MI TERRUNO BLOG
WINE TASTING several of the Mi Terruno products on October 30th in Little Italy. On September 27th, I picked up Gabriel Baigorria to show him around to my B2G clients. First stop was Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame to see the lake and the landmarks because it was his first time to Ohio and he hadn’t seen it yet.
Gabriel Balgorria at Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame
We then jumped around all day from Mentor to Little Italy where I learned quite a bit about Mi Terruño wines and the family business. Mi Terruño, meaning “my terroir”, is managed by the brother-sister duo of commercial director, Gabriel Baigorria, and winemaker, Maria Eugenia Baigorria. Gabriel started out working for Concha y Toro, which most people recognize, to learn the wine business, and his sister went to Italy to learn wine making. The family cultivated a vineyard planted 140 years prior and nurtures aged vines ranging from 60 year to 140 years old for their best wines. For years they sold their grape production until the duo was able to be ready to sell on their own. They are now in over 30 Countries, so they definitely learned well!
I really liked their wise presentation of HIGH RATINGS printed right on the bottle edges, as in this photo below, on nearly all bottles. Ratings of 92-94 points is helpful in the USA marketplace.
The wines are all you expect from Mendoza, Argentina. They are brightly aciditic with balanced jammy fruit. Here’s the lineup of their product categories, with increasing complexity and age:
- Uvas – screw cap, unoaked, fresh fruity lower priced options, retail 9.99-12.99. We carry Uvas Torrontes and Malbec.
- Expressions – 50% of the wine is aged in used/neutral French oak for 3 to 5 months. The essence of the wine remains fresh with oak complexity added, therefore the name expression. Great values at $14.99 retail. We carry the Malbec and the Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon!
- Reserva- spends 8 months to 1 year in 2nd-use French Oak Barrels. Price point wonderful for an aged Reserva at $20-22.00. We carry the Malbec.
- Mayacaba – which means “treasure container“, their best wine. New French Oak Barrels (and for those that know me, that’s my favorite!) for TWO YEARS and then rest in the bottle another year. Wonderful wine under $50 at $44.98-$47.
Uvas — Torrantes was the best of this grape version I’ve ever tasted. One retailer agreed and stocked a full case for the shelves! Lovely flowers aromas. Acidity is tart and fresh like a Sauvignon Blanc but has a light lingering soft finish. Very floral with lovely melon flavors and ripe sweet-tart Granny Smith with lemon curd.
Expressions Sauvignon Blanc , 90 points. Interesting minerality, very citrusy and bright. Citrusy with a wonderful refreshing stone fruit and fresh, tropical fruit flavors.
Expressions Cabernet Sauvignon. 91pts, expression. Bright acidity. 50% of the wine was in oak for 5 months achieves a depth of complexity while maintaining acidity and fruit brightness. Savory flavors of ripe fruit and plum.
Expressions Malbec, 93 pts. Inky black color, rounder tannin, 30-50% of the wine neutral French and American oak for 4-5 months, and this version leaned toward American oak for the earthier flavors. Bright acidity and dark plum and cherry flavors. The oak influence is light and brings out the richness of the dark fruit not usually found in a $15 price point.
Mi Terruño Reserva, 92 points. The grapes grow on 60-year-old mature vines producing intense flavors. Spends 8 months in second-use French oak, adding even more complexity than the Expressions, including creamy smoothness of silky medium tannins and flavor hints of chocolate and vanilla. Ripe rich fruit with plum, violets and roasted coffee. The oak medium toasting is clear, pleasantly adding notes of earthy woods. It requires no decanting or airing as it readily drinks upon opening, making it a great dinner/restaurant wine. Amazing value for a $20 bottle. Bought a couple for everyday dinner consumption.
Mayacaba, 94 points and created from 140-year-old vines. Mayacaba means a “ Treasure container” so it’s their best wine. This reserva is aged for 2 years in new-use French oak with medium toasting (my favorite). This wine just screams out for food. Like the Reserva, it didn’t need to decant as it tasted great at opening. I rarely says this now after years of tasting good wines but I immediately said “Wow, Wow”..… REALLY liked this and added a few to my personal cellar.
Mi Terruno Mayacaba offers everything you’d expect from a wonderfully crafted Argentina Malbec. Mayacaba deserves more than 94 points in my opinion. Very black and inky colors. Aromas of dark berries and purple flowers waft out of the glass. Silky and somewhat drying intense tannin mix with balanced acidity. Flavors are intense jammy-dark berries of cherry and blackberry, with all the influences of the oak – coffee, chocolate and some appealing licorice notes. Really liked this wine, and bought a couple of these too for nice occasions.
TASTE 5 Mi Terruño wines (Photo below) on Saturday at Little Italy Wines from 2:30-7:30 (requires reservation) or get them at many retailers. Just write me to learn where, MBrady@BottleToGlass.com. In Argentina, ‘Salud!’ or ‘Cheers!’
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