2017 Domaine Nico Soeur et Freres Savante Pinot Noir Mendoza Argentina

Last weekend, we cancelled our plans after an impromptu offer landed in our inbox: An invitation for brunch at the home of Laura Catena, the leader of the Catena Zapata clan that single-handedly turned “Malbec” into a synonym for lush, silken reds the world over. We’ve known Laura for years, so we also knew she probably had something special up her sleeve. 

Sitting inside her San Fransisco colonial on Saturday, surrounded by James Beard Award-winning wine writers, legendary sommeliers, and wine pros of all stripes, the topic wasn’t Malbec—it was Domaine Nico, and the break-out Pinot Noirs that are storming the scene and enchanting critics worldwide.

Today, we’re thrilled to debut the 2017 Domaine Nico Soeur et Freres Savante Pinot Noir. This wines is a crown jewel of the Domaine Nico project, which is poised to redefine South American (and possibly even New World) Pinot Noir by applying Grand Cru Burgundian precision to Argentine terroir. 

Founded by Laura, Domaine Nico is the first label to showcase the potential of high-altitude Pinot Noir from Argentina’s nose-bleed inducing peaks, which reach 4,500 feet of elevation. That high-altitude provides these reds with tension and grace—it’s a refreshing parallel to their ripe, red fruit flavors, and that exquisite balance is rare to find in reds under $75.  

The 2017 Domaine Nico Savante Pinot Noir is deliciously different, and comes from a site in Gualtallary, within the Tupungato district. French for “scholar” in the feminine, Savante pays homage to scholarly women, who can be simultaneously feminine and serious, like this wine. The 2017 opens with an earth-driven nose that harmonizes with subtle red fruit notes of fresh strawberries and cherries, laced with chalk and baking spices. Bolstered with plenty of crisp salinity and minerality on the mid-palate that cut through the high-toned fruit, this wine is a serious red Burgundy lookalike, with bright beams of acidity and layered tannins.

Domaine Nico has been in the works since 1994 when Nicolas Catena planted Pinot Noir in the Villa Bastias, a sub-region of Tupungato. But the project took on its serious tone in 2008 with the hiring of winemaker Roy Urvieta, assistant winemaker to Alejandro Vigil of Catena Zapata. 

Laura confessed over brunch that she could have sold the 2017 allocation back in Argentina in one shot, but wanted this project to be noticed here in the States. We were floored by the overall quality and distinctiveness of the Savante bottling, which shows incredible transparency plus gorgeous fruit, refreshing minerality, and depth on the palate. 

Ready to challenge Burgundy with their harmonious balance of fruit, spice, and earth, this ruby wines from the cloud-kissed peaks of Argentina’s Tupungato district quite happily doesn’t emulate its peers when it comes to price, but with the heaps of critical praise they’ve already received, we don’t expect their bargain status to last for long.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 13.00%
• 30 mins
• Drink Up
• % Pinot Noir
• Serving temperature – 55°
• Cork