96 Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2011 Bodega Noemia de Patagonia is pure Malbec from a 70-year-old vineyard in Mainque, Rio Negro, Patagonia, and is a baby that smells of the most exquisite French barrels you can dream of, under which there is a huge core of ripe, almost heady, red and blue fruit showing a special brightness with perfumed notes of flowers and wet limestone. The palate is medium-bodied with a great sense of harmony and elegance, sweet fruit aromas, great acidity and a tasty, umami-driven finish. It has very sophisticated, ultra-fine tannins. You feel the hand of a great winemaker in this wine, the balance and power of the old vines, and while slightly international-styled and hard to pin down as Patagonian (it is very sleek!), it is lovely and gives enormous pleasure. Superb! This could be drunk now, but should also last quite well, as it has the balance and acidity to do so. Drink 2015-2025. " (04/14)

Noemia is the name of the winery in Rio Negro of Noemi Marone Cinzano and Hans Vinding-Diers. Hans is the son of Peter Vinding-Diers, and cousin of Peter Sisseck of Pingus fame in Ribera del Duero. Noemi used to own Argiano in Montalcino, Italy, where Hans is still the winemaker. They arrived in Patagonia, fell in love with the place and found some old vineyards on limestone, silt, tuff, sand and gravel soils that form the core of their estate. The vineyards are biodynamically farmed and are the source for their best wines. Hans is also producing some awesome Pinot Noir for Chacras, the property belonging to Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, from similarly old vines next door. They produce 100,000 bottles of wine yearly, which are fermented with indigenous yeasts in 2,500-liter cement vats and aged in the most exquisite French oak barrels. I had a real coup de coeur with Noemia's wines, which stood head and shoulders above most others in a large tasting with their bright personality, subdued minerality and showy aromas. I met briefly with Hans in Mendoza, talked about wine, Spain, Portugal and lots of other things, and was lucky enough to drink a bottle of the rare Noemia 2, which is produced in tiny quantities only in the vintages he feels are good for Cabernet Sauvignon, a rarity, as all other wines are Malbec-based. He really reminds me of his cousin Peter; they both learned wine from Hans' father and they learned it well. I'm looking forward to visiting their property and tasting more vintages of their wines. One of the stars of Argentina and a name to follow.

95 Wine Spectator

"Compact and tight, with full yet fine tannins holding the fresh-crushed cherry, cassis, spice box, incense and mineral notes. Classy and monolithic, this needs time to reach maturity. Malbec. Best from 2015 through 2022 -NW" (11/13)

95 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"A red with beautiful depth of fruit on the nose with blackberries, blueberries and wet earth. Yet subtle and complex. Full body, with super integrated fruit and tannins. Hints of toasted oak too. It's structured and powerful. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try this in 2017." (06/14)

93 Stephen Tanzer - Vinous Media

"Bright red-ruby. Black raspberry, flowers, a whiff of meat and exotic oak notes of roast coffee, sandalwood and woodsmoke on the nose. Very young and tightly wound, with ripe acidity giving a lovely light touch to the complex flavors of exotic fruits and flowers, pepper and herbs. The sexy oak element carries through in the mouth, where it's in harmony with the wine's floral perfume. Finishes with plenty of tongue-dusting but sweet tannins and superb length. This vintage stands out more for its exotic perfume than for its weight and richness." (04/14)

91 Wine Enthusiast

"Concentrated aromas form the forceful greeting on this oaky wine from Patagonia. In addition, graphite and shoe polish scents are prominent. In the mouth, things feel grabby and dense, while mint, herbal berry, plum and a lot of oak drive the flavor profile. A finish with licorice and a hint of green are the final act. Drink from 2014-2019. -MS" (12/13)