I can’t even tell you how many bottles of this wine I have drunk in my day.  I was introduced to it at an Argie steak house in Anchorage, Alaska of all places.  We used to go there in small groups and empty their supply every time.  I saw this bottle when I was in Boston with the family on a skating trip.  I couldn’t resist.

In the glass, a paler version of purple was on display.  On the nose- black berry and nutmeg come to mind.  The initial palate consists of really delicious dark fruits, some plum ganache and some very tart tannins.  The wine shows off a dryness that takes over the mid palate and finish but still allows flavors of blue and black currants to peek through.  There are not many tertiary flavors but that is okay, this is a primal wine that begs for steak.  It offers one stop shopping if you are in the market for a reasonably priced wine that bangs it with grilled meat, does well alone and will make charcuterie sing. This is one for you to look for.  At $13 this is a good deal and gets 90 points from me making it a 5 star wine.  Drink till 2020 and buy in bulk.  Salut….

I had a few colleagues in town for a meeting and took them to a local restaurant for dinner.  This was the only Malbec available so we took a punt and tried it.  A nose of cherry, oak and black berries.  The initial tastes of dark fruits get melded into a silky vanilla blueberry compote.  The mid palate passes rather quickly with a hint of black berries and licorice.  The finish is nice with an easy going tannin profile and very faint hints of acidity.  This is a basic wine that will suffice in a pinch but I was astounded to read later on that it is only a $9 bottle that we got hosed on ($50+), but more importantly- it only got an 80 point rating from WE.  That’s rather harsh, but shouldn’t a restaurant look for any ratings before buying blindly?  I am not that down on it and will go with 86 points making it a 2 star wine.  Salut….

On our recent trip to the Cape we had dinner with friends at a restaurant where this wine was listed as one of their top offerings.  We shared a bottle and I was impressed with the quality of this Mendoza Malbec.  It has a nose of plums, cedar and earth. Initial attack of black cherry, blackberries and some iodine. Fresh tannins and balanced acidity make for a fresh mouthfeel. Mid length finish of dark fruits and a lashing of tannins on the back end mingle with some tobacco hints. I agree with WS, 90 points and 4 stars for this $16 offering.  Salut….

From Argentina comes this beauty.  A nose of black damson/dark plums, possibly a hint of sagebrush. Nice dark purple color with long legs in the glass, not something I comment on normally. Full on attack of black and blue fruits with ample tannins up front. Mouth watering acidity set this wine up for a long cellar potential. Mid palate hints of violet and plum offset by the edgy tannins. There is a longish finish that indicates the level of alcohol. 14.5% is hard to hide, but it is done rather well in this offering, with just some back end heat showing up. The wine is a little closed right now but will open up in 2017-2018 and cellar well for another 7-8 years. 90 points from me and 3 stars for this decent $30 offering from Mendoza, the capital of Malbec. I reckon it will rock a steak and do justice to some BBQ ribs. The structure is perfect for something sweet and spicy or marbled like a ribeye.  Salut….