As the name implies, there’s lots of oak in this basic Malbec.  We drank it with charcoal grilled beef sweetbreads and it was a perfect match.  The charred edges of the food paired well with the oaky blueberry fruit and the tannins, although slight, agreed with the lightness of the dish.  The color of the wine was as expected and the nose was heavily oaked.  I’m all for the use of the wood as long as it is done deftly.  I knew what to expect with this one and was pleased.  Simple in structure, it was easy to drink and all the guests enjoyed it.  Reasonable at about $10, I would give this wine 88 points and 4 stars.  It was the juicy Malbec I was searching for the other night.  Salut….

The second bottle ordered at our Argentinian dinner was this Malbec.  You can’t have Argie steaks without Malbec, they go hand in hand.  This one was the traditional inky purple as expected and gave off red fruits and fig compote on the nose.  The palate was different, more blackcurrants and cranberry with some mintiness mixed in.  I enjoyed this wine but have had better Malbecs and would look for more tannins and better acidity.  The big man himself gave it 90, I’m going with 88.  $20 at retail makes this a 3 star effort for me.  Salut….

Cheap and cheerful for $12.  This is a must-have wine for everyday drinking.  It offers juicy Malbec flavors of plums, blackberry, vanilla and it does it all in an easy to drink style.  Slight tannins and juicy acidity give this a great party wine mouthfeel.  It handles pasta, burgers, steaks and just plain old pre-dinner drinking really well.  This winery is consistent and the wine can be found everywhere.  I am a fan and think it’s a  respectable 87 point wine worthy of 4 stars.  Salut….

Last night Moxie banged up some amazing veggie stuffed flank steaks.  I needed a juicy, big , fruity wine to match her culinary skills.  I opened this Malbec from Argentina’s Mendoza region and give her a half cup for the marinade/sauce.  I then went to the glass.  Beautiful purple with some great plums and blackberry on the nose.  A delicious palate of dark berry, purple plums and chocolate.  Medium tannins and good acidity make this a juicy drink for $15.  However, as good as it was while we were cooking, it became muted as soon as I sat down for dinner.  The wine did not hold up to the meat at all.  I was really surprised.  After dinner, it came back to life without any food around.  I have never seen this happen.  A great drinking wine, but not worthy of pairing with food, strange.  Anyway, I would buy it again for the price and simply drink it before or after dinner, perhaps at a party- problem solved!  3 stars and 88 points for me.  Salut….