Alamos Malbec 2014 (about $9)

About the Wine:  This is one of the less obscure wines I've reviewed.  It's a Catena production. That family is essentially the Rothschilds of Argentinian wine.  It is easier to explain the obscure when you know the common.  Also, the price point speaks to me.

About THIS Wine:  The nose is dense and jammy.  That jammy fruit, especially red fruit, defines the palate.  But there is structure here and a surprisingly long finish.  The wine is neither as sweet nor as alcoholic as I had feared. 

Drinking This Wine:  I'm planning to have it with a roasted turkey leg and I expect it will be a good pairing.  Nothing too heavy, as it is not that big of a wine.

Overall Impression:  I have wines for twice the price that weren't half as good.  This Malbec is a steal.

Perdriel Coleccion Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Argentina is best known for its Malbecs.  Personal experience has been that Cabs from there are, at best, a hit and miss proposition.  Hopefully this is one of the hits.

About THIS Wine:  This one is blood red in the glass with a crimson rim.  French oak dominates the nose, but hints of fruit peek out.  The palate is bone dry with a solid tannin structure.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a real beast of a wine and it wants some food to go with it.  Steak would be good.

Overall Impression:  This is no South American fruit bomb.  This is a serious Cab.  It's not quite at the level of the greats Cabs of Napa, but it is on its way.  At this price, this wine is a steal.

Ninety Plus (90+) Old Vine Malbec Lot 23 2014 (bout $12)

About the Wine:  90+ is a concept brand that is essentially rebottlings of wines that have gotten ninety or better ratings.  They do not specify what vineyard the wine is from, nor who rated it.  It makes it an iffy proposition because there is no consistent style or wine making philosophy.  That said, if you're looking for a value then there are definitely worse ways to do it.  Wine prices tend to increase with their ratings.  I had forgotten it, but I actually rated their 2010 Malbec a few years ago here.

About THIS Wine:  It is nearly opaque in the glass with a dark purple rim.  Black fruit and spice are prominent on the nose.  It does not have the weight of a Syrah, but it has many of the same notes.  The palate is heavy with a firm, tannic finishing.  Malbec is not generally an aging grape, especially at this price, but this could do with a few more years.

Drinking This Wine:  After a little air it will make a good pairing with a lighter red meat dish.  Some kind of grilled beef without any heavy sauce would work.

Overall Impression:  Per the brand's promise, the wine delivers well above its price point.  This is a good value.

Kallune Red Blend 2010 (about $18)

About the Wine:  Malbec is so closely associated with Argentina that many people forget that it is one of the Bordeaux varietals.  Argentinian Malbecs are often a bit soft and flabby, so some producers have begun blending other varietals to produce a heartier wine.  This wine is a blend of 48% Malbec, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot.  This can technically be classified as a Bordeaux blend because Cab and merlot are both Bordeaux varietals, though few producers in Bordeaux favor Malbec so heavily..


About THIS Wine:  The center is opaque purple with a violet rim.  The nose is musky with heavy wood notes.  On a first taste the wine was very dry with scattered fruit notes.  It had a disjointed feel.  With some time in the glass the elements began to integrate into something that was a passable interpretation of a Bordeaux, though not nearly as heavy or tannic. 


Drinking This Wine:  This definitely benefitted from decanting.  I had it with oven roasted chicken and it was a great pairing.


Overall Impression:  This is a red Bordeaux blend for someone who wants something lighter, cheaper, and generally easier than traditional Bordeaux.  It is an interesting, food friendly wine that may provide a window into the future of serious Argentine wine making.  It's also pretty tasty.  This wine is a good value.

Coquena Tannat 2011 about $19

About the Wine:  Tannat is a grape that was once grown in France and has found a new home in South America. The name is related to the words "tannin" and "tannic" which refer to the bracing quality that makes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot good with red meat and also give those varietals some of their aging potential.  If your idea of a good meal involves attacking livestock, Tannat is the grape for you.



About THIS Wine:  It is opaque in the glass with a violet rim, just about what I would expect from a heavy, young South American red.  The nose is earthy a musky and when it was first opened I thought it might be corked.  With some time to breathe the wine settled into heady, brooding aromas that promised a big wine.  That delivers on the palate with well integrated tannins and a persistent dry finish.



Drinking This Wine:  I do not know if it is physically possible to get through a glass of this without eating some red meat.  And really, why would you attempt it?



Overall Impression: There is no versatility here but if you want a great steak wine then this one is good for the price.

Domingo Molina Hermanos Cafayate Cabernet-Malbec 2011 (about $18)

About the Wine: Argentina is best known for its Malbec, which is a bit of a shame since many of the Cabs from there fight well above their weight class in terms of price to quality ratio.  A Cab/Malbec blend is probably as good a way as any to introduce drinkers to this expression of a familiar grape, assuming the wine is any good, of course.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is opaque with a purple rim.  Some chocolate and coffee notes are present on the nose on first opening but those quickly give way to aromas of burnt cedar.  My guess is that this spent a lot of time in charred oak barrels.  Oak is strong on the palate but heavy green pepper also comes through along with and undercurrent of plum.  Spice lingers in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a rich, racy wine that needs food.  Enjoy it with grilled hamburger and Spanish rice.  This wine was not meant to age and the cork is synthetic, so you could not really age it if you wanted to.

Overall Impression:  This is a pleasant reminder of everything I love about New World wine.  It is vibrant, rich, and unique.  If the label said "California" then this would be a thirty dollar bottle.  At eighteen it is a steal.

La Posta Cocina 2009 (about $16)

About the Wine:  I came across this one because a customer would not leave me alone about it and I eventually found a case in the cellar of the wine store where I work.  When customers show this kind of dedication it means that either the wine is great or they are insane.  There is no exaggeration nor humor in that statement.  I've seen people obsess over box wine before.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is opaque with a very thin, very dark purple rim.  Earth and spice are heavy on the nose along with hints of oak.  The palate is smooth and dry with more acidity than I would expect from a red blend in this price range.  It is definitely not the "fruit bomb" style often associated with South American wines under twenty dollars. The finish is dry and slightly gripping.

Drinking This Wine:  This is definitely a food wine.  Enjoy it with juicy red meat or pasta with tomato sauce.

Overall Impression:  I'm not blown away by this wine but it a good Tuesday night steak wine and as such it is reasonable for the price.

Don David Chardonnay 2010 (about $10)

About the Wine:  This Chardonnay originally  went for around twelve or thirteen dollars but the distributor put it on clearance.  That can mean one of a few things.  One possibility is that the distributor is no longer carrying the brand and does not want to make the investment to market and distribute it.  Another possibility is that a new vintage is in so the distributor wants to eliminate the old one quickly.  A final possibility is that the product is just unsellably awful and the distributor wants to wash their hands of it.  I happen to know that this distributor is still carrying Don David products and that the brand is best known for Malbec.

About THIS Wine:  I was worried that it might be madeirized because it was golden yellow in the bottle and the glass.  In Chardonnay this can mean spoiled or it can mean heavy oak.  In this case it was the latter.  Oak is heavy on the nose with prominent citrus notes and those flavors deliver on the palate.  The finish is surprisingly crisp for such an oaky Chardonnay.

Drinking This Wine:  I can't really see curling up with a glass and sipping it.  The oak is too overbearing for a sipping wine.  It would go well with white fish or salad.

Overall Impression:  This wine is not very good but it is also pretty cheap.  For what it is I think it should be just a little cheaper.  At ten dollars a bottle, this one is overpriced.

Restivo Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Argentina is know first, last, and always for its Malbec.  They also make excellent Cabernet Sauvignon but the terroir does not seem to give it anything all that distinctive so Argentinian Cab has yet to gain recognition.

About THIS Wine:  The center is reddish purple with a violet rim.  Cranberry dominates the nose and delivers on the palate.  The finish is fairly dry.

Drinking This Wine:  This is pretty standard steak wine.

Overall Impression:  There is nothing special here but you can do worse for thirteen dollars.  This one is reasonable for the price.

La Puerta Alta 2009 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Malbec has taken off internationally as a trending varietal.  For a Malbec lover this is good news as it means that variety and availability of Malbec has greatly increased.  Unfortunately it also means that many wineries are burning through vintages too quickly and that some Malbecs are not being aged nearly long enough.  That is why the 2009 vintage on this bottle is so encouraging.

About THIS Wine:  A dark red center fades to a clear rim.  Earth, red apple, and raspberry make up a nicely layered nose.  The palate is jammy but not overly heavy with a lot of red fruit that lingers in a finish defined by both fruit and soft tannins.

Drinking This Wine:  It could work as a sipper and would also do well with grilled red meats.

Overall Impression:  The wine is pleasant and the price is reasonable.  This one is good for the price.

Felino Malbec 2011 (about $19)

About the Wine:  Some vineyards prefer to release their reds young to give them a distinctive style and taste.  This Malbec is an example of that.

About THIS Wine:  The center is purple with a pink rim.  Cranberry, plum, and hints of green pepper are all present in a fairly mild nose.  Some red fruit is present on the palate but tannins dominate both the palate and finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is too tannic for a sipping wine.  Heavy meats are the only thing I can think of that might work.

Overall Impression:  Felino is simple and overly tannic.  I have had ten dollars wines that were more pleasant and had more complexity.  This wine is badly overpriced.

Bodega La Flor Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (about $15)

About the Wine:  When I looked at the vintage on this Cab I said, "If this was any younger we could be charged with statutory rape."  The representative from the vineyard assured me that this is part of the vineyard's distinctive style.

About THIS Wine:  The center is dark red with a pink rim.  Jammy, velvety dark fruit and oak combine with hints of green pepper for a very rich and pleasant nose and those flavors deliver on a palate that ends in a spicy, jammy finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Drinking this gave me an urge to eat a nice, juicy steak.

Overall Impression:  To taste this wine I would have guessed the price closer to twenty dollars than fifteen and that makes it a good value.

Pulenta Pinot Gris 2011 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Pinot Gris is made from the same grape as Pinot Grigio but it is grown and produced in a French style.  Pinot Gris is generally more bold and fruit forward than its Italian cousin.  This Pinot Gris hails from Argentina.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is hay colored with no distinct rim.  Melon, citrus, and honey are common to the nose of Pinot Gris and are present here.  Hints of sea breeze are also present.  The palate is fairly sharp with flavors of slightly tart pineapple leading into a green apple finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are usually too acidic to have without food and this one is no exception.  It would go well with cheese and fruit.

Overall Impression:  I have not seen a better Pinot Gris for less, so I have to say this one is good for the price.