BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon

Los Árboles, Uco Valley, Mendoza

Tasting Notes

Los Arboles is characterized by its stony soil that allows the plant to ripen early. BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon is an outstanding wine with lingering flavors of currant, cassis and plum combined with a hint of spice and juicy acidity. Good structure, firm tannins and a persistent finish.

Red meat, pasta with Bolognese or mushroom-based sauce.

Hand-selected bunches. Destemming and soft crushing. Pump-overs and delestage three times a day. Maceration extended to 25 days. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks at no more than 28°C (82°F). Aged in second-use French oak barrels for 11 months.

BenMarco Cabernet comes entirely from alluvial soils in Los Árboles, Uco Valley at an average 1,150 meters (3,770 ft.)

Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.5%
Acidity: 5.4 g/l

Tasting Notes

Los Arboles is characterized by its stony soil that allows the plant to ripen early. BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon is an outstanding wine with lingering flavors of currant, cassis and plum combined with a hint of spice and juicy acidity. Good structure, firm tannins and a persistent finish.

Red meat, pasta with Bolognese or mushroom-based sauce.

Hand-selected bunches. Destemming and soft crushing. Pump-overs and delestage three times a day. Maceration extended to 25 days. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts at no more than 28°C (82°F). Aged in second-use French oak barrels for 11 months.

BenMarco Cabernet comes entirely from alluvial soils in Los Árboles, Uco Valley at an average 1,150 meters (3,770 ft.)

Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.5%
Acidity: 5.4 g/l

BenMarco Cabernet comes entirely from alluvial soils in Los Árboles, Uco Valley. It is a floral, rich and concentrated wine. On the palate, notes of black fruits, black pepper and cassis are perfectly well balanced with fine grained tannins that give a nice tension to the wine

Tasting Notes

BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon is a floral, rich and concentrated wine. On the palate, notes of black fruits, black pepper and cassis are perfectly well balanced with fine grained tannins that give a nice tension to the wine.

Beef, sausages, spiced or grilled pork, medium-strong cheeses, and meat-based pasta sauces.  

Max. Temp. 28° C. 25 days of contact with the skins. Pumpovers and delastage 3x daily. Complete malolactic fermentation. Aged for 11 months in 100% second use French oak barrels

BenMarco Cabernet comes entirely from alluvial soils in Los Árboles, Uco Valley at 1,167 meters (average). Hand-harvested

Blend is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Alcohol 14.3%; acidity 5.4 g/l

BenMarco Cabernet comes entirely from alluvial soils in Los Árboles, Uco Valley. It is a floral, rich and concentrated wine. On the palate, notes of black fruits, black pepper and cassis are perfectly well balanced with fine grained tannins that give a nice tension to the wine

Tasting Notes

BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon is a floral, rich and concentrated wine. On the palate, notes of black fruits, black pepper and cassis are perfectly well balanced with fine grained tannins that give a nice tension to the wine.

Beef, sausages, spiced or grilled pork, medium-strong cheeses, and meat-based pasta sauces.  

Max. Temp. 28° C. 25 days of contact with the skins. Pumpovers and delastage 3x daily. Complete malolactic fermentation. Aged for 11 months in 100% second use French oak barrels

BenMarco Cabernet comes entirely from alluvial soils in Los Árboles, Uco Valley at 1,167 meters (average). Hand-harvested

Blend is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Alcohol 14%; acidity 5.2 g/l

Tasting Notes

BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon is a bright wine with persistent flavors of currant, cassis, and plum, plus a hint of herbs and juicy acidity, finishing with firm tannins and very good grip.

Beef, sausages, spiced or grilled pork, medium-strong cheeses, and meat-based pasta sauces.  

Max. Temp. 28° C. 26 days of contact with the skins. Sur lees conservation with batonage. Complete malolactic fermentation. Aged for 13 months in 30% new French oak barrels & 70% second use French oak barrels.

Grapes are grown at an elevation of 1,167 m. Los Árboles in the Uco Valley is known for its stony soil that allows for early ripening.

Blend is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Alcohol 13.8%; acidity 5.6 g/l

  • 2022-06-09

    93

    points

    Tim Atkin, June 2022

    "Edy Del Popolo makes this delightful, well-priced Cabernet Sauvignon with purchased grapes from the Los Árboles sub-region of the Uco Valley. Taut, tangy and focused, with engaging fresh mint and black cherry fruit, fine tannins and oak integration and impressive structure. 2023-30"

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  • 2022-03-31

    93

    points

    James Suckling, March 2022

    "Really focused and bright on the nose with sweet currants, tobacco and cocoa powder. Medium-to full-bodied palate, loaded with a mouthful of seamless tannins. Powerful and dusty, but still quite elegant. Better from 2024."

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  • 2021-04-08

    91

    points

    James Suckling, April 2021

    "Blackcurrant, blackberry, bark and iodine on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Juicy and creamy. Drink now."

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  • 2021-04-01

    93

    points

    Tim Atkin, April 2021

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  • 2021-03-31

    92

    points

    Wine Advocate, March 2021

    "The BenMarco range offers very good quality for the price, and the 2019 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon, produced with grapes from Los Árboles in Tunuyán, is a textbook varietal example with balsamic and herbal notes, great definition and balance, ripeness and finesse. It matured in second use French barriques for 11 months. 48,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2020."

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  • 2023-07-04

    91

    points

    Ken's Wine Guide, July 2023

    "This midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Susana Balbo opens with a blackberry and black cherry bouquet with hints of dark chocolate and black currant. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round, fresh and savory. The flavor profile is a black cherry and black currant blend with notes of oak, black tea and loam. I also detected hints of clove, cinnamon, and black pepper. The finish is dry and its moderate dusty tannins drift away nicely. This Cab would pair well with your favorite steak and black bean burrito recipe. Enjoy."

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  • 2020-04-02

    92

    Points

    James Suckling, April 2020

    "A juicy, fruity cabernet sauvignon with currant and floral aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, firm and fruity. Balanced and refined. Drink now."

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  • 2019-09-05

    91

    Points

    Vinous, September 2019

    "Bright ruby-red. Pure, high-pitched aromas of dark berries, black cherry, licorice, herbs and violet, plus a suggestion of white tobacco. A wonderfully elegant, mineral-tinged Cabernet midweight with subtle sweetness to its pristine dark fruit and tobacco flavors. Finishes with lush, smooth tannins, lovely length and a light touch. Susana Balbo told me that she looks more for polysaccharides than for coffee and chocolate torrefaction from her use of oak, toasting her barrels more slowly and at lower temperature. And she also makes her wine "relatively approachable" early but capable of aging, "by ripening the tannins on the vines." Incidentally, from 1999 through 2016 the Cabernet that Balbo bottled under her eponymous label came from this vineyard but when she began making the Susana Balbo Cabernet from vines in Gualtallary, this fruit was earmarked for the BenMarco bottling. (13.9% alcohol; from very stony soil; aged in second- and third-use oak)"

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  • 2019-03-27

    92

    Points

    James Suckling, March 2019

    "Linear and very tight with blueberries, walnuts and hints of hazelnuts. Medium body, polished tannins and a compact and very finely structured tannin texture. Drink or hold."

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  • 2018-10-01

    93

    Points

    Descorchados, October 2018

    ""

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  • 2018-08-06

    89

    Points

    Vinous, August 2018

    "Bright, saturated ruby-red. Rather brooding, slightly inky aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, licorice and spices, plus a hint of bitter chocolate. At once fine-grained and vibrant, conveying the energy of this cool year without any overwhelming greenness. Distinctly blacker in its fruit character than the 2015 version, and more bound-up at the same stage, but this fine-grained Cabernet Sauvignon finishes with smooth tannins and good rising length. Not the last word in complexity, and certainly carrying an herbal aspect, but this mineral-tinged wine may yet gain with another year or two of bottle aging."

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  • 2018-07-01

    91

    Points

    Wine Advocate, July 2018

    "As I see in many other wines, the 2016 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon is clearly subtler than the 2015, with more freshness. It is focused and has contained ripeness but is not lacking power. The vintage is very marked in the two BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignons I tasted together, this 2016 and the 2015. 42,000 bottles produced."

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TRADE & MEDIA ASSETS /////////////////

2019 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 91 points, James Suckling – Sell Sheet

2019 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 91 points, James Suckling – Shelftalker

2019 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 points, Tim Atkin – Sell Sheet

2019 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 points, Tim Atkin – Shelftalker

2019 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 points, Wine Advocate – Sell Sheet

2019 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 points, Wine Advocate – Shelftalker

2018 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 Points, James Suckling – Shelftalker

2018 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 92 Points, James Suckling – Sell Sheet

2020 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 points, Tim Atkin – Sell Sheet

2020 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 points, Tim Atkin – Shelftalker

2020 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 points, James Suckling – Sell Sheet

2020 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – 93 points, James Suckling – Shelftalker

2020 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – Tasting Notes

2019 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – Tasting Notes

BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – Non-Vintage – Bottle – New Label

2018 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – Label

2017 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – Label

2018 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting Note

2017 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting Note

2016 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – Label

BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon – Bottle – Old Label

2016 BenMarco Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting Note

2018 BenMarco Wine Advocate reviews 7-18 Sales Sheet