The vineyards of Clos de los Siete in Mendoza, Argentina, are the brainchild of Michel Rolland, flying winemaker, closely associated with Bordeaux. The ambitious project seeks to bring five owners together to create their own wines as well as a collaborative wine.

Although the project was launched in 1998 and the Clos de los Siete by Michel Rolland wine has been available since 2002, a new wine from the property recently made its debut—DiamAndes Gran Reserva. Owned by the Bonnie family of Bordeaux, France (and proprietors of Château Malartic Lagravière), the vineyards for Bodega DiamAndes were planted in 2005.

While the wines are produced from vines grown in close proximity, the foci of the winemakers are different. Whereas the Clos de los Siete by Michel Rolland is produced from a blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, with actual percentages varying from vintage to vintage, the DiamAndes is heavily comprised of Malbec, seasoned with Cabernet Sauvignon.

I tasted these two wines side by side from the same vintage, 2007, as a way to compare and contrast the different blends from the same terroir.

The Clos de los Siete (48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Syrah) was fruit forward in style with youthful notes of blueberries, vanilla, plum and slight wood. The full-bodied wine had medium+, but ripe, tannins and an overall ripe fruit/jammy appeal.

In comparison, the DiamAndes Gran Reserva, comprised of 70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in French oak (presumably new since the winery is new itself), was more elegant and austere. This wine showed some slight development on the nose along with more overt oak/wood aromas. Similarly full-bodied, but with dustier tannins, this wine offered flavors of dark plum, oak and vanilla. Despite the more obvious use of oak, this wine was beautifully balanced.

Although one style may appeal to someone’s palate more so than the other, I enjoyed them both for their differences.