2007 Poesia

The 2007 Poesia has a more pastille-like bouquet with vivacious small dark cherries, blueberry and a touch of boysenberry that exudes more minerality than previous vintages. The palate is medium-bodied and very elegant, underpinned by fine, slightly chalky tannins and a keen thread of acidity on the finish that is very natural and refined. There are hints of dark cherry, black tea and sea salt lingering on the aftertaste. This is drinking beautifully now. Drink now-2019+. Bodega Poesia was founded in 2000, when Helene Garcin-Leveque was seeking a property of her own (her family is the proprietor of Clos l’Eglise in Pomerol among others.) She discovered a small vineyard located between Mendel and Cheval des Andes: 13-hectares of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter planted on its own rootstock in 1935. The vineyard is comprised of four rows of vines interpolated by a row of olive trees that Helene thought looked like a Garden of Eden and so she christened it “Poesia,” “poetry” in Spanish. Since the inaugural 2001, the wine has been made in a rented winery; however, they use their own vats and barrels during vinification. Helene’s husband, Patrice, flies down regularly to oversee the vineyard and vinify the wines, and for the last two years he has enlisted the consultancy of the father of Santiago Mayorga (winemaker at Mendel). The goal is to make a high end wine and to make “the terroir speak.” The vines are cultivated organically, although they are not seeking certification, and they harvest early but ripe in order to capture the acidity, which hovers around a pH of 3.75. The “Clos des Andes” is designed to show the best Malbec on their property, where they feel that the fruit is “less heavy.” It is hand-harvested and fermented in wooden, stainless steel and concrete tanks (50-80 hectoliters in size). After a long cuvaison, the wine undergoes partial malolactic in barrel and then sees 40% to 60% new oak in 300-liter barrels rather than 225 liters. Various importers.

The purple-colored 2007 Poesia, sourced from an 80-year-old vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo, was barrel fermented and aged sur lies for 21 months in new French oak. It is a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It displays a brooding nose of smoky new oak, mineral, damp earth, black currant, black cherry, and plum. This leads to a plush, opulent wine with succulent flavors and a firm underlying structure. Notes of espresso and chocolate emerge on the palate to complement the wine’s superb grip, focus, and 60-second finish. Drink this superb effort from 2013 to 2022. Importer: Bob Bofman Selections, Austin, TX; tel. (512) 919-9463