Tag Archives: Malbec

King Family Vineyards Meritage 2022, Monticello, Virginia

21 Wednesday Jan 2026

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Deep ruby bordering on garnet colored, with medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of tobacco, blackberry, cassis, black plum, pine needles, coffee, and bramble berry.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium (+) tannins.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of black fruit with some tobacco, coffee, oak, spice box, and vanilla.  The finish is medium in length but I also get some heat on the back end.  I like this blend of 51% Merlot, 24% Petit Verdot, 23% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec- definitively a Right Bank style, sans Cab Sav.  It grows on me as I sip it, garnering more points for its smoothness and richness.  92 points seems fair from me for this $37 bottle, making it a 5 star wine.  Drink till 2033.  Salut….

King Family Vineyards Meritage

Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon Limited Production Malbec 2021, Mendoza, Argentina

04 Sunday Jan 2026

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Deep ruby-red colored, with slight staining, and a high viscosity (13.7% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, licorice, coffee, mint, blackberry coulis, black raspberry, chocolate, and acai berry.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium (+) body, and medium tannins that are chalky.  Medium intensity flavors echo the nose but there’s also a black tea note.  The finish is medium in length and fruity.   I like this wine, the tannins quickly turn powdery and the balance is en pointe.  It’s not as intense as I was hoping for to pair it with Tri-tip, but it’s very delicious and worthy of 90 points.  At $32, it gets 3 stars.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon Limited Production

Bodegas Caro ‘Aruma’ Malbec 2022, Mendoza, Argentina

14 Friday Nov 2025

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Deep purple colored, with moderate staining, and a medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of black plum, brambleberry, mint, eucalyptus, charred oak, coffee, iron, and grape licorice.  The palate is dry, with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium (-) tannins that are pretty astringent.  Medium (+) intensity flavors mirror the nose with a silky mouthfeel.  The bitterness of the tannins hits on the finish, which is medium in length, somewhat detracting from an otherwise delicious and easygoing wine.  89 points from me for this $15 effort gets it 4 stars.  Drink till 2028 with game, duck or even roast chicken.  Salut….

Bodegas Caro Aruma Malbec

Sharon Weeks Cattoo Malbec 2021, Paso Robles, California

30 Thursday Jan 2025

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Deep purple colored with medium viscosity (14.3% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, dark chocolate, blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry and tomato stalk.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium body, and medium tannins that are powdery.  Medium intensity flavors of dark berries, chocolate, black cherry, and that green note I got on the nose.  Malbec is a very easy variety to love, its structure and mouthfeel are very user friendly and this is no exception.  The finish is medium (+) in length- showing off the lovely fruit as well as the gorgeous tannins.  I like this $15 effort a lot.  90 points and 5 stars.  It’s a very nice wine that we’re pairing with roast beef sandwiches.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Sharon Weeks Cattoo Malbec

Eccentric Malbec Bourbon Barrel 2022, Mendoza, Argentina

07 Thursday Nov 2024

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Deep purple colored with slight staining and a medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of ripe black plum, black cherry, cassis, vanilla, acai berry and cedar plank.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity, medium body, and medium tannins that caress.  Flavor intensity is medium and has the plum, cherry, vanilla and acai I got on the nose.  It’s more oak driven than the nose with smoke and coffee also present.  The finish is surprisingly long and mouthwatering.  The acidity must have just caught up to the party!  It’s a soft wine, like I would expect from this varietal but the Bourbon barrel aging gives it a bit of oak drive and the vanilla is on point.  I don’t like over-oaked wines, this one is en pointe.  I’m really enjoying this 91 point that ran me $11- for sure a 5 star effort to enjoy in the near term.  Salut….

Eccentric Malbec Bourbon Barrel

Raats ‘Red Jasper’ 2021, Stellenbosch, South Africa

03 Sunday Nov 2024

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Medium ruby colored with moderate staining and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of black plum, capsicum, black cherry, acai berry, vanilla, coffee, baking spice, charred oak, peppermint and dusty dried wheat (I know).  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins that hit on the tip of my tongue.  Medium (+) intensity flavors of black plum, black cherry, espresso, Lapsang Souchong tea, vanilla, baking spice and charred oak.  The back end is very powerful with tea, black coffee, and charred oak being prominent.  The finish is quite dry with the tannins holding their own all the way through to a medium length ending.  It’s a different profile but very delicious if paired with food.  It’s Sunday roast so the meat and gravy will sort this delicious wine out nicely.  91 points from me for this $20 effort makes it a 5 star wine to drink till 2030.  Mainly Cabernet Franc (53%) it also has Malbec, Cab Sav, Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot- the Classic Bordeaux blend.  Salut….

Raats Red Jasper

Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Malbec 2021, Rapel Valley, Chile

01 Friday Nov 2024

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, bramble berry, a medicinal note, baked pie, vanilla, a touch of green herb, and cracked pepper.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a full body, and medium tannins.  The fruit takes a turn towards tart, which is accentuated by the acidity making for some mouth puckering.  The tannins grip a bit more on the mid palate.  Flavors include dark fruit, charred oak, vanilla, baking spice, and green herbs.  The finish is a bit tart and medium in length, the acidity really grabbing hold- it’s almost to the point of imbalance.  Under $9, this bottle gets 86 points from me and 3 stars.  It’s getting paired with burgers, I’m guessing it will all work out just fine.  Drink now, Salut….

Casillero del Diablo Reserva Malbec

Trivento Reserve Malbec 2022, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina

28 Monday Oct 2024

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Deep purple colored with medium viscosity (13% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of crushed red raspberry (ripe), super ripe strawberry compote, candied red cherry, baking spice, vanilla thread and red licorice- it’s really not my favorite set of descriptors btw.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins sitting on a medium body.  The tannins are a touch unripe and the flavors are somewhat more tart than I was expecting.  Red fruit, but not the macerated, stewed or ripe ones I smelled plus some rooibos tea.  It’s a bit unripe and disjointed tbh, not something I was expecting from this winery.  The finish is tart and a bit astringent.  This is not what I was hoping for by a long shot- 85 points instead of the 90 that JS gave it.  I paid under $10 for it and will go with 3 stars.  Drink soon as I doubt there is much cellaring capacity.  Salut….

Trivento Reserve Malbec

Trivento Golden Reserve Black Series Malbec 2021, Uco Valley, Argentina

15 Wednesday May 2024

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Deep ruby with high viscosity (14% ABV).  Medium (+) intensity aromas of mulberry, pie crust, vanilla, oak and steeped black plum.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and medium (-) tannins.  The flavors are quite pronounced with dark fruit dominating the very well integrated oak treatment- it’s a pleasure.  Charcoal and Lapsang Souchong tea add a new dimension.  It’s a young wine with some cellaring capacity that will reward over the medium term.  I’m loving it, even more so than when previously drinking gallons of this brand, always delicious.  92 points from me for this $20 bottle makes it a 5 star effort to drink till 2030.  Salut….. 

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

08 Wednesday May 2024

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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….