Mendoza Malbec

SF Wine Trading Company
Tasted Saturday, January 3, 2015 by drwine2001 with 332 views

Introduction

.

Flight 1 (6 Notes)

  • 2013 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Tilia

    Argentina, Mendoza

    Medium deep center. Wood spice more than red fruit on the nose. Quite smooth entry with ripe fruit and some green cut off by dill, pickle barrel notes and acidity. Still, not a bad little wine at all for all of $10.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2012 Bodega Atamisque Malbec Catalpa Old Vines

    Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, La Consulta

    Quite deep ruby core. Full on pine wood aromatics, much like many classic Riojas. Medium weight and body. The attack is actually quite nice with fennel and cassis fruit, but it is diminished by strong, drying wood tannins which dominate the mid-palate and finish.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2012 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Catena High Mountain Vines

    Argentina, Mendoza

    Beautiful deep purple/ruby robe. Very fragrant boysenberry and herb. Mouthfilling texture but manages to be somewhat elegant and refreshing at the same time due to fresh acidity. Blue and black fruit with an unusual fudge component that is different from the more common chocolate tones. Fine tannins. This is one where you feel more than taste the wood. Very good in a modern style.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

  • 2012 Mendel Malbec

    Argentina, Mendoza

    Almost the inkiness of Syrah. Pungent anise aromas. Big, ripe, and oaky. The chocolatiness of the oak outcompetes the blueberry fruit, but some balance is still apparent. Very polished, round tannins keep this from being too syrupy and over the top. Also clearly in the modern camp of winemaking.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

  • 2012 Luca Malbec

    Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco

    Medium ruby with some clearing (more normal looking than the superdense Mendel). Some sulfide makes the nose hard to discern. Lighter weight, more supple and airy than most of these wines. Less ripeness, redder quality fruit, enlivening acidity, herbal complexity, and quite grippy tannins suggest the need for further aging. Very Bordeaux-like and a relief after some of the bigger specimens. I found this so much more interesting than most of the other wines sampled.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

  • 2011 Casarena Malbec Jamilla's Vineyard

    Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Agrelo

    Quite dark center. Reticent scents of blue fruit and baking spices. Medium to full, powerful entry with ripe but not sweet fruit. Inner mouth floral tones that none of the other wines had, a distinct citric (blood orange?) lift toward the end, and serious, grainy tannins. Serious stuff in need of bottle age but potentially excellent. Although the wood did not seem as obvious as in some of the other wines, this left a persistent layer of dusty cocoa on the aftertaste.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

Closing

This flight just about doubled my experience with Argentinean reds. Interesting range of wines and potential terrific values if you like the palate of flavors and style.

×
×