Malbec

My first time trying this.  It seems to be associated with Ghost Block wines.  This is a blend of 56% Malbec and 44% Petite Verdot.  Inky purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has plums, cedar, clay and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, plums with a bit of black raspberries.  More one dimensional with out a lot going on.  It drinks very easy.  Nice on its own, this would be a nice mid week burger wine.  drink over the next five years.  

Malbec has become Argentina’s signature grape, and this South American country does very well with it. This value wine shows off how good Malbec can be at various price points, proof you don’t need to break the bank for a good bottle of wine. It offers huckleberry and blackberry, and there’s an earthiness to this wine, with solid acidity and oak aging that supports the fruit. The finish is a little thin, but when paired with food, as all good wines should be, that becomes less of an issue. ORIGIN: Mendoza, Argentina. ALCOHOL: 14.5%

Though this has become an iconic wine, the beauty of this wine and many others is vintage variation, which produces subtle changes, depending on weather patterns and how the fruit is grown. This is Duckhorn’s most dense and deeply rich Merlot of the past few years, and in fact this is a Merlot dominant iteration (98% Merlot, 2% Malbec). More dark and brooding than previous vintages this one has a beautiful depth to it - deep and rich, blackberry pie, Huckleberry compote, blueberry jam, and light strawberry.

This is an organic Kosher wine and before you start snickering, this is also really good!  Purple in color with slight magenta hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with boysenberries and plums.  Smooth texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, plums and boysenberries with slight underlying earthiness.  Long finish with an almost minty note.  This is very tasty on its own and will work well with slow cooked meats.  Brisket, anyone?  Drink over the next five years.  

This was my favorite of the Virgen lineup of wines recently tasted and seemed a step up from the 2020 Organic Malbec.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has sweet black cherries, some plums, some currants and a slight earthy note.  Nice  lush mouthfeel.  Firm tannins.  Great balance and energy.  On the palate, black cherries and plums with some depth.  Long finish.  Tremendous value.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with meats and fowl off the grill (and, veggies too).  Drink over the next three to five years.  

This was my favorite of the Gaia lineup tasted.  Purple in color, ruby at the edges, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has plums, slight cherries, slighter cranberries with char.  Firm tannins.  Nice texture.  Nice balance.  On the palate, this is very concentrated.  Plums and dark cherries with some underlying char and earth.  Long finish.  Delicious wine.  Great value.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with roasted chicken or meats.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

This is a blend of Malbec, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon organic grapes.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, plum, slight weedy notes and clay.  Medium to full bodied.  Good acidity.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has black cherry fruit.  Simple and easy drinking but a nice value.  Great choice for a party.  This works well on its own and would be nice with a burger or chicken off the grill.  Drink over the next few years.  

And now for something completely different...

Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cassis, chocolate and fig.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Nice balance.  On the palate, lovely plum fruit withy a bit of tobacco and slight spice.  Long, tannic finish.  This is drinking well but really could use another year or two in the cellar to integrate a bit.  The score should go up a point or two at that time.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  Nice on its own, this would work well with a burger or a pot of chili.  

A lovely blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec, and 15% Cabernet Franc, the grapes were grown in selected old vineyards from the Uco Valley. The 2017 offers black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, and raspberry notes, with back notes of pomegranate, tea leaf and rhubarb. The expressive fruit is mitigated by mellow acidity and tannic structure. Aged in French oak for 20 months, this wine is a reminder of the value and quality that Argentina as a whole delivers. ORIGIN: Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina. ALCOHOL: 14%