Pascual Toso Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

The cool thing about Argentina and Chile is that they are not locked into one type of aging. Whites are fermented in stainless steel and aged in used oak. Yum. We tasted wine that had an obvious oak influence with smoke and toast. We tried the next wine and it is reminiscent of a Piemonte blend aged in Slovenian oak. It’s just a fun region to explore. I had tasting notes on some 23 wines, which ones I liked, which ones I didn’t, which were balanced, and which were oaky-smokey. As Taster B pointed out, I left the notes on the counter. My atonement is to open one of the bottles I was “saving for later” and get some tasting notes going.

Pasucal Toso Cabernet Sauvignon is produced on the Las Barrancas Estate in the Mendoza region of Argentina. This a an exciting wine to try because 2006 is an excellent year for Argentina. As Taster B reported, we tasted this wine at The Vineyard in N. Andover. Both Taster B and I enjoyed this at first sip. The color is rich, dark ruby red. This wine was a little tight, but after breathing for a while, it opened up. It was certain that we were not leaving until we secured this wine.

The South American wines are a blend of the New World and Old World. The immigrants are French, Italian and German. They bring with them the old world techniques. I’m really excited to have this wine, it is a good bridge between both worlds. It is suggested to drink this throughout 2008, but I think it can go another year.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Pascual Toso
Maipu Vineyards, Mendoza, Argentina
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 14.0
Price: $12.99

Color: Ruby Red
Intensity: Medium
Aromas: Strawberry, cherry, raisin, struck flint, smoked meat
Flavors: Strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, cherry, earth, vanilla, coffee, allspice and cedar.
Body: Full
Sweetness: Moderately dry
Tannins: Silky
Finish: Long

Summary: This New World wine is fruit forward with a a perfection of oak-vanilla notes and berry flavors. There are nice cedar tastes and allspice in the long finish. This is an excellent wine for its price. It may not be the biggest or the most extracted but that is the charm of this wine. This is the Old World influence at work. It goes well with food without dominating it.


Tonight, we are having a pot roast that Taster B put into a crock pot earlier. This is an ideal pairing with this wine. This would go great with fajitas, burritos, beans and rice, Cajun, and lamb. A little dark chocolate after dinner makes a nice ending to the day.