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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.1 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 90 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 1/9/2021 & rated 91 points: Similar to other bottles over the past year. Great value. One bottle left. (1443 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 11/4/2020 & rated 92 points: I bought this case many years ago on a lark.....and the WA rating. Two bottles now left. While it has never quite lived up to the WA rating, it has still been a great value and has outperformed its price point. I have had 2021 down as the back end of the drink window. I still think that should be the last year. (1336 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 6/10/2020 & rated 92 points: I posted a tasting note back in February about a sub par bottle of this one......after a few very good experiences. This bottle was back to what it had been. Fortunately, the February bottle was a one-off. (1460 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 2/7/2020 & rated 90 points: This bottle was well off from other tastings. I hope it is a one off situation...….4 bottles left. (1553 views) | | | Tasted by mac-eye on 2/4/2020 & rated 92 points: Pure dark color, essentially no visible signs of age at 12 years.
Deep fruit, starting to show some secondary characteristics.
Nice combination of modest forward brightness & acidity and brooding backward plum, cherry and blueberry fruit and slight earthiness.
Apparently at the perfect age now, not near the end of its drinking window (CT currently says it ended 2019).
Very nice balance overall.
While a perfect food match would be a grilled steak, I like it on its own, with strongly flavored chicken or with intense cheese. (1596 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 11/22/2019 & rated 93 points: My comments on this wine going back a few years have mostly expressed disappointment. It was no where near the WA rating. Then a bottle earlier this year began to reflect a better experience. This bottle was even better and is up to the WA rating. I don't usually expect a wine in this price range to take so long to come around. I would be a drinker now. (903 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 6/7/2019 & rated 92 points: This wine had been a big disappointment to me until a bottle I drank about last August. It showed at that point that it was coming around to the WA rating of 93. This bottle was even better......I gave it a 92, but it might even be better. I am a little surprised that a wine at this price point took so long to come around. This one should be drunk now.....it is hard to see how it can get better from here. (942 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 8/29/2018 & rated 91 points: I have been disappointed in this wine in relation to the WA rating, but not necessarily with regard to price point. This bottle was a little better than earlier experiences. (1127 views) | | | Tasted by kmicho on 8/28/2017 & rated 90 points: One of the better Malbecs I've had in quite a long time. Very complex wine with a very nice spice to it. Easy drinking and would pair with many meals including heavy red meats, but despite the fact that it's easy drinking, it bursts in the mouth with flavors. (1629 views) | | | Tasted by hebill on 4/23/2017: At peak or a bit beyond. Doesn't have structure to hold on longer. Drink. (1807 views) | | | Tasted by tdskier on 12/27/2016 & rated 92 points: A very nice Malbec. Nice strong blackberry on the nice with nice strong fruit on the palate. Nice long finish. This wine will drink nicely for many years. (2076 views) | | | Tasted by D3S on 10/2/2016 & rated 90 points: Much better the second day. (2040 views) | | | Tasted by Matcavanna on 10/23/2015 & rated 91 points: Loved it, smooth round and balanced Malbec, with great red fruit & plums. Excelent with empanadas. (2701 views) | | | Tasted by ersatz on 8/30/2015 & rated 95 points: After 2 hours in decanter, this wine opened and became a fabulous Malbec - layers of fruit and long finish. Not at all like the heavy, leaden Malbecs so common. Do not underestimate this wine! (2361 views) | | | Tasted by apmarques on 8/5/2015 & rated 85 points: great malbec. ready to drink but maybe 1 or 2 years could improve it. very nice wine. (2116 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 7/7/2015 & rated 89 points: Similar to prior tastings. Good value, but there is no sign of the WA rating of 93 showing up. (2006 views) | | | Tasted by nbrue on 6/27/2015 & rated 85 points: A little thick, a little dull, a little heavy but it worked OK with a pizza. Glad I don't have much more. (1885 views) | | | Tasted by Sourdough on 12/5/2014 & rated 88 points: This bottle troubles me a bit. It was a gift with unknown provenance which may contribute to my sense that all is not right.
Color is on light side for a Malbec. Browner on the edges than I would expect for a 2008.
Nose on opening had a light barnyard funk which I like. On opening there was a slight off taste I associate with grapes let in sun too long during harvest. A slightly "cooked" taste. This bottle may not be typical of Tikal??? Will see how it evolves???
Flavor is big. Lots of cherry and plum. Long finish. Will be much better if the cooked flavor goes away.
After 2 hours the off taste is almost gone and what is left is pretty good. Very good finish but still only an 88. and it doesn't feel right. Finished the bottle at 5 hours and the I would say it is 88 or 89 but still has a very slight off taste. OTOH the rest of it is very nice. (1890 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 9/30/2014 & rated 89 points: Needs a 1 hour decant....at least. Great value. "Different"......not like a typical malbec, but good with the type of food one would get a malbec out for. (1863 views) | | | Tasted by WineGuyFL on 1/7/2014 & rated 90 points: Deep, dark purple. Somewhat unusual overall taste for a Malbec. A note of cherries came through. Not sure where the high WA rating came from, but still enjoyable with a good PQR. (2554 views) | | | Tasted by Hetspoor on 4/20/2013: Zeer intense aroma's van rijpe kersen, zwarte en rode bessen. Fluweelzacht en rijk in de mond met de juiste grip en tanninestructuur. (3552 views) | | | Tasted by Xfactor on 3/25/2013 & rated 88 points: A lot more cherry than anticipated, very light and fine tannins. Never developed that signature dark bold fruit Malbec note, but was very enjoyable. Went well with everything and everyone. (3374 views) | | | Tasted by Martnmac on 2/13/2013 & rated 89 points: This is not a pop n pour wine. To do so is an injustice, no question. Upon opening it stinks. Not a pleasant bouquet. But decant and enjoy slowly with friends and conversation and this muddy dark purple prince turns into a King! Bouquet comes out. Fruits of plum and dark cherry dance on your tongue. A near triple Yum yum yum! Buy again and enjoy the ride (3107 views) | | | Tasted by drummer on 1/11/2013 & rated 90 points: dark inky purple, smooth on the palate with good balance, nothing complex,but very enjoyable....takes about 1/2 hr to open nicely (3016 views) | | | Tasted by Skip4wine on 10/29/2012 & rated 88 points: Deep purple color. Plums and musk on the palate. Rather light and lacking in mouthfeel or a big finish. Overall, enjoyable and what you expect for $25. Drink now or over the next few years. (2789 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Tikal Producer website
[Note: The importer's site for Tikal, which has ALL the pertinent info one commonly seeks from the producer. Also, if Tikal is still listed on the Catena site, *I* was unable to find it.]
TIKAL
Tikal is owned by Ernesto Catena and is named after his son. Ernesto spent his childhood in the vineyards of Mendoza among wine-growers and local pundits. Since then, he has experienced a kaleidoscope of cultures, living in New York, Buenos Aires, Berkeley, Cambridge (MA), Milan and London. But his heart remains in his homeland of Argentina (where he now lives), with its natural beauty of mountains, streams and vineyards, its wines, and its people who hold a special passion for living.Malbec Varietal character (Appellation America)
One of the traditional “Bordeaux varietals”, Malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A midseason ripener, it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends. Malbec is a finicky vine whose fruit is prone to rot and mildew in the cool, damp coastal climate of Bordeaux. But ask a Bordelais grower why there’s no Malbec around, and you’ll more likely get a dismissive shrug and sniff than a viticultural analysis. It is known in much of France as Côt, and, in Cahors, also as Auxerrois. There are in fact hundreds of local synonyms, since Malbec at one time was widely planted all over the country. Sensitivity to frost and proclivity to shatter or coulure (a disease that results in premature fruit drop) is the primary reason that Malbec has become a decreasing factor in most of France. Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over twothirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%. Malbec is also planted in Chile, and there’s relatively little and recent acreage in California and Australia. It is usually blended with other red varietals in these countries. But Malbec truly comes into its own in Argentina, where it is the major red varietal planted. Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, on its own roots. Sadly, over the years the bug infested Argentina, too, and vineyards are being replanted on resistant rootstock. Happily, the vines thrive in the arid climate of the Mendoza region in the foothills of the Andes. Made in the context of this South American nation’s Spanish and Italian heritage, it produces a delicious wine that has almost nothing in common with Bordeaux except the color. Argentines often spell it “Malbeck” and make wines from it that are slightly similar in flavor to those made in Europe, but with softer, lusher structure, more like New World Merlot. Another difference is that where French examples are usually considered short-lived, Argentine Malbecs seem to age fairly well. Successful Argentine Malbec growers claim that, in order to develop full maturity and distinction, Malbec needs “hang time” even after sugar levels indicate ripeness. Otherwise, immature Malbec can be very “green” tasting, without its characteristic notes of plum and anise. Malbec in Argentina has come to be appreciated for a spicy white pepper characteristic, the aroma of violets, and sweet, jammy fruit. It is a seductive wine that is typically warm and generous in the mouth, with plenty of flesh, and very appealing when young. Almost always producing a ripe and fruity, even plummy wine, Malbec can take oak aging or show well without it; it’s juicy and quaffable when young but can benefit from aging, developing an intriguing complexity with time in the bottle. It can range in price from as little as $7 to more than $75. The true potential of Argentine Malbec, and indeed in the entire spectrum of Argentine wines, is demonstrated by the fact that many of the world’s most renowned winemakers have come to Argentina to make wine. Both the legendary California winemaker Paul Hobbs, and Michel Rolland of Bordeaux, one of the world’s most famous winemakers, have created very high-end Malbecs. It may be the Italian component in the country’s mixed Latin family tree that fosters the fact that Malbec is an exceptional companion with a broad range of food. Its well-balanced fruit-and-acid profile makes it a natural with rare beef (bear in mind that Argentina is cattle country), but it’s just as good with simple fare from burgers to fried chicken. With its natural balance, good pairings include: cajun cuisine, calzones, cannelloni with meat, poultry, vegetable couscous, steak creole, Greek cuisine, deviled eggs, hummus, Indian cuisine, leg of lamb, Mexican cuisine with meat, pâté, spinach soufflé, and hearty pasta. For cheeses, think of harder styles that are either waxed or oiled, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Ricotta Salata, Romano, Asiago, Pont l’Eveque, Gruyere, Manchego, Cantal, Comte, old Gouda, old Cheddar, Baulderstone, Beaufort, Leicester, aged Chesire, Chevre Noir, Wensleydale, Tilsit, Iberico, Mahon, Roncal, and Mizithra.Argentina Wines of Argentina
Argentina has been making wine since the 1500s, tracing its wine heritage back to Spain, France and, perhaps surprisingly, Italy. Italian immigration is second only to Spanish in Argentine culture, and the flavors of Italy show up strongly in the nation’s wine, food and cultural tradition. Historically, Argentina has kept much of its wine consumption at home, drinking most of the wine it makes. But we are now seeing more very serious Argentine wines north of the border, and Malbec is leading the movement. The wine-making region in Argentina ranges between the 22° and 42° South latitude. It spreads at the foothills of the Andean mountain range along over 2,400 km; from the province of Salta to the province of Río Negro, with a variety of climates and soils that makes each region a unique land. In general terms, the areas dedicated to vine cultivation are dry and arid with a low level of rain and humidity, determining factor as regards grape health. Abundant sunny days and thermal amplitude favor a good maturity and concentration of aroma and color in the grain. Soils are deep, permeable and poor in organic matter, decisive qualities at the time of obtaining good wine. Due to the low rain regime, irrigation is necessary. Water comes from the Andean range thaw, descending in the shape of rivers to become channels or ditches. Undoubtedly, the combination of these factors turns Argentina into a veritable oasis for the highest quality wine-making. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go. Wine-making in Argentina, at the level that it achieves today, has a young history that goes back to a little more than 10 years ago. Technological progress, investment and some farsighted businessmen enabled a determining transformation. The province of Mendoza is the most traditional area in the viticultural industry, and is diverse enough to be divided into zones, according to their significantly different weather, height and soil characteristics. These include the Northern Zone, which is suitable for fruity whites and young reds, at a height from 600 to 700m; the Eastern Zone, with a height ranging from 600 to 700m, and the most productive zone in the province; the Uco Valley, a zone of colder weather and higher altitudes (between 800 and 1,400m over sea level); San Rafael, with heights ranging from 450 to 800m; and the High Zone of the Mendoza River, with heights ranging from 800 to 1,100m over sea level and various microclimates, this is the zone where almost all noble varieties have easily become adapted. It is a region that is remarkably well-suited to vine culture, protected from the Pacific’s cooling influence by the Andes and enjoying a long summer of cool nights and warm days, with a dry summer climate but plenty of water available from the region’s rivers. Malbec in particular is outstanding from this area, and it has clearly emerged as the star, the darling of both consumers and critics.Mendoza Wines of Mendoza |
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