The word Chimera has two different meanings, and both have an intimate relationship with this wine. In Greek mythology, the "Chimera" was a beast made up of the parts of three different animals. This is a clear connection with the fact that it is a cut wine. Still, the second meaning of the word is the one that best represents wine. A Chimera is an impossible search, the search for the unattainable. This is the mentality that everyone has in the vineyards and the winery every year when they produce this wine: without following any rules or tradition, the goal is to produce the best possible blend every year. Chimera is design and architecture, an intimate discovery, a search for perfection.
It is a wine with very deep nuances with aromas ranging from stony and earthy notes, dark fruit, to delicate rosemary accents. On the palate, it is broad, almost feminine and has delicious acidity.
Blend: 48% Malbec, 13% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate Quimera was the only Malbec from the winery that wasn't 100% pure, and it now turns into a range of blends, including the original Quimera. I tasted the 2020 Quimera, when they reduced the new oak to around 60% (in 2020 there'll be around 40% only, and they also bought larger foudres) to keep the blend of varieties done before putting it in barrel, where it matured for 13 months. This is 48% Malbec, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot from many zones of Mendoza, Medrano, Lujan de Cuyo, Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos. It's dark, ripe and juicy, with 14.8% alcohol, soft and voluptuous, with the varieties nicely integrated and the oak in the background. Tasted next to the 2019s, it shows how the vintage is ripe and the tannins are not as fine-boned. This is slightly riper and more rustic, but it should get more polished with some time in bottle.
92 James Suckling A very ripe and generous Quimera here with some mocha, ripe blackberries and baked plums. Plush, rich and generous on the juicy, medium- to full-bodied palate with a flattering finish.
93 Decanter A confident blend of Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a splash of Petit Verdot, aged in new and used French oak for just over a year. Plush black fruit aromas woven with spice, chocolate, mint and violets. Rich, but well-balanced palate, with fine tannins and balancing freshness. Layers of black berries, cherry, cranberry, dark chocolate, spice and pencil shavings, with a lingering finish. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2029
