The Bramare series is sourced from Lujan de Cuyo, a prime zone
in Mendoza. Some of the fruit is from Cobos’s estate
vineyard, the balance from contracted fruit. The wines at this
level receive more oak, longer macerations, and wild
fermentations.
Vina Cobos is the Argentina winery of the renowned Paul Hobbs, best
known for his namesake wines from California’s North Coast.
Hobbs began consulting in South America in 1988 and, early on,
became involved with Nicholas Catena in the startup of that
winery’s Chardonnay program. In 1998 he temporarily left his
consulting projects to start Vina Cobos with the first vintage
coming in 1999. In 2005 Vina Cobos constructed its own winery.
Paul Hobbs is high on the 2005 and 2006 vintages. At first he felt
that 2005 was the finest year (along with 1996) since he started
working in Argentina, that is until the 2006 vintage rolled around.
It was, he says, “a mild, moderate year with no
problems.”
The Cobos wines have several tiers. The entry level is the Nativo
Collection. The wines are mostly varietal with a small amount of
blending. The grapes come primarily from the estate’s own
vineyards, but there is sourcing from 5-6 other properties. They
all receive oak aging, but the focus at this level is on fruit.
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"The 2005 Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon spent 18 months in French
and American oak, 42% new. It is opaque purple-colored with a
splendid aromatic display of cedar, spice box, mocha, black
currants and blackberry. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied,
richly fruity, and layered. There is some well-concealed tannin as
well as excellent balance. Although it will evolve for several
years, this crowd-pleasing effort can be enjoyed now as well as
over the next 10-12 years." 92, Robert Parker, #174
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