May 24, 2022 - Great blue fruits that is lighter than I expected. Will wait a year for the next one.
March 6, 2021 - Really liked this, agree with previous review that this came together really nicely. A solid 1hr to decant this will do wonders. Not as dry as dry as a typical Malbec (75% Malbec & 25% Cab Franc is probably why). The last glass was closer to a California Cab.
June 6, 2020 - Interesting stuff that started a little disjointed and began to harmonize with air.
Nose started very tight but showed some ripe blueberry, red and black licorice, menthol, very "cool" nose with ripe fruit lurking but no hint of heat at all. As the nose opened the fruit got a little darker and it began to show that combo of red meat and "bready" tones that a lot of high-quality Argentinian wine seems to show.
Palate was much more expressive, with a wash of ripe, slightly jammier fruit that really showed a full spectrum from bright red to nearly black. The bright red cherry and herbal tones showed the Cab Franc hidden in there, while the waves of plum and prune showed the Malbec (it wasn't "pruny" like an old wine, just showed some echoes of the flavor profile. Medium acidity, enough for the style, and a very sneaky, but ultimately slightly harsh tannic grip. Slightly bitter, herbal echoes on finish.
Very good and you can sense a little extra depth and complexity that justifies the $25 price compared to other less expensive Malbecs- it doesn't really stand out in any one area, but there's not a lot to find fault with. However, I'd say it's definitely too young- the nose has deep fruit lurking behind a tight-knit profile, and the tannins aren't too integrated. The acidity is high enough to help with aging as well. The value here would drop rapidly past $30 in my opinion.
May 20, 2020 - I don’t understand some of the critical reviews of this wine. I think it is very good. Sure, it’s fruit might be a bit restrained but I don’t like my wines to be over the top. This has a rich bouquet, medium body and nice roundness that makes for an excellent wine. It did open up with time so would suggest a couple hours to decant.
May 14, 2020 - Almost black in the glass and opaque like you may expect from a young Malbec. Nose is nice with dark fruit, rose, and some minerality. The front palate is soft but on the back mouth the taste becomes tight and tannic. This wine has potential but isn’t well integrated and the fruit doesn’t come through, dominated by bitterness. Tried on day two and it opened up a bit but still missing something.
May 13, 2020 - extremely austere out of the bottle, no fruit on the palate, astringent into bitterness on the finish. after a 3-hour decant, improved slightly but fruit was still absent on the front palate, with tannins sharp and profile abrasive on the back palate finish. though, in contrast the nose was very nice, dark berry and soft oak.
revisited 24 hours later, wine had softened considerably. easier to drink but not more enjoyable. fruit never showed up, just fell flat.
April 19, 2020 - Velvet purple to ruby tinge at the edge. Distinct tinge of cracked black pepper on the nose, sitting on a body of concentrated black cherry and blackberry. Dried red cherry, black cherry, blackberry, olive, hint of almond, and distinct black pepper finish on the palate. Vibrant and crisp, nicely full bodied and fresh. Med alcohol (actual 13.5%). Med- finish.
March 21, 2020 - I really love this wine. It is a 75% true Argentinian Malbec with 25% cab franc. The blend really mellows out the Malbec minerality. Good fruit with just enough bite at the end. It is not a complex wine just a really solid drinkable red.
December 1, 2019 - Dry fruits. Lots of berries, with some floral notes and a hint of orange peel. Really good and a unique wine that I’ll certainly buy again!
September 13, 2019 - Great Malbec for the price. Good body, very drinkable.