malbec

Hanna Winery and Vineyards, Sonoma County

by Stevie on November 30, 2011

welcome to Hanna Winery and Vineyards

welcome to Hanna Winery and Vineyards

Founded by Dr. Elias S. Hanna, a cardiologist, in the 1970’s, Hanna is truly a magnificent wine country experience. Located in Alexander Valley quite near the charming town of Healdsburg, this place has everything: stunning views, great wine, marvelous hospitality and that wow-factor which all combine for an amazing experience.

see the gentle vine-covered slopes at Hanna Winery and Vineyards

see the gentle vine-covered slopes at Hanna Winery and Vineyards

more steeply terraced vineyard at Hanna

more steeply terraced vineyard at Hanna

is this a Sound-of-Music moment or what

is this a Sound-of-Music moment or what?

We on the weirdcombos tasting crew have been fans for ages. We first tasted at Hanna about a half-decade ago on a Healdsburg visit ending with a fabo meal at Cyrus. We were thrilled to be back recently. And if anything, Hanna has gotten even better in the interim, if that’s even possible.

The first thing that anyone ever notices at Hanna is the breathtaking hills and views of the valley. They are truly picture perfect. We visited on a gorgeously sunny day that wasn’t too hot—always a perfect mix. Inside, the tasting room is spacious with lovely high ceilings. There’s a bit of that wineries-like-shopping-malls thing going on here but I sort of liked it. The delightful Carol assisted us with our tasting. Since we were a group of four, we tried both Flagship and Reserve wines while sharing. As per our usual, we skipped the whites, which now I regret after reading that the current Hanna President, Christine Hanna, has spent a large part of her career developing and promoting their sauvignon blanc. Oh well, maybe Santa Claus will think of me and forward a bottle or two.

Hanna tasting room

Hanna tasting room

gorgeous view from the picnic area

gorgeous view from the picnic area

cheery flowers

cheery flowers

perhaps if those agave do well, then Hanna can branch out into tequila

perhaps if those agave do well, then Hanna can branch out into tequila

Hanna tasting room interior

Hanna tasting room interior

2009 Pinot Noir: rusty red in color with lots of cherry on the nose, leading to more luscious sour cherry fruit, black tea with medium body. Good.

Two Ranch Red: I’m not certain but believe this blend that Carol characterized as having everything but “the kitchen sink” might be non-vintage. It does have a wild mix of grapes, apparently the leftovers from the Reserve wines. Per their site, it includes: zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, syrah, petit sirah, pinot noir and malbec. That’s nuts! We all enjoyed the wine.

A brownish red color with a beautiful toasty nose of red fruit and toffee, led to a powerful tasting red fruit rich wine with a pleasant peppery and mineral finish. Yum.

2007 Bismark Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon: An opaque purple to black, we all loved this wine. Tobacco notes led to lovely blackberry, refined tannins and a silken texture.

2007 Hanna Bismark Mountain Titan

2007 Hanna Bismark Mountain Titan

2007 Petit Sirah: This one wasn’t on our tasting menu, but since it was open already, Carol gracefully offered it us. Opaque red to purple with lovely sour metallic and minerally nose, we detected rich red fruit, vanilla, smoke and a hint of pepper with supple tannins.

2006 Bismark Mountain Syrah: Opaque purple with a hint of green pepper, red and blue stone fruit, leather, shoe polish and mineral with supple tannins and a good finish.

2006 Bismark Mountain Cabernet Franc: A deep rusty red, full of red cherry and other jammy berries and pepper, this tasted almost fizzy.

2007 Bismark Mountain Titan: This is a blend of malbec 29%, petit verdot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. I loved it. Carol called it “our Bordeaux.”

An opaque black, it had a beautiful smell with hints of menthol. This wine was very rich with wonderful tannins, lots of blue fruit and a bit of a chalky drying finish which suggested that it could benefit from more time in cellar.

2007 Bismark Mountain Zinfandel: Rusty red with the aroma of red berries, this was full of red fruit, vanilla with that lovely and long peppery finish that one expects in a zin.

Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc: So I was mistaken above, we did try some Hanna sauvignon blanc, the sweet version. A cloudy pale orange color with a nose of over-ripe peaches, nectarines and jammy guava paste, it was only mildly sweet, full of yellow stone fruits and a hint of fig paste with a good finish.

So that’s it. If you have only one place to visit in Alexander Valley, then Hanna should be at the top of your list.

these vineyards almost look like the makings of an abstract painting

these vineyards almost look like the makings of an abstract painting

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Chouinard Vineyards, Castro Valley

by Stevie on March 7, 2011

Hegui and I decided to go to Chouinard as part of our recent Livermore Valley wine tasting meet-up. They got an excellent review on ChowHound and they produce Rhône varieties, which we adore.

charming Chouinard Vineyards

charming Chouinard Vineyards


welcome to Chouinard Vineyards

welcome to Chouinard Vineyards

Even though we’ve been, I still don’t quite know how to situate them on the map. Many of their grapes are grown in other locations, like Paso Robles, Lodi or Monterey. Is Chouinard part of Livermore Valley, the San Francisco Bay or what?

Well, whatever it is, they’re worth a look.

Compared to Concannon, the place we visited after this, Chouinard is tiny and sort of mom-and-pop style. Only about five or six miles off Interstate 580 in Castro Valley, nevertheless, it seems like light-years from the Bay Area. They’re nestled in a charming little valley between several mountains. There’s even a little creek running through the property. The drive itself from the freeway to the winery is full of stunning mountain views, corkscrew turns and adventure. That may be a liability after the tasting on your drive out, so use caution.

We tried the sparkling, the whites, the apple wine, and reds but couldn’t drink more when it came to the sweet wines and their versions of port. The tasting room was small, informal and friendly. The wines are all quite affordable and many were very good.

tiny creek running through Chouinard Vineyards

tiny creek running through Chouinard Vineyards

Unfortunately, the Chouinard wine price list didn’t always indicate the vintage, if any, or the region from which the grapes were harvested. I asked but my notes are inconsistent.

California Champagne: This is from chardonnay grown on the estate. It was pale yellow with the aroma of green apple. It tasted apple-y and refreshing.

2009 Chardonnay, Livermore: Pale yellow with mineral on the nose, not that much fruit. Not too oaky, it was more creamy than buttery with mineral notes and tropical fruit.

Viognier (is this 2009?), from Lodi: This was quite pale with lovely floral and pear on the nose. It had a subtle flavor with some mineral hints and an earthy finish. We both liked. It would be especially welcome on a hot day.

2009 Chenin Blanc, Monterey: Very pale yellow with hints of rose, papaya, butterscotch, and apricot with some sour cherry. It seemed mildly sweet. Pleasant.

NV Granny Smith Apple wine, from Hog Canyon Orchard: This is a novelty! It was a transparent pale yellow that smelled of apple pie and rust. It tasted very apple-y but didn’t shock like cider might. It had 10% alcohol.

Chouinard red: This is a blend of petite sirah, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and malbec. Translucent pale purple with hints of tar, cedar, hot embers and clay. We detected red fruit with tar and mineral. It had crisp acidity and a long finish.

2006 Alicante Bouchet, Lodi: This was an inky dark red with a nose of wood chips, freshly cut trees, garrigue, cedar, vanilla and V-8 juice. It opened slowly but became exuberant with lots of earthy flavors, black coffee, bitter notes, nail polish and fresh blood.

2009 Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi: This was brownish red with a nose of cigarettes and tobacco, red fruit and honey. Surprisingly it tasted of plum. Medium body.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, San Francisco Bay, Palomares Canyon Vineyard: This was a dark purple red with a nose of freshly turned dirt, forest floor and wet moss. A medium body supported by supple tannins revealed mineral and some fruit.

2005 Petite Sirah, Livermore: This was an opaque black with scents reminiscent of stewed tomatoes and metal. It had noticeable chewy tannins that made it thick. This one needs a bit more time. We felt it was the most French in style.

2007 Malbec, Paso Robles: Purple to black in color, we detected spice box, Mexican cinnamon, green pepper. It started out powerfully then tapered off to a smooth vanilla and oaky finish. This was less forceful than an Argentine malbec. Good.

Chouinard Vineyards has won lots of medals and ribbons for their wines

Chouinard Vineyards has won lots of medals and ribbons for their wines

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Hop Kiln Winery, Sonoma County

by Stevie on February 2, 2011

welcome to beautiful Hop Kiln Winery

welcome to beautiful Hop Kiln Winery


rusty Hop Kiln conveyor belt

rusty Hop Kiln conveyor belt

We went to Hop Kiln on a quest for more late harvest zinfandel after the thrilling half-bottle that our good friend, Chris, brought to our Dungeness crab massacre, oh, I mean dinner party over the holidays. Then, in January, we saw him at another party. That time he brought a bottle of 1995 Hop Kiln Russian River Valley Primitivo Zinfandel. The wine was as delicious as it was controversial. Does zinfandel really improve with age?

Ostensibly we were in Sonoma County to visit Michel-Schlumberger Wines by invitation, which we did and enjoyed, but is one winery ever really enough? Hop Kiln seemed perfect as we already had enjoyed their wine, we were nearby and you can drop in—no appointment needed.

I’ve already written about the landmarked Hop Kiln that gives the winery its name and is the dramatic focal point of any visit there. I was surprised by how large the building actually turned out to be. It really is stunning and quite unusual.

We were there on a beautiful clear day. They have ample picnic areas overlooking a small lake, which we might use on a future visit. Inside the renovated structure is a rustically elegant tasting-room with some merchandise here and there. The staff was quite friendly.

We immediately inquired about the late harvest zin but were dismayed to learn that they pulled up the entire zinfandel vineyard after it developed some sort of illness. Was it mold? That is really sad! The same guy who told us that offered a small ray of hope: they’re thinking of replanting.

Hop Kiln tasting room

Hop Kiln tasting room

Hop Kiln Russian River Pinot noir with an unusual aerator

Hop Kiln Russian River Pinot noir with an unusual aerator

We tried some of the wine, anyway! Boo-hoo about no zinfandel!!

2009 HKG Chardonnay, Russian River Valley: This was a very pale transparent yellow with a nose of tropical fruit. It had a lot of mineral crispness but wasn’t that creamy or buttery. Good.

2009 HKG Rosé of Pinot Noir, RRV Estate Grown: This was a pale transparent completely dry red full of strawberry, pomegranate and raspberry fruit. We liked it.

2009 HKG Pinot Noir, Estate Russian River Valley: This one was transparent red with a nose of caramel and freshly turned earth. Medium body full of red cherry with a short finish. Just ok.

As a special treat, we were offered the

2007 HKG Pinot Noir: This is a blend of 85% estate grown pinot and 15% Sonoma Coast. It was a translucent brownish red with a nose of tobacco. It had some evident age, but still held onto cherry fruit. It was certainly more complex than the 2009, and probably better.

2008 Grenache: This was a medium bodied fruit forward red with hints of bitterness and mineral at the end.

2008 Malbec: The wine was a deep reddish purple color with a nose of plum and other ultra ripe stone fruit. It seemed unbalanced and a bit sour.

2008 Rushin’ River Red: This is a blend of 67% syrah and 33% Grenache. It was a dark purplish red. The nose had red and black berries. It was medium bodied, full of black fruit. It was o.k. but couldn’t compete with a French Côtes du Rhône.

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Rutherford Hill, Napa County

by Stevie on August 23, 2010

welcome to Rutherford Hill

Hegui was familiar with Rutherford Hill from a wine tasting excursion there several years ago with some friends with whom we’ve now lost touch. I was visiting people in New York, so missed out on this delightful wine experience. On our recent trip to Napa, we had just finished a lovely picnic lunch at Pride Mountain Vineyards with our friends, C and E. We wanted a go at one more place, so there we are.

This winery is hidden off the main part of Silverado Trail on, appropriately enough, Rutherford Hill Road. Surrounded by flower gardens, rolling hills and stunning views of the Napa Valley floor, this is the last stop after the world-renowned Auberge du Soleil, the very luxurious Napa Valley hotel and resort.

Rutherford Hill tasting room entrance

echinacea flowering at Rutherford Hill

a beautiful view of Napa Valley from Rutherford Hill

Unlike at Pride and Stag’s Leap, where the vineyards are more-or-less contiguous, Rutherford Hill has vineyard parcels scattered throughout Napa County. As a result, they can produce interesting blends from the sometimes very different parcels. Our tasting-room hostess, Betty, told us that because of the wide ranging parcels, wine blends with the same grape varieties can all taste quite differently. That makes sense.

On the day we were there (a Saturday) the tasting room was crowded. Apparently, the winery offers tours of the facility. We didn’t plan ahead for this so weren’t able to do that. They produce a large variety of wines at various price points that range from the value $18 to $22 level all the way to their super trophy Bordeaux blend, EPISODE, at $150 a bottle. They do offer case discounts for at least some of the wines and should you be a club member, tasting fees and further discounts are available.

contemplating the wine list at Rutherford Hill

I shared the $30 “Reserve Tasting” with Hegui. Callie had the standard $15 tasting. Hegui was so enchanted by these wines that he encouraged me to join the club (which I did). Now I’m in four clubs and on the buying list for Williams-Selyem. I’m gonna have to re-visit these and perhaps take some of my own advice about wine clubs sometime soon! At any rate, we had a lot of fun here. The wines that we tasted for the most part were full of pleasure, and we look forward to a return visit for the tour and more tasting. Here are our notes:

2005 Syrah: This had a transparent red color with medium body. The attack and middle were fine but it finished with a sour note that we didn’t really enjoy. There was cherry fruit. It was just okay.

2007 Malbec: We didn’t like this one much, finding it a bit unbalanced.

2006 Angels’ Peak: This is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. This dark red beauty was medium to full bodied with raspberry, cherry and minerally, earthy notes with a delightful flinty almost bitter finish. Hegui thought it offered a characteristic Rutherford nose. We really liked this wine.

2006 Devils’ Peak: This wine was 66% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest, Malbec. This wine was also a delightful dark red. We noted butterscotch and tobacco notes on the nose. Though not quite as round as Angels’ Peak, nevertheless, it was smooth with an impressively long finish that opened up in your mouth like a flower in bloom seen in one of those high-speed scientific films. Wonderful! There were distinct vanilla notes at the end. What a wine!

Rutherford Hill trophy wine EPISODE

Rutherford Hill trophy wine EPISODE

2007 Winemaker’s Blend: This is 44% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and the rest, Petit Verdot. This was a transparent dark red color. On the nose, we detected chocolate, thyme and rosemary. It had mellow, almost over-ripe flavors of cherry and red fruits with mineral and vanilla. This was very balanced and quite good.

2006 Luke Donald Claret: There’s a story about the name for this wine that escapes me now. It’s a blend of 44% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest, Petit Verdot (the flier says 11% PV but I think that they must mean 1% and it’s a typo.) This wine was a transparent red with crème brulée and some smoky sweetness on the nose. Hegui said while tasting this gem, “It feels like you can drink this like you’re drinking water,” it’s that refreshing and good. It seemed very Bordeaux-ish, if that’s a word: full bodied, round, lush and supple with a good finish. Though packed with fruit, it had an almost metallic attack and pepper on the end.

2005 Reserve Merlot: This wine is 91% Merlot and the rest, Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a rusty red color with a complex nose of mulberry, cranberry, cherry, garrigue and earth. It was full bodied with lots of red fruit and a wonderful finish. I liked this a lot.

2006 EPISODE: This is Rutherford Hill’s flagship wine, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and the rest, Petit Verdot. This is not a “Meritage” as the winery does not participate in the Meritage Association. But that’s the idea behind this exclusive bottling. Betty used one of those little aerator devices to serve this wine, saying that it needs to breath to be properly appreciated at this young age. The wine was a dark purple with a nose of scorched earth. This had red and blue fruit, mineral and earth. Wow! It was very smooth with a long, lingering finish. Delish!

We loved Rutherford Hill. Let us know what you think.

Rutherford Hill steel fermentation vats as seen from the tasting room

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two 2008 Owen Roe reds

by Stevie on April 20, 2010

Owen Roe 2008 Sinister Hand

I’m always seduced by wine labels from the Pacific Northwest. A few weeks back we tried some Columbia Valley reds that I picked up at Berkeley Bowl West merely because of the price and the attractive labels. Today, I’ll report on two Owen Roe reds that I got at Whole Foods, mainly because of the stunning labels.

Do wineries hire consultants to design their labels? Owen Roe either must do that or perhaps they’re especially brilliant and talented in design. Their Abbot’s Table label with its stocky medieval looking tower surrounded by trees with a cloudy sky in an old fashioned printed style really caught my eye. And the Sinister Hand with its bloody severed left hand is so disturbing looking that it makes me really want to try the wine.

I paid a bit more for these than neatly fits in my budget: $24 for the Abbot’s Table and $25 for Sinister Hand. Oh well, you gotta live!

2008 Sinister Hand: This is a blend of mostly Grenache with 35% syrah and 3% mouvedre. The OR web site gives a disturbing history of the wine that nevertheless explains the label and the name:

On this label the family crest depiction of a severed left hand tells the story of a rowing competition among the O’Neill’s & the O’Reilly’s (Owen Roe was an ONeill). Whoever touched land first after rowing across the lake was rewarded with the land he touched. Lagging behind, one of the kinsfolk grabs his sword to cleave his hand and pitches it ashore to touch land first. He won the land and eventually ruled over it as king.

Creepy, right?

It was a dark purplish red with berry on the nose. It had a medium body with raspberry and cherry flavors. There was a slight chocolaty bitterness in the middle of the taste followed by a longish peppery finish. It had a distinct taste that did not remind us of California, French or Australian wines. It must be the Pacific Northwest terroir, as it was a bit like the Columbia Valley reds from a few weeks ago. It was good.

Owen Roe 2008 Abbot's Table

2008 Abbot’s Table: This wine is a mad blend of everything and the kitchen sink. The OR site says it contains:

24% Zinfandel, 22% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah, 10% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Blaufrankish, 4% Malbec

In that sense, the wine reminds me of some of the blends that we tried at David Coffaro last April.

This wine was a transparent deep red with earthy notes on the nose. It had medium body that seemed “flat” to Hegui. I thought it was a little unbalanced with the acid lending sour notes. It had a metallic taste and a chocolaty finish. Just so-so.

So that’s it. Owen Roe has a zillion other wines from which to choose. They’re fun so I’m likely to pick up some more as time goes on.

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Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Sonoma County

by Stevie on February 11, 2010

Ferrari-Carano is at the northern end of Dry Creek Valley, quite near the dam. We went there after visiting Sbragia on a rainy Sunday afternoon. We wanted to taste their wines and have a picnic lunch. Unfortunately they don’t have covered picnic tables at this majestic chateau-like winery and it was too wet to sit unprotected. We enjoyed the tasting and had to go to the local general store to have lunch. That was a lot less glamorous than the original plan.

two cold wet cute dorks waiting in the rain for this picture at Ferrari-Carano

This place is gorgeous. I have the feeling that they must have spent a fortune on it. The tasting room matched the property. Both were over-the-top in a fun way. We had the $5 tasting on the ground level. They let you have four tastings for that price and will waive the fee if you buy a bottle. The first wine clerk to help us kept saying mellow things like “Ah right!” which really warmed us up to the place. She soon left and was replaced by “Chizell,” who was also delightful, though bonded more with the women in our party by talking about the woes of dating. I couldn’t take it after a while so went to peruse the showroom and look at all of the charming and useless imported nick-knacks.

welcome to Ferrari-Carano

2008 Pinot Grigio, Russian River Valley: This was a transparent pale yellow. It smelled of apricot and peach. Surprisingly it had a medium body. We all liked it.

2008 Fumé Blanc, Sonoma County: This was a pale yellow. It smelled of pineapple with floral notes. It had a mild grapefruit flavor.

wine and more for sale at Ferrari-Carano

2007 Chardonnay, Alexander Valley: This was a golden yellow with a citrus nose. It tasted of green apple.

2007 Tre Terre Chardonnay, Russian River Valley: This tasted green apply to us and Hegui thought that it was too acidic.

2007 Siena, Sonoma County: This wine is a blend of sangiovese 78% and Malbec 22%. It was a transparent pomegranate color. It had no real nose. It tasted vaguely fruity on medium body with a mildly tannic finish.

2007 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley: This is a blend of zin 88%, Petite Sirah 6% and Carignane 6%. It was a transparent purplish red. To Hegui it smelled “like the heat of the summer.” It was peppery with a long finish. Good.

2007 Merlot, Sonoma County: This is 97% merlot, 3% cab. It was a brownish red color. It smelled of leather and blood. This was a smooth and sensuous wine. I loved it and got a bottle for the picnic that had to happen elsewhere.

2007 Villa Fiore Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley: This was a purple red color. It smelled of grilled meats. It had a smoky flavor with medium body.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley: This was a brownish purple with medium body and a smoky flavor.

the big house at Ferrari-Carano

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highly rated malbec home tasting

by Stevie on September 2, 2009

Recently we’ve “re-discovered” malbec. I’d forgotten how wonderful that Argentinean red could be. When I last wrote about this wine, I promised you readers a home tasting of more selections and, after a bit more warm up to this glorious subject, here we go.

vistalba and mendel Argentine malbecs

vistalba and mendel Argentine malbecs

While we were drinking these wines at home, I also started reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series that’s been such a big hit. The tops of each book boast that they’re a number 1 series on the New York Times bestseller list! That is impressive. I’m on book five now and I really get it! This series is incredibly exciting! You do know that a movie is coming out next year based on the first in the series, The Lightening Thief? Maybe I’m sailing off course from malbec now, but the reason that I’m thinking of these wines in the context of the Percy Jackson series is: one, the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, plays a significant role in the books; and two, all of these malbecs are such dark opaque purple colors that they remind me of that line from the Iliad, I think, about “sailing the wine-dark sea.” If the Trojan War took place in South America than the seas would surly have been filled with delicious dark purple malbec!

Anyway, here’re our reviews. I purchased all of these wines from my local wine shop, K and L, in San Francisco. They were all rated by the professionals at 90 points or above. I only got wines less than $25 per bottle, to try to stay in line with me recession wine spending budget. Though they were all good, we clearly liked some over others. Of course that’s why you should all be having your own wine home tastings. Taste is subjective and you cannot always rely on the opinions of others.

2008 Achával Ferrer Malbec Mendoza, Argentina WS 91 $18.99
This was an opaque purple with aromas of leather and unripe fruit. It has a fruity flavor with plums most prominent as well as some caramel notes on a long peppery finish. This wine was just good, not amazing, though we liked it better than the Fabre Montmayou.

La Posta and Achaval Ferrer Argentine malbecs

La Posta and Achaval Ferrer Argentine malbecs

2007 La Posta del Viñatero Malbec Pizzella Vineyard, Argentina WS 91 $14.99
It was opaque purple with toasted wood chip notes on the nose. The official tasting notes for the wine describe “pure purple fruit” and it’s true, the wine did taste purple, though perhaps that just means grape-y in this case; rather than eggplant, blueberry or plum flavored. It was a robust peppery wine but the drama of its color did not meet our taste expectations in this basically ordinary wine.

2007 Fabre Montmayou Malbec Gran Reserva RP 92 $18.99
This was a beautiful dark purple color. It had minimal aroma. The taste was of dark fruit and “scorched earth,” just like the professional tasting notes indicated. The finish was long but this wine did not leave us wanting more.

2005 Vistalba “Corte B” Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina WS 92 $19.99
Yep, this was dark purple, too. “I don’t smell much,” Hegui exclaims. It was not fruity, had a medium body that finishes on peppery notes with a touch of currants. The wine tasted “flat” to us rather than round and robust. One of the K and L clerks that I like claimed to love this wine and thought the 2006 Bodegas Colomé Estate was too much, saying that wine was “two bottles in one.” I guess that I think that he’s right but got the emphasis on which was better backwards.

Fabre Montmayou Argentine malbec

Fabre Montmayou Argentine malbec

2006 Bodega Mendel Malbec Mendoza, Argentina RP 92 WS 91 $22.99
Dark purple with good legs, the wine smelled mainly of tannins. It had juicy stone fruits, medium body and surprisingly only a mild astringency. It had a lot of fruit on the finish. We liked this wine.

So there we have it. Of the five, we really enjoyed just one or two of the wines. I really love home tastings though. It helps you refine your palate and gives you the chance to really get the hang of specific kinds of wine pleasantly and easily. You should try this at home soon.

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malbec, Malbec, MALBEC!

by Stevie on July 30, 2009

posing in the Andes in front of Aconcagua

posing in the Andes in front of Aconcagua

Ah, malbec! Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. This is what we thought a few years ago while vacationing in Argentina with a few friends. At that time the American dollar was very strong and the Argentine economy was in the dumps. We felt rich! As a result, of course, we gorged on food and wine. These days Argentina is famous for its malbec. They make a variety of whites, though that’s a bit ho-hum if you ask me. Why have white when you can drink red, I always say?!? And though they produce other reds, why mess with the best? It was pretty much malbec at lunch, dinner, sometimes in the afternoon, during wine tasting and once in a while in the evenings. We were there for about nine days—several in Buenos Aries and a few in Mendoza, a famous wine region near the Andes and the border to Chile. At any rate, you see the pattern emerging here. Malbec daily, which is a very good thing in theory, but in practice, it led me to grow really very over that fabulous wine. By the time we left for Brazil, I was convinced that the French, god bless them, had gotten the name right: malbec means something like ‘bad beak’ which I suppose one could loosely translate into ‘mouth.’ So there you are: I was sick of the bad mouth.

Argentina is a wonderful country if you haven’t had the good fortune to go there. The capital is just like they say in the guide books: very European seeming. It reminded me oddly of Montreal or perhaps Toronto, two Canadian cities that are also often described as very European. I wonder if that’s meant as a compliment or as an insult? Couldn’t these places be creative enough to develop cities unique to their own regions or what? You’ll never hear anyone saying that Los Angeles or Dallas reminds them of places in Europe! Isn’t it good to do your own thing sometimes?

Hegui enjoying the Buenos Aires nightlife with some handsome Argentines

Hegui enjoying the Buenos Aires nightlife with some handsome Argentines

Anyway, back to the trip. Buenos Aires went by in a blur. This could be because I was horribly ill with a dreadful cold that I caught on the plane. We did see a lot and we had a mutual friend who had friends in the city. They met us at a silver shop that one of them runs. Already that’s cool. Argentina got the name supposedly because the Spanish discovered silver there. But these very nice guys also arranged for us to go out to some trendy hot spots for dinner, drinks—malbec of course—and dancing. Wow!

In Mendoza, we went wine tasting one day with a private tour. The next day, that same tour company drove us up into the Andes to see the famous Aconcagua. It’s the tallest mountain anywhere in the world outside of Asia. Really awesome!

Anyway all of this rambling is to say that I’ve gotten back in the Argentine malbec groove with our recent tasting of a great malbec.

try some Argentine malbec very soon!

try some Argentine malbec very soon!

2006 Bodegas Colomé Estate Malbec Valle Calchaquí Salta, Argentina:

This wine supposedly was recommended by Wine Spectator as a “Smart Buy” and placed number 38 on their Top 100 wines of 2008 list. They rate it at 92 points. I spent $22.99 for the bottle. A bit over budget for my $20 limit but as a little Tuesday night splurge, it was worth it.

The wine had an opaque dark purple almost inky color that looked intense. Hegui thought that it smelled of “heat; hot like the desert.” I still have no idea what that means but I love the description. It tasted almost bloody like a good syrah. It had a lot of body and a moderate finish. Not pure malbec, it also had 7% cabernet sauvignon and 8% tannat.

It was a great wine! I’m almost ready for a malbec home tasting sometime soon.

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