Tag Archives: Argentina

Bodega Mauricio Lorca Reserve Malbec 2020, Mendoza, Argentina

09 Thursday Mar 2023

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Deep purple colored with a secondary tinge of dark brown showing a touch of turbidity.  Slow but thin legs show off the 13.6% ABV.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black currant, plum, vanilla, menthol, coffee, violets and black tea.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and tannins alongside a medium body with flavors of black plum blackberry, vanilla and coffee.  The nose is more intense and offers more complexity but the palate is very smooth and delicious.  The nose was confusing me- it has aromas that would point to Cab Sav or even Merlot but it’s the structural parts on the palate that confirm it to be a Malbec- soft and juicy with an easy to drink tannic structure coupled with lower acidity.  The finish is a touch short but there’s some charred oak notes alongside the dark fruit.  I like this $14 effort a lot and give it 89 points, making it a 4 star wine.  Tonight I am pairing it with baked Corned Beef and roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2025.  Salut….

La Mascota Vineyards ‘Unanime’ Gran Tinto 2017, Maipu, Argentina

06 Monday Mar 2023

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Inky purple colored, this blend of 60% Cab Sav, 25% Malbec and 15% Cab Franc leaves a slight stain on the walls and has thick, slow moving legs (14% ABV).  The nose has wafting aromas of blackberry jam, black plum, violet, vanilla bean, chocolate,   some bell pepper and a medicinal note from the oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained but prominent.  Full bodied, this wine gives me flavors of black fruit, oak influence that is well masked/integrated (vanilla, medicinal, chocolate) and a touch of blueberry.  It hangs in there for a decent length finish and is silky smooth on the back end.  It’s delicious and will pair beautifully with our grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes.  This is drinking beautifully now and will cellar till 2028.  I will give it 92 points which is a bit shy of the 95 it got from one pro.  At $25 it gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

Pacheco Pereda Estirpe Organic Cabernet Franc 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

03 Friday Mar 2023

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Not quite opaque, this deep ruby Cabernet Franc has medium viscosity legs (14% ABV).  The nose has bright aromas- violets, black raspberry, bell pepper, vanilla, baking spices, black plums and an interesting purple twizzler note.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and crunchy tannins that are medium (+) in intensity.  A touch astringent- the mouthfeel leads to a medium-to-full body with flavors of black plum and raspberry, vanilla bean and oak spices.  The tannins really grip on the back end where they get a little more fine-grained.  On the initial push they were very raw and coarse.  This wine could use aerating methinks.  I like the finish, it’s pretty long in length and the florals that I got on the nose reappear alongside the dark red fruit and softening tannins.  I have been simmering a Port reduction sauce to go over some grilled Strip steaks, this wine is going to pair beautifully.  92 points from me for this $30 offering makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2030.  Salut….

Jose Hernandez Torrontes 2021, Salta, Argentina

15 Sunday Jan 2023

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Pale lemon-lime colored with a watery sheen on the glass walls (12.5%ABV).  The nose of this aromatic Torrontes has intense aromas of papaya, apricot, geranium, honeysuckle, mandarin oranges, white tea and bergamot.  Intriguing!  The nose smells of ripe, sweet fruit so there is a preconception that this wine will have some sweetness- au contraire.  It is dry with medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  A touch bitter right off the bat, the flavors of apricot, geranium, white tea and honeysuckle carry through to a medium length finish that I am enjoying.  I’m really starting to like this varietal, it is very tasty with crisp acidity and holds many interesting flavors and aromas.  88 points from me.  I am serving it as an aperitif while I cook dinner.  It would pair with a Cobb salad, poached chicken on quinoa or even a hard cheese board.  For $13 it’s a 4 star effort.  Drink now.  Salut….

Phebus Torrontes 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

09 Monday Jan 2023

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Pale straw colored this aromatic grape has an intense nose.  Aromas of grape, orange zest, lemon, lime, florals and wet slate.  The palate is dry with cutting medium level acidity and a medium body.  Citrus driven with a hint of pith layered in floral notes make for a very delicious flavor profile.  The finish is quite long, concentrating on orange pith and lemon zest, the acidity doesn’t stop.  I like this wine- 90 points worth and for $14 it’s a 5 star porch-pounder that rings in at 12.5% ABV.  Get some in preparation for summer.  I would pair this with spice laden dishes, seafood or a crisp salad with grilled chicken.  Salut….

Mauricio Lorca Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Mendoza, Argentina

31 Monday Oct 2022

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Deep ruby/purple colored with a tinge of blue on the edges.  The nose gives me aromas of blueberry, açaí berry, plum, mint, candied black cherry and smoke.  Th palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  I get flavors of açaí, blueberry, charcoal, candied black cherry and plums from this medium to full bodied wine.  I also get some heat on the back end even though it only sports a 13.6% ABV.  The finish is short in duration and I get some charred oak notes along with the fading tannins and blueberry.  It’s a decent weekday wine that gets 87 points from me and for $11 it’s a decent value that gets 3 stars. Drink now with burgers, pizza or other family favorites.  Salut….

Dominio del Plata Susana Balbo Torrontes Late Harvest 2016, Mendoza, Argentina

16 Wednesday Mar 2022

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Torrontes is a very intriguing aromatic varietal that I really enjoy, so when I saw a Late Harvest (ie. sweet ) I could not resist.  It is medium lemon in color and has a watery sheen in the glass as expected for a 12% ABV wine.  The nose is incredible- pronounced aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, lemon curd and rosewater.  The palate is sweet- full bodied and of medium (-) acidity.  The flavors are pronounced on the palate.  Florals, ripe citrus curd, rose and honeysuckle caress the mouth with a richness.  Served chilled, this wine is actually very refreshing and dare I say- easy to drink!  As a dessert wine I am thinking it would pair with poached stone fruit and vanilla ice cream.  For $30 it’s a great intro to something unique that gets 91 points from me and 5 stars.  Ps.  I am drinking it as an aperitif.  Salut….

Carmelo Patti Gran Assemblage 2013, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Sunday Feb 2022

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The second red wine at the 25th Virtual tasting was from the same producer as the first bottle.  This one is a year younger and has been blended with Malbec, Merlot and Cab Franc.  A mix of new and used oak in the winemaking allowed us to compare flavors and aromas with a wine that relied mostly on used oak.

In the glass this blend is medium garnet, slightly less opaque than the Cab Sav we tasted previously.  Leather, tobacco, black currant, black cherry, blackberry and cassis aromas were quite evident on the nose.  The palate was dry, slightly tart with medium tannins, medium (-) acidity and light bodied.  Flavors of black currant, spice, leather, tobacco, blood/iron and orange marmalade but I did make a note that this wine was a touch ‘thin’.  Scoring it 91 points was a little off from the pros.  This $50 bottle gets 3 stars from me and only 14 marks on the tasting scale.  Drink now with lighter meat dishes.  Salut….

Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Vinedo de Montana Cabernet Franc 2018,Mendoza, Argentina

04 Friday Feb 2022

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This Argentinian wine is deep, deep purple- like opaque and brooding in the glass.  The nose starts off with a vegetal note- green peppers, asparagus, grass.  I manage to coax blackberry, iodine, ripe blueberry and smoke with some vigorous swirling.  The palate is bone dry with pretty gritty tannins, medium acidity, full body and a mid length finish.  The fruit flavors start with black and blue berries and then some green veggies and black licorice, opposite order from the nose.  The oak influence is less noticeable on the palate but I still get a touch.  Iodine and an iron-like note kick in on the mid to back end.  This wine would pair beautifully with a juicy steak and some fried batatas.  It will cellar nicely till 2030 and gets 91 points from me.  The pros all went 94, which is stretch in my book.  At $40, it gets 4 stars.  Salut….

Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec 2018, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina

04 Tuesday Jan 2022

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I have drunk numerous vintages of this Malbec, in copious quantities to boot- so when I was looking for a red wine to try and pair with Andouille and Shrimp Creole I thought this might just work.  Spicy foods need to stay away from very tannic wines which need to be very fruit forward and cannot flaunt too much acidity.  This varietal is just that; medium tannins, high in fruit and mild in acidity.

This Reserve offering is inky purple in the glass, like opaque.  The nose is very fruity with ripe plum, toast, cinnamon, blackcurrant, black cherry and anise.  The palate is beautiful- full bodied yet super smooth with black fruits galore, gentle acidity and lithe tannins.  A virtual compote of black and dark red fruit with hints of oak.  A long finish that is all fruit, little astringency and mildly tart- perfect for my needs.  I would also pair this wine with roast poultry, venison, even a pork tenderloin and obviously steaks.  It will drink nicely till 2026 and gets 91 points from me.  At $18 it’s a steal that gets 5 stars.  If you like round, plush, fruity wines that are not very tart or astringent then look for this gem.  Salut….