“Pulenta Estate produces very elegant and classical wines from Mendoza.” – Wine Advocate

The ubiquitous Rombauer Chardonnay sells for $40+ these days. Similarly styled, this 50% new oak aged lusciousness is just 15 bucks.

How on earth, though?

Partly because it costs a lot less to grow outstanding grapes down in Mendoza. And partly because we got this normally $25 bargain down to a you’d be a fool to pass $15.

True story, winemaker Javier Lo Forte learned the ropes from Paul Hobbs where he worked before Pulenta Estate. Hobbs then took Pulenta Estate under his wing as their exclusive importer for decades!

The raving review below by engineers by trade turned popular wine bloggers The Grape Pursuit says it all, though it does not end with the tasting note, they have crazy good pairing advice too: “We picked a buttery-forward Chardonnay to pair with one of our favorite homemade ravioli - butternut squash filled that is then topped with a brown butter and sage sauce. The richness of the squash and butter sauce compliments the creamy notes in the wine well and allowed more of the acidy and tropical notes to shine. Taking bites of our side (green beans) allowed our palate to clear just a bit so we could get more buttery notes from the wine in alternating sips - a delicious pairing!”

Right along our thoughts, they conclude: “We’d like to have several bottles of this one. Overall, the tropical notes and buttery/creamy nature of this one struck a wonderful balance such that neither component overwhelmed the other. This resulted in a lovely Chardonnay that we cannot get enough of and is one we’d happily pair with robust and buttery dishes again.”

And again, and again… until we’re sold out as there sadly isn’t enough to last.

4.5/5 – The Grape Pursuit

“While this one was pale lemon in color, it came with a medium aroma of lime, peach, pineapple, a white flower (possibly jasmine), and a slight buttery note on the finish. On the palate, the wine was dry with high acid, medium alcohol, and body, and pronounced flavor intensity. We got a wealth of flavors out of this one including lime, pineapple, cream, butter, and baking spices to name a few with a medium finish that was borderline long. The balance of citrus and tropical notes with the creaminess was exquisite in this wine.”