Renacer, Mendoza (Argentina) 2008

 This is an uncommon wine, partly due to the fact that it is made from an unusual assortment of red grape varieties: Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Bonarda.  But its most startling element is that the dominant part of the blend is Malbec grapes which, after being harvested, are spread on mats to dry in the open air until they lose about a third of their weight in water.  Inspired by the Italian tradition of drying grapes to make Amarone (Enamore is an anagram of Amarone), this wine is deeply flavored and rich, but has no obvious sweetness nor any of the funky elements that sometimes turn up in Amarone.  This is a focused, complex wine, with plenty of structure and appealingly soft, grainy tannins.  Enamore is a joint project between Renacer and the Italian firm Allegrini.