2021 Luca Syrah Laborde Double Select

Luca is Laura Catena's private project. Laura has made her mark on the wine world and is often called "the face of Argentine wine" because of her significant contributions to the country. She recently presented her 100-year plan: "I want every collector in the world to have Nicolás Catena Zapata in their cellar—that's my dream."

Another dream of Laura Catena was the founding of Luca, named after her eldest son. With Luca, she aims to produce quality wines, where perfect terroir, low yields per hectare, and state-of-the-art winemaking are key. Luca's vineyards are located at altitudes between 900 and 1500 meters and are among the highest in Mendoza. Here, you'll find old vines that, while no longer producing much, maintain the vineyard's high quality (and therefore the wines). She aims to showcase the best expression of each grape variety. Luca has planted six grape varieties in total: Chardonnay, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.

The grapes come from the "Laborde" vineyard in La Consulta, Uco Valley. Double Select refers to the process used by Louis Labardo. Luis Labardo was a renowned French winemaker from the Rhône. He selected the best Syrah vines (not clones) he could find in the Rhône Valley and planted them fifty years ago in a research vineyard in Mendoza. He monitored their quality and picked only the vines that produced the best fruit. There was therefore a subtle variation between the vines, but he believed (and many others agree) that it was better than choosing a single clone. Whether this is true is still a matter of debate among oenologists and winemakers. The vines are now 53 years old. The Laborde vineyard is located at 900 meters above sea level in the Uco Valley. Traditional vinification takes place there, followed by twelve months of aging in oak barrels, 35% of which are new and the rest second-year. The Syrah 'Laborde Double Select' has the characteristic purple Syrah/Shiraz color in the glass. On the nose, this is a powerful Syrah with aromas of leather, cigar, sweet spices, forest floor, blackberry jam, and black cherries. On the palate, it's a full-bodied, rich wine with typical Syrah notes of leather and blackberry. The velvety tannins blend beautifully with the dark fruit. Delicious with grilled or roasted meats, such as BBQ rib-eye. Also delicious with cheese-stuffed portobello mushrooms.