| Malbec 2008 Tasting Report |
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| Pascual Toso 2005 Reserve Las Barrancas Vineyard – Mendoza, Argentina |
Notes – This dark crimson wine held no
secrets as to the use of oak to age the
wine and thus the nose was full of heavy
oak toast and vanilla accents. At first on
the palate, the oak dominated everything,
but once it had time to breathe a little
heavy currants and blueberries started to
pour through onto a long and luxorious
finish. A real crowd pleaser. To truly see
all the potential this wine could afford, it
would need to be laid down for another
year to three years. I think most of us
though could already see where it was
heading.
secrets as to the use of oak to age the
wine and thus the nose was full of heavy
oak toast and vanilla accents. At first on
the palate, the oak dominated everything,
but once it had time to breathe a little
heavy currants and blueberries started to
pour through onto a long and luxorious
finish. A real crowd pleaser. To truly see
all the potential this wine could afford, it
would need to be laid down for another
year to three years. I think most of us
though could already see where it was
heading.
| About $25.00 |
| Score A- |
| Carlos Basso 2006 - San Carlos, Mendoza, Argentina |
Notes – Showing aromas of currants and
pretty oak shadings, this wine was all
business once it hit the palate. What a
nice and fat body with an amazing balance
of components that show milk chocolate
and red fruits and lead you to a long,
smooth and refined finish. The oak is not
as heavy on this wine and despite it’s
youth, it is ready to be enjoyed right now!
pretty oak shadings, this wine was all
business once it hit the palate. What a
nice and fat body with an amazing balance
of components that show milk chocolate
and red fruits and lead you to a long,
smooth and refined finish. The oak is not
as heavy on this wine and despite it’s
youth, it is ready to be enjoyed right now!
| Around $16.00 |
| Score B+ |
| Punto Final 2005 Reserva – Perdrial, Argentina |
Notes – Although the nose was somewhat
closed, showing very feint red cherry
aromas, it made up for it once inside your
mouth. It was a little tart, but had
wonderful flavors of cherry, blackberry and
sandlewood with moderate tannins and a
medium lengthed finish. This was the first
wine in our tasting and as always, most had
to go back and re-taste it at the end. Once
they did, the scores went upward.
closed, showing very feint red cherry
aromas, it made up for it once inside your
mouth. It was a little tart, but had
wonderful flavors of cherry, blackberry and
sandlewood with moderate tannins and a
medium lengthed finish. This was the first
wine in our tasting and as always, most had
to go back and re-taste it at the end. Once
they did, the scores went upward.
| Score B+ |
| About $22.00 |
| Finca La Celie 2005 La Consulta – Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina |
Notes – Waxy fruit and bourbon flavored
oak are the first things to hit your nose.
At first the wine is a little akward and
somewhat nondescript, but then some red
fruits start to shine through on the palate,
but it finishes a little bitter. I would just
classify this wine as strange. I don’t know
where it belongs in the pack. So I guess
the middle is appropriate!
oak are the first things to hit your nose.
At first the wine is a little akward and
somewhat nondescript, but then some red
fruits start to shine through on the palate,
but it finishes a little bitter. I would just
classify this wine as strange. I don’t know
where it belongs in the pack. So I guess
the middle is appropriate!
| Score B- |
| Around $10.00 |
| Lo Tengo 2007 Argentina |
Notes – Bountiful wild bluerries assault
your nose almost smelling sweet before
you even taste it. On the palate, very little
if any oak and 100% blueberry, no
disguising that! A little on the tangy side,
good, but one-dimensional. I personally
liked it, but it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup
of tea. If you are looking for a good fruity
wine for the money, this would be a sure
thing.
your nose almost smelling sweet before
you even taste it. On the palate, very little
if any oak and 100% blueberry, no
disguising that! A little on the tangy side,
good, but one-dimensional. I personally
liked it, but it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup
of tea. If you are looking for a good fruity
wine for the money, this would be a sure
thing.
| About $8.00 |
| Score B- |
| Telteca 2005 Mendoza, Argentina |
Notes – Wild flowers and raspberries tickle
your nose while on your palate you are
spanked with an overtly fruity wine
containing raspberry and strawberry
flavors. No tannins to speak of and a bit
thin and watery. For the money, this would
be a big loser because it could not hang
with the other wines in its price range.
your nose while on your palate you are
spanked with an overtly fruity wine
containing raspberry and strawberry
flavors. No tannins to speak of and a bit
thin and watery. For the money, this would
be a big loser because it could not hang
with the other wines in its price range.
| Around $20.00 |
| Score B- |
| Bodega Norton 2005 Reserva – Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina |
Notes – Well, even though this wine was
off you could still get a whiff of berries and
cinnamon. At first we were treated to
chocolate and blueberries until it all
unraveled like a bad “B” rated horror
flick. I’m thinking “Attack of the Killer
Tomatos”. What a bummer too, because I’
ve had Bodega Norton wines before and
thought them to be very tasty. This one
might have given the big guns in our tasting
a run for the money.
off you could still get a whiff of berries and
cinnamon. At first we were treated to
chocolate and blueberries until it all
unraveled like a bad “B” rated horror
flick. I’m thinking “Attack of the Killer
Tomatos”. What a bummer too, because I’
ve had Bodega Norton wines before and
thought them to be very tasty. This one
might have given the big guns in our tasting
a run for the money.
| About $14.00 |
| Not Rated |
For our first staff tasting of 2008 we went
back and revisted a wine varietal that we had
not covered in a couple of years. The timing
this time was very good, because this grape
varietal is hot right now and the wines coming
from Argentina, where it is most commonly
produced, are better than ever. Of course I
am talking about Malbec wines. For the most
part, wines made exclusively from Malbec
mostly come from Argentina and Cahors,
France, but there are some other places
around the world that are dabbling with the
grape variety as a stand alone varietal.
California has quite a few examples out there
on the market. I believe even South Africa is
taking a stab at Malbec wines here and there.
Throughout other wine regions in the world,
Malbec is still thought of and used primarily
as a blending grape. Probably the most
famous wine region that uses Malbec in it’s
blended wines would be Bordeaux.
Before we got started, our hosts for this
tasting, Mark and Ronda, treated us to some
fantastic lasagna and a light salad. Ronda did
a great job with both and there was even
some bruscetta to start us of with. Mark was
gracious enough to open a couple of wines for
us to drink with dinner. So a big Thank You
goes out to our hosts, Mark and Ronda!
We had seven Malbec wines to sample in our
blind tasting, all of which came from
Argentina. That was okay with me because I
have tasted Cahors, France wines (made from
Malbec, but called “Cot” there) on a number
of occasions and I feel that they would have
been too different from the Argentina
examples we tasted to get a fair shake in the
tasting. It might have been interesting to
have had one from California in the mix, but I
doubt it would stand up to the competition
very well either.
Speaking of the competition, the top three
Malbecs in this tasting we head and shoulders
above the rest. The third place wine was
rated by the group over 6 ½ points higher
than the fourth place wine. Unfortunately we
had one casualty in our group and that was
the Bodega Norton Reserve. It tasted off.
Not necessarily corked, but there was
something going on with it that made it almost
undrinkable. So I chose not to post a score
with it on this page. So with that, here are
our results:
back and revisted a wine varietal that we had
not covered in a couple of years. The timing
this time was very good, because this grape
varietal is hot right now and the wines coming
from Argentina, where it is most commonly
produced, are better than ever. Of course I
am talking about Malbec wines. For the most
part, wines made exclusively from Malbec
mostly come from Argentina and Cahors,
France, but there are some other places
around the world that are dabbling with the
grape variety as a stand alone varietal.
California has quite a few examples out there
on the market. I believe even South Africa is
taking a stab at Malbec wines here and there.
Throughout other wine regions in the world,
Malbec is still thought of and used primarily
as a blending grape. Probably the most
famous wine region that uses Malbec in it’s
blended wines would be Bordeaux.
Before we got started, our hosts for this
tasting, Mark and Ronda, treated us to some
fantastic lasagna and a light salad. Ronda did
a great job with both and there was even
some bruscetta to start us of with. Mark was
gracious enough to open a couple of wines for
us to drink with dinner. So a big Thank You
goes out to our hosts, Mark and Ronda!
We had seven Malbec wines to sample in our
blind tasting, all of which came from
Argentina. That was okay with me because I
have tasted Cahors, France wines (made from
Malbec, but called “Cot” there) on a number
of occasions and I feel that they would have
been too different from the Argentina
examples we tasted to get a fair shake in the
tasting. It might have been interesting to
have had one from California in the mix, but I
doubt it would stand up to the competition
very well either.
Speaking of the competition, the top three
Malbecs in this tasting we head and shoulders
above the rest. The third place wine was
rated by the group over 6 ½ points higher
than the fourth place wine. Unfortunately we
had one casualty in our group and that was
the Bodega Norton Reserve. It tasted off.
Not necessarily corked, but there was
something going on with it that made it almost
undrinkable. So I chose not to post a score
with it on this page. So with that, here are
our results:
