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Tag Archives: Argentina

Clos de los Siete by Michel Rolland 2020, Mendoza, Argentina

08 Wednesday May 2024

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$20, 5 stars, 90 points, Argentina, Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Malbec, Mendoza, merlot, petit verdot, syrah, Uco Valley


Deep inky purple with slight staining and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of baked blackberry cobbler with vanilla, warm spices and nicely browned crust.  Mulberry and açaí berry follow with some mint and black tea notes.  The palate has medium acidity, a full body and medium tannins.  Medium (+) flavors of dark fruit, toasty oak, a slight bitterness from the tannins that have finally gripped and some heavy layers of mint/acai/vanilla that go on to a medium (-) finish.  A very delicious wine with decent structure – 90 points. Drink till 2028 with grilled tenderloins.  A blend of 50% Malbec, 24% Merlot, 11% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot makes this $20 bottle a 5 star effort.  Salut….

 

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Trapiche Oak Cask Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Mendoza, Argentina

13 Wednesday Mar 2024

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$10, 4 stars, 89 points, Argentina, cabernet sauvignon, Mendoza


Deep ruby colored with slight staining and a medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Ugh nose has somewhat muted aromas of black plum, blackberry, cedar, charcoal and baking spice.  The palate is dry with a medium body and medium tannins.  The lush black fruit is laced with baking spices and charred wood notes.  I get a hint of coffee and a licorice note.  The finish is surprisingly long for what started out as a fairly basic wine.  What it lacked in complexity on the nose, it makes up for on the palate with some decent structure and ripe fruit.  89 points from me for this $10 effort gets it 4 stars.  Drink till 2026 with burgers, pizza, grilled steak or even some charcuterie.  Salut….

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Fabre Montmayou Reserva Cabernet Franc 2022, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina

29 Thursday Feb 2024

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$16, 3 stars, 88 points, Argentina, Cabernet franc, lujan de cuyo, medoza


Deep purple colored with slight straining and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of blueberry, mint, green pepper, black raspberry, lavender, cedar and violet.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium tannins.  Flavors of blueberry, black raspberry, menthol, green tea and cedar along with a phenolic bitterness.  The finish is a bit astringent with medium persistence and a focus on the raspberry and menthol notes.  It’s got decent structure, I just worry about the astringency.  88 points from me for this $16 effort makes it a 3 star wine to drink till 2027.  I’m pairing with seared Sirloin steaks.  Salut….

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Bodega Aleanna ‘El Enemigo’ Cabernet Franc 2020, Mendoza, Argentina

25 Sunday Feb 2024

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$22, 4 stars, 90 points, Argentina, Cabernet franc, Mendoza


Deep purple with moderate staining and a high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of capsicum, black cherry, black plum, licorice, coffee, burnt sugar, clove, violets and acai berry.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, medium tannins and a medium body.  Flavors of acai berry, black plum, black cherry, coffee, violets and smoky clove lead to a medium (+) length finish that has a nice tannic dryness and some caressing black and blue fruit.  Retasting- the body is medium (-) in weight and the density of the fruit is a little diluted. I can’t say I agree with the trio of 93 points from others, more like 90 to me. I am pairing it with Pot Roast and Yorkshire puddings, I think the tannic grip will do nicely with the fatty nature of the dish. At $22 it’s a 4 star wine to drink till 2027. Salut….

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Diseno Old Vine Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

25 Sunday Feb 2024

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$11, 3 stars, 87 points, Argentina, Malbec, Mendoza


From a recent dinner I took very basic notes of this Argentinian Malbec that runs a mere $11.

Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV). On the nose I get aromas of plum, acai, blueberry and coffee. The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a medium body. Flavors of blueberry, coffee, mocha, plum and a mineral note lead to a medium length finish.  I like the balance of this wine and its mouthfeel- not overly done with pleasing acidity and tannins that are smooth and unobtrusive.  87 points makes this a 3 star wine to drink soon.  Salut….

 

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Phebus Torrontes 2022, Mendoza, Argentina

15 Monday Jan 2024

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$13, 4 stars, 89 points, Argentina, Mendoza, Torrontes


Pale lemon colored with a watery sheen (12.5% ABV).  The nose of this aromatic wine is quite intense with aromas of wild flower, lemon zest, grapefruit, papaya, pink guava, rosewater and tangerine.  It’s quite a potpourri!  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and a refreshingly light body.  The flavors are not quite as intense as the nose but I still get loads of wild flower, citrus and tropical fruit notes. The papaya is quite prominent and reminds me of growing up in Africa.  One would be mistaken in assuming this veritable fruit salad is going to be off-dry- it’s really dry and crisp.  The finish is short to medium in length with citrus pith dominating.  I am really enjoying this Torrontes as I did with the 2021 vintage .  This one gets 89 points from me and at $13 it’s a buy-by-the-box wine for the upcoming summer.  Pair with crisp salad, grilled chicken salad or tuna fish casserole.  4 stars.  Salut….

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Arraigo Benegas Estate Wine Cabernet Franc 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

12 Tuesday Dec 2023

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$20, 3 stars, 87 points, Argentina, Cabernet franc, Mendoza


Deep purple colored with slight staining and medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of blueberry pie, with vanilla and baking spices really prominent.  Acai berry and black plum support alongside bell pepper and mint.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (-) tannins.  A medium body shows off ripe blue fruit, vanilla, spices and a hint of greeness.  The finish is a little bit tart with the blueberry tending to slightly underripe which is interesting.  The length is short to medium and very pleasant.  I like this somewhat basic wine for what it is- a $20 weekday quaffer.  It gets 87 points from me and 3 stars.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

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Aldi ‘The Exquisite Collection’ Malbec 2023, Uco Valley, Argentina

25 Monday Sep 2023

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$8, 3 stars, 86 points, Argentina, Malbec, Uco Valley


Deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of macerated blackberry, a touch of black plum, raspberry and whiff of asparagus.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium tannins that lead to a medium body.  The fresh black fruit is more evident on the palate and there is a hint of rooibos tea, some mocha and raspberry- the green note is nowhere to be tasted.  The finish is short in length but refreshingly tart.  This is not a complex wine by any stretch, but for $8 from ALDI…. I’ll drink it on a weekday with grilled burgers, pizza or pasta.  It’s funny to drink a wine that is a 2023 vintage when most of the northern hemisphere has not even begun to pick their 2023 grapes.  This 86 point wine gets 3 stars from me and should be drunk by 2027.  Salut….

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Los Noques Cabernet Franc 2020, Uco Valley, Argentina

24 Sunday Sep 2023

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$14, 2 stars, 86 points, Argentina, Cabernet franc, Mendoza, Uco Valley


Deep ruby with medium viscosity (15.1% ABV).  Aromas of menthol, green pepper, blackcurrant and black raspberry.  It’s a bit tough to overcome the high alcohol on the nose but I finally let it blow off and get some notes of dried fig and tamarind.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are quite raw and green.  The body is medium to full and has blackcurrant, raspberry, fig, dusty earth and underripe blueberry.   The finish is astringent and medium in length.  A somewhat disjointed wine that needs some time to settle and let the tannins smooth methinks.  The alcohol is noticeable and bothersome unfortunately which further lowers the score of this wine.  86 points from me and at $14, it’s a 2 star effort.  Drink from 2025-2029.  Salut….

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Ernesto Catena Vineyards Tikal Patriota 2018, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Saturday May 2023

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$20, 4 stars, 90 points, Argentina, bonarda, Malbec, Mendoza, VWTC


A 60/40 Bonarda/Malbec blend, this was the second wine in our lineup at the 31st virtual wine tasting.  It showed deep purple with lots of staining and medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  On the nose- blackberry, black cherry, black currant, pomegranate and caramel.  Others noted candied cherry, twizzlers, fig, slate and violet.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and high tannins.  The dark, ripe fruit flavors were echoed on the palate along with some oak influence- coffee, charred wood and an oaky hint.  The finish on this medium bodied wine was decent in length and really honed in on the ripe, black berries.  I gave it 13 points on our scoring sheet and would assign it 90 points.  For $20 this wine gets 4 stars with a drinking window of 2025-2030 unless you like them tannic AF.  Salut….

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