Not sharp and angular, also not a buttery fruit bomb, reasonable alcohol (13.5%). High altitude vineyard and skilled use of oak and concrete eggs in production engenders impressive depth and complexity, including a somewhat surprising, and welcomed, surge of tangy minerality on finish. $15-22
Pairing—Seafood, fish—smoked salmon, grilled sea bass and other delicate fish; lobster with butter sauce; crab and corn bisque; pan-fried scallops. Roast chicken with herbs; chicken piccata; turkey with lemon-garlic sauce; cider-braised pork. Creamy pasta dishes; mac and cheese; creamy vegetable risottos, butternut squash ravioli, potatoes au gratin, stuffed portobello mushrooms with goat cheese. Cheese—High acid goat cheese, fresh goat cheese, humboldt fog, Pennyroyal laychee; triple-crème cheese—Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam, brillat-savarin; aged semi-hard cheese—comté, gruyère, manchego; Italian aged—parmigiano-reggiano, pecorino; brie, camembert.
