Bodegas Caro Caro 2015 Mendoza, Argentina 75cl

Bodegas Caro is the fruit of an alliance between Domaines Barons de Rothschild, of Château Lafite, and the Catena family of Mendoza, a partnership that first took root in 1999. The name Caro fuses their two surnames, Catena and Rothschild, and the wine sets out to fuse their two traditions, French and Argentine, in a single bottle.

Caro is the flagship of the range, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. The Rothschild side brings centuries of skill with Cabernet and with the art of blending, while the Catena side brings Malbec and a deep understanding of Mendoza’s high-altitude vineyards planted at the foot of the Andes. The two grapes are grown for contrast rather than uniformity.

The wine is raised for around eighteen months in French oak, some of it from the family’s own Pauillac cooperage, and is vinified in the measured spirit of a Bordeaux cru rather than as a broad, jammy style. The 2015 is a mature vintage now, with the bottle age to have softened its youthful edges.

Expect a red built on dark cassis and plum fruit, with the cedar, graphite and spice of French oak and a firm but polished tannic frame. It is structured and savoury, a wine made for the table rather than the aperitif hour, and one that still has cellaring in hand.

If you enjoy fine Bordeaux and want to see what its grapes do at Andean altitude, Caro is a compelling bridge between the two worlds, and a natural match for roast lamb, grilled beef or a plate of mature hard cheese.