It’s an Argentine Merlot blend by winemaker Jean Claude Berrouet, the famed former winemaker of the prestigious Chateau Petrus in the Pomerol region of Bordeaux who is renowned for his mastery of Merlot.
Berrouet, who previously presided over 44 vintages at Petrus, the well-respected Bordeaux winery, became heavily involved in Tapiz in 2012. Tapiz owner Patricia Ortiz seeks to produce wines with more elegance and finesse than many of her regional neighbors, and in pursuit of this goal, she saw Berrouet as the perfect partner.
After sending samples to France, Berrouet was impressed by their quality and signed onto the project. He now works exclusively with Tapiz and Zolo in Argentina, and collaborates with his son and local winemaker Fabian Valenzuela year-round to oversee vineyard management and winemaking.
With Las Notas de Jean Claude, Berrouet sought to create a wine that was the best expression of Tapiz’s estate Merlot vines. The final blend is of 91% Merlot, 3.5% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2.5% Cabernet Franc from the single estate San Pablo Single Vineyard located in the Uco Valley of Argentina.
The grapes for Las Notas were picked around 4,400 feet above sea level. The vineyard benefits from intense diurnal temperature variations and alpine wines that allow for slow ripening and acid retention. The combination of extreme sunshine and cold is especially good for Merlot because it allows the sugar to ripen without stunting the development of acids. The resulting wine has an intense palate with sweet and elegant tannins. The wine shows notes of red fruits, raspberries, cassis and truffles.
The label for Las Notas de Jean Claude features handwriting from Berrouet’s personal notebook. These notes document his research and vinification of this wine. Now the notes that sparked the creation of this wine are available for everyone to see on the front of each bottle.
“Jean Claude Berrouet is always in search of vineyard sites that express the full potential and spirit of Merlot. He believes that you must bring out the sensuality, velvety tannins, complexity and femininity of the varietal. We believe that our high-altitude plantings at San Pablo Single Vineyard do just that,” says Fabian Valenzuela, Winemaker at Tapiz.
Las Notas de Jean Claude is considered to be the pinnacle of the Vino del Sol portfolio and is one of Argentina’s few high-end Merlots. This fine wine retails for $99 and is available in select markets nationwide.