Bad cellar management let this bottle go too long. Concentrated core of syrupy dark berry fruit, lots of sediment, but quite flaccid structure at this point. No longer displaying the strength expected out of either Catena Alta or the Malbec grape.
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Clear deep garnet color, no sediment or bricking at all. Aromas of wood, cinnamon, and crushed dark berries lead into deep, intense flavors of red and black cherry compote, cassis, hints of vanilla and echos of cinnamon and mocha. A long, long finish emphasizing the dark, rich fruits, firm but velvety and refined tannins, and a hint of spices and mocha. A lovely, elegant, refined wine, a pleasure to savor. Last bottle in my cellar, wish I had more, although I’m not sure it would be this good very much longer.
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Decanted fo sediment which was light, big dark cherries, currants cassis, woody tart finish, fully integrated and clearly on the backside. Personally cellared Since 10/2008, to the best of my knowledge this bottle has not moved from my cellar since then.
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Decated 1 hr, I have not tasted since 2012, perhaps because I found the last bottle not all that appealing, however this bottle was quite to the contrary, According to CT I still have 1 more bottle damn if I know where. Nice cedar nose with hints of plum, chocolate and cherry. The palate was full of similar flavors, with some nice rustic notes on the finish, way more balanced and integrated than the bottle I tasted in 2012. Paired with Cucina soup from one of my favorite Italian restaurant in the area. Drink soon!
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Interesting for me to have a 12 year old Malbec. I enjoyed it and it is a good wine but I didn't find it as fruit forward as others have said. Notes of black fruits on the nose to start but then the age comes into it and there's some fruit but more oak and leather in the mouth. Definitely drink up if you have.
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My last bottle of 2005 Catena Alta Malbec. Not much to add to my most recent note, from 2/17/15. Excellent, fruit-forward Malbec with opulent fruit, integrated oak, refreshing acidity, and sweet tannins. This wine tastes fully mature. Drink up now!
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dark garnet in the glass. On the nose: dried herbes de Provence, anise, cherry licorice, and fresh pencil shavings. On the palate: Dark fruits, cherry cola, red grape skins, mocha latte, and rhubarb pie. Lively tannins present with a little spice on the finish.
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Opened one hour prior. Dark garnet purple with fine suspended sediment. Dark fruit bouquet with some spice. Palate is similar with fine tannins and a medium final.
This is drinking very well now. Refreshing and well balanced - a full bodied Malbec with good complexity.
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Lab BBQ and finished over course of week from Enomatic. Consistent with previous notes and a nice Malbec. My last bottle -- this was enjoyable overall.
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Finally shed the baby fat, interesting enough, great spice box thing going for it but too much oak, alcohol and not enough tertiary characteristics to keep my attention.
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Popped and poured. Dark garnet, purple rim, fine suspended sediment. Could be a north Rhone wine on the nose - dark fruit aromatics with a spicy note. Round, supple attack. Building slowly to a fine dark fruit mid-palate. Fine drying tannins and some spicy oak in the background. Moderate final.
Good complexity and balance. Drinking nicely now and probably unlikely to gain much with additional cellaring. Still - no hurry to finish these - I'd expect they can easily make it another 2-3 years. Best with food - paired very well with fresh pesto.
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Age hasn't been that kind to this wine. By no means did it seem flawed, but it was just lacking intensity in all aspects. Soft, lacking acid, very little tannin and really without much pop from the fruit. It was perfectly drinkable, but it was completely anonymous as well. If you have any in your cellar, drink them now as they are clearly on the decline.
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Decanted prior to serving, wine threw very little sediment. Clear, deep garnet with a light purple rim. Medium intensity, developed nose of blueberries and black cherries, orange peel, tobacco, leather, a touch vegetal (bell pepper, straw), and wet earth. Palate is dry, medium across the board (acid, tannin, body, alcohol, intensity, and length). Palate disappoints. Fruit is sadly muted. Plenty of weight, acid, etc., just not much flavor.
Drink up folks, this wine is fading. I definitely remember it having much more life when I last opened a bottle in 2012 for a blind-tasting when it was the star of the night.
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Opaque dark garnet. Nose of dust, plum, cassis, blackberry, and vanilla. Ripe full palate of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, plum, and black licorice. Excellent length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins.
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The last bottle of this wine opened a little over a year ago was past its prime or just an off bottle. Hard to know which. Well not so here. Blackberry, cherry, spice and cedar. Nicely mellowed with time but plenty of ripe fruit yet. Very tasty.
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Very concentrated, opens up only very reservedly. Strong mocha notes. Almost bitter. Only good if you like exactly this taste. Lots of leather notes. On the palate with black fruits that seem somewhat reduced. The finish is too short for a Zapata Malbec.
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A great marriage of old world and new worlds. Medium (+) to deep ruby. Good concentration without being viscous and heavy. The nose is clean, medium (+) in intensity, with aromas of black currant, black pepper and some oak spice. The nose is youthful to developing and the oak is nicely integrated. The palate is dry, with medium alcohol (13.9%). The acidity is a pleasant surprise at medium (+) to pronounced, making this a very lithe and agile wine. The tannins are medium and nicely integrated. This is a medium-bodied, balanced, food friendly wine with a medium (+) flavor intensity and a medium (+) finish. At this stage in its evolution, this is a very elegant, old-world centric wine that is very clean and fresh. It was a great pairing with rib-eye steaks with a Tuscan rub. It is drinking very well now but is likely to remain in its optimal drinking window for at least another year or two.
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My first bottle of this wine since 7/31/12. I'm doing research for our up-coming trip to Mendoza. Dark, opaque purple. Nose of smoke, tobacco, vanilla, and a little dark fruit. Full, ripe palate of blackberry, cassis, and plum. A terrific, long finish with some black licorice. Refreshing acidity that keeps you reaching for the glass. The oak is largely integrated. The tannins are sweet. This wine may be starting to peak.
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First of two bottles. Wow, this exceeded expectations. Very new world with clear notes of oak spice and vanilla, this may not appeal to the old world fans. However, we really like it for its rich dark fruit, depth and concentration. Rich and full, this has substantially more stuffing than the basic $20 Catena malbec. Full throttle, but no heat and did not come across as gloppy. Was a great pairing with rib-eye steaks. This drank pretty well on PnP and did not seem to evolve too greatly with an hour or two of air. An enjoyable wine and wish I had more than one left.
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Definetely not on par with previously drank bottles of Angelica Zapata and Catena Alta. Good aromatics, but not as dense, complex and lingering as one would expect for this kind of wine. Also, faded faster than it should with aeration. Worrying about the regular Catenas I still have on the cellar (2006-2010 vertical). Anyway, not what WS drank...
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From other's recent notes it would appear that there is considerable bottle variation in this wine. If so, I got lucky. This bottle has a quiet nose but great flavors of blackberry and dark cherry fruit, spice, and cedar. The fruit is intense but not pushy. About as suave as any Malbec that I have tasted. Excellent.
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Decanted 2 hours. Dark garnet. Lashes of black cherry and some vanilla on the bouquet. Palate was more of the same. Deep dark and lip smackingly good. Some heat on the final and tannins not fully integrated yet but this is drinking well now and is very enjoyable.
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Dark ripe plum color and nose. Mostly consistent with prior reviews. Paired with spicy Thai probably not the best pairing but it worked well. Good oak integration. Very strong wine.
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This has developed quite a dit inthe last few years and is now well round and silky. On the fruit, mellow and with good palate presence. Granted not very complex but still very enjoyable. Would suggest one drinks this sooner than later. 91
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Popped and poured at 12C. Bright purple with garnet rim and some suspended sediment. Bouquet of maraschino cherries, some alcoholic heat. On the palate this is vibrant, full bodied red and black fruits laced with a fine lattice of oak and dissolving tannins on a medium final. A slight alcoholic heat signature that mars the balance somewhat but overall this is rich, rewarding and engaging.
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See 6/13/11 and 9/2/11 notes. Almost opaque dark garnet. Nose of blackberry, plum, espresso, and vanilla. Ripe palate of blackberry, plum, fig, black olive, spice, and espresso. Superb length. Refreshing acidity. Supple tannins. Excellent balance. Toasty new oak not fully integrated.
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Dark garnet, darkly translucent. Vinturied into a decanter. Black cherries, blackberries, a little toast on the nose. Tannins fairly well integrated; fruit a bit subdued. An elegant glass of wine and an excellent Malbec, but not outstanding, and pricey for that, at least at this stage.
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We had this with grilled tri-tips on 4/9/12. It had an alluring, soft, ripe and elegant bouquet of smoke, black raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, burnt toast, cocoa and baking spice aromas. The palate was round, tart, dry and somewhat disjointed with flavors of blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, cocoa, licorice, cinnamon and baking spice. I was expecting much better.
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Donkerrood/paars, licht aan de randen, tranend. In de neus rijp zwart fruit, leder en mint. Romig, soepel en vol in de mond, met bramen, vleeskersen, chocolade, drop en kruiden. Zachte, maar lang aanhoudende afdronk met frisse zuren. Prachtig!
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Out of decanters, so aerate to giant measuring bowl, let sit three hours. Color red-purple loaded with black hues, medium body. Bouquet of blackberries, plum, vanilla, cinnamon and oak. On the palate moderate depth of blackberries, some grapey notes, spice, dark chocolate and oak. Buoyant acid adding some freshness, medium full tannins are somewhat integrated but still rather vigorous despite the age and air time. Medium finish of dark fruit, chocolate, and some spice. Overall enjoyable nose and flavors but seemed to be a little thin on fruit. Value so-so.
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Opened and poured. Dark purple colour. Mocha on the nose. Too tannic on the palate. Harsh. Felt disjointed. Not as enjoyable as last time. Maybe we should have decanted.
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A good wine and example of a quality Malbec. To me, a reasonably sophisticated wine despite the dark fruit and vanilla flavors that make for easy drinking. I have several of these and have been drinking over the last three years. Clearly still getting better.
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dissapointing after reading all the reviews - decanted and waited two hours and still had very little fruit and lighter than expected. Bottle had been stored in my cellar since purchase and cork was clean so not sure why. Have consumed many bottles of the regular Catena Malbec and some have been outstanding and some we have dumped down the sink - not sure if a symptom of the producer, but i'm seeing no consistency from bottle to bottle.
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Not quite what i'm looking for in a malbec; however, this was an excellent showing. Blackberry, plum, mocha, toasted oak, and hints of leather and spices. Classy and refined on the palate showing nice fruit, oak and hints of cinnamon. Excellent, but didn't have the depth and concentration i was expecting. When it comes to malbec, i prefer a more obvious, upfront style. 89
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In de neus vijgen, krenten, koffie en kruiden: kaneel en notenmuskaat. Bij proeven komen koffie, chocolade en ook drop naar voren. Mooie zachte wijn. Geen zware Malbec. Goede balans. Mijn tweede fles laat ik nog liggen tot 2013.
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Dark color and a nose of black fruits and spices like vanilla and mocha. On the palate deep dark fruits and wood notes that ends so smooth (30 sec.+). Even better on day 2 (92+). This is much better than it was 1-2 years ago. Glad I have a 6 pak +.
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not much of a nose but a wonderfully balanced fruit forward (blackberry, dark fruit just right acidity) wine with very soft supple tannins and a medium finish. popped and poured and enjoyed with BBQ chicken.
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Regular dinner group (@ JvT): Very youthful color. Very juicy wine with a lot of sweetness, some paprika, eucalyptus and soft tannin. Lacks a little luxury and elegance for a higher score, but this surely is a great wine. Already a great pleasure, but no problem keeping this for a few more years.
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We shared this as at Samba Brazilian Grill in Madison -- it came across to us as a bit 'muddy' and one-dimensional. The other reviewers commented on the fruit and the 'wow' factor. Maybe it needed to be decanted longer (ours was about fifteen minutes at the table in a decanter). But, this was flat and for the price we've had much better Malbec. I was expecting a full spicy flavor with a sense of fruit. This was more smokey and cigar-like, there was not a lot of complex flavor going on.
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This is my first bottle of a six pack that has been sitting in my cellar for quite awhile. I guess I have been working on my '04's and haven't gotten around to trying this. Purple with a garnet rim. Nose of dark fruit, smoke, vanilla, and a hint of licorice. Full ripe palate of blackberry, figs, olives, and integrated oak. Excellent length. Vivacious acidity. Supple tannins. Year after year, the Catena Alta Malbec is a delicious wine. More depth than the basic Catena Malbec.
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Immediately after opening, it showed liittle aroma, but later had dark fruit and cedar. The wine opened up much better after 1-2 hours of decanting. At that time, it had smoothed considerably. Dark cherry was predominant.
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Beatiful nose. Dead ringer for Cab Sauv. But no leather or tobacco that would send me towards Bordeaux. But not enough up front fruit to send me to Napa. Eventually an olive tempenade/tomato aroma emerged. Super silky. Really refined tannins. Plenty of life left. Dusty chocolate. Plums. Very pure.
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Drank 4 bottles of this last night with friends from work. As expected, it paired exceedingly well with the tenderloin. All the bottles were quiet good, no variation. Wine continues to be full, smooth, and rich. I think that it has lost a little over the last couple of years, but there were no complaints what so ever from our guests.
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Really nice, balanced Malbec not over the top in any way - Black, full bodied with a nose of plum, blueberry, spice, cherry and vanilla, well made, strong backbone and acidity, decent balance now, sweet, smooth on the palate with very good length (90 Points).
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This reminds me of the 2004, as it was 2 years ago, meaning that probably the 2005 is evolving at a slower pace than its predecessor. The wine is still very primary and somewhat unconnected and the oak effect is very intense. My experience with previous vintages tells me that this wine will evolve at least as gracefully as the best Catena Alta Malbecs of the past. The color is very dark purple and the nose is very plummy with intense vanilla, sweet spice and hints of chocolate and moccha. Full-bodied on the palate, with firm but fine grained tannins, rich fruit and balancing acidity. The finish is long but the oak dominates. It would be unfair to score it at this stage.
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Two bottles with friends. Very consistent. Rich plum and black fruit, with very smooth, well integrated tannins. This is prime drinking now, and I'm not too confident that it won't start falling off from here over the next couple years.
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Rich and smooth, but flavor and structure did not live up to my memory of previous bottles. May have suffered because it followed a couple really good Pinots.
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3 hour decant revealed a sophisticated nose of dark red fruits and a hint of smokiness. On the palate it was quite refined with a very balanced fruit to acidity transition. The finish came back for a second round and really was a nice surprise.
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Extremely dark purple in the glass. With a 1/2 hour decant nose of plums, smoke and dark fruits. On the palate dark fruits and vanilla, full bodied with a nice balance of acidity and smooth tannins. Paired extremely well with grilled skirt steak and chimichuri. Would have scored higher but found the finish tart/green and not worth the $40 bones I paid.
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Decent Malbec. Purple in the glass. Plums and figs. Medium bodied. Integrated tannins. Overall effect is somewhat restrained. But drinking well. Opened an hour beforehand but not decanted.
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Fabulous Malbec. Let it breathe for an hour in a decanter before drinking. Will drink very well over the next few years as it should improve with age as well.
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[Popped & Poured] Deep, dark purple color. Plum and dark fruits on the nose. Coffee, fig, leather with spice notes integrated through tame tannins. Finish is medium long and smooth. Not good QPR on this Catena Malbec. I would not seek this out, @ $40, there are better Malbecs for less money. Disappointed........This wine does NOT bring the thunder. Drink over the next 2 years, cellaring will not help this wine.
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Brilliant bright purple color. Nose of plum, blackberry, new oak, and a little spice. Palate has a crisp acidity and light weight, but full bodied with dense dark fruit character, mostly currants. Lenghty finish of toast, mocha, and a little slate. Nice well made malbec, but didn't exceed expectations given the price.
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WWJD? (Fort Collins): Dark purple, young appearance. Sweet berry fruit, bright flowers, and wood on the nose. Youthful and primary, this immediately stood out as Malbec to me. Well executed but too sweet and a little shy in the complexity. Maybe see you in a few years...
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Took a minute to open (popped and poured). Very nice structure for a Malbec. Fruit is pure. Went very nicely with loin roast. This bottle did not show the fruit power that the 2003 displayed.
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A wonderful Malbec that paired up well with 12 meets at a Churasceria in Costa Rica. Plum upfront and cedar on the back with a lingering light spice. A reminder that I do not drink enough Malbec (especially with grilled meets).
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Consistent with past note [ Big body but mild finish. Still closed on the nose. Super dark colour as expected. Still an enjoyable wine but no greatness here. ]
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Notes from day 2. Dark purple to black color. Nose of black raspberry, plum, vanilla, cedar, and mocha. On the palate there was black raspberry, plum, mocha, and a decent amount of tannin still around. The finish is medium average in length and there is nice balance with the acidity present. Decent mouthfeel, still a really young wine that needs time to really show. Catena rarely disappoints, especially for the price. Hold. 50+5+11+16+9
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Pop and pour. A fair amount of barnyard on the nose that blew off in a few minutes. Lots of dark fruits, plums, blakcberries and black cherries. Touch of clay on the palate brought an interesting dimension. Would have liked to see a little higher acidity to match the fuit and good tannic finish. Should keep well for a few years but doesnt show cellaring potential.
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Deep inky purple violet color. Nose of plums, rasperries and vanilla. Round, balanced in the mouth with subtle oak and spice notes adding to the fruit-forward complexion. Wonderfully executed, perfect w/ grilled meats or pasta w/ tomato-based sauces. The finish is medium and clean. Potential for 93/94 over the next 2 years. A really stellar wine!
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Deep purple colour. Nose: Violets, mint, cedar, tangy spices - really alluring and complex but in a restrained way. Young, deep flavours - really quite tightly wound up at the moment, but notes of chocolate, deep fruit come through but held in check by the integrated tannins which work really well within the structure of the wine. Needs time, but good with food.
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Pop & Pour-not quite what was expected. Color was ruby/garnet but not dark. Rotten eggs, sweet oak and alcohol on the nose. Thin, dry and somewhat chalky. Bell pepper, onions, cabbage and vanilla. Well integrated tannins. Tonic and dry, but very long finish. Due to other ratings, I am convinced this bottle was somehow damaged. I will try it again.
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nose of dark berries, heavy body, deep dark red color, coffee, leather, caramel with excellent structure; dreamy; will improve as tannins weave their way into the blend; paired very well with fudge brownie, vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce;
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Catena Wines (Waterford): aromatic coffee notes. shows more rustic nature than the straight catena malbec. again, palate shows very smooth fruit. so approachable.
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More smoke and meat than the cabernet. Also more balanced with better acidity and excitment across the palate. Just my opinion. I really think it is worth the effort at $50.
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Bibendum Bordeaux tasting (Lord's Cricket Ground - London): Silky black fruits seamlessly woven with sweet oak nuances of vanilla and resin. A lot of spice and tremendous length and staying power. Drinking nicely now, but will age. Makes me think of steak!
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This really needs to open up a minimum of 3 hours, to let the tannins burn off and the fruit open up and everything to integrate. I'm not sure it's really worth the bucks because I've had malbecs I like as much or better for less than a third of the price. But it's still a nice wine.
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Walker's Newport Tasting (The Spiced Pear): Killer bottle of wine. Everything is in balance. It's rich and lush, but has a nice streak of acidity. Stylish, tasty, and terrific. 91-92
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Dark and brooding color but the nose shows richness of fig, meat and blueberry with a bit of pronounced toasted oak. the palate is front loaded with raspberries, espresso and ripe fig with a much less oak influence than the nose suggested. Medium tannins that are very fine so it drinks nicely now but will probably develop with a few more years in bottle. Hard not to drink up now.
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WOW! Hands down the best Malbec I've ever had. Huge, powerful, deep, complex. Dark color and beautiful body to it. Great nose of dark berries, spice, earth and licorice. An absolutely explosive pallete! We were blown away at the strong coffee and mocha notes, so intriguing! The best part of the wine was its "true to its roots" Malbec qualities, it had all that rough fleshy brambly quality to the fruit that you come to expect from Malbec (which gave it such an identity) and yet was so elegant and refined. The wine needs a bit of time to develop, we decanted about 2 hours. Once it got there it developed a nice acidity or astringent bite to it that really added to its balance. Paired with a killer ribeye off the grill, DEFINITELY a great beef wine! Wonderful stuff, highly recommended.
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(2+) Has better potential with age. A well structured wine with a fantastic finish and little oak or heat, but very tannic and lacking fruit. Will this open up with time in the bottle?
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Very dark purple/black in color, with profound aromas of red raspberry, violets, and toast. The palate shows big, yet elegant flavors of juicy blue fruit, blackcurrants, dark chocolate, and cedar. Admirable sweetness and texture, with approachable tannins, medium viscosity, lively acidity, and a staying finish. Nicely balanced and delicious.
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fantastic Wine. Let is breathe for about 3 hours..and the wine is so perfectly balanced. Just enough fruit...and tons of coffee and cocoa powder. A perfect beef wine and an outstanding value!
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This wine tells beautiful story with its sexy deep purple color, a shy nose of blackberries and vanilla, luscious full mouth feel and a moving plot line of well integrated flavors of blackberry, vanilla, mild oak and caramel. The story has a romantic ending with smooth silky tannins that lets the berry and caramel flavors dance on and on. Please, tell us this story again! Will the story be better next year? – Oh yes, for a few more years to come.
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Terroir-istes International - Chile & Argentina (Rodwell House): Deep Crimson colour the bright aromas display Ribena, red plum along wth cassis and tobacco. A dry, spicy entry, the wine soons fills the mid-palate with a creamy-infused richness. Full-bodied, concentrated with a fresh acidity keeping the wine together, this is a juicy Malbec filled with wine gums, mulberry and squashed blackcurrants. firm, grippy tannins lead to a medium to long finish.
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super deep purple in color, with a nose of blackberries, violets, plum, vanilla & smoke. this wine is not shy about it's oak influence, but it really isn't too overwhelming and seems like it will integrate after a few years in your cellar. a very Thick, smooth mouthfeel that coats the palate, moderately low acids that are just high enough to balance out the smooth, round tannins and 13.9 abv, massive finish with nary a hint of bitterness. the wine opened up drastically as it aired out in the decanter, seemed to lose a bit of it's "thickness" and gained a pleasantly astringent finish. excellent expression of malbec. very appealing wine, and worth the $$ IMHO. great with a bloody rare steak.
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Robust, full bodied, licorice and tar on the nose, almost barolo like. Still a little chewy but nice dark fruit with bittersweet finish. Solid thick wine, held up to spicey Indian food (although would not recommend this combination normally). Will give my next bottles a couple years in the cellar.
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Inky Color, Aromas of Ripe Plums, Milk Chocolate, Spices, Licorice. Full Body with pure fresh fruit, and velvet tannins. Long caressing finish. Dring Very well right now, but if you can be a little patient this will reward you.(2009-2015) - JD93 (Second tasting, consistent notes)
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Catena Zapata's Premium wine tasting (North Vancouver): Decanted 1hr+. Classic Argentinean Malbec but way too young even with decanting. The aroma scream out from the deep violet surface. Taste more of bitter mocha than the cab version's sweet tobacco, which is more powerful and will require time.
Almost Wine of the night (WOTN),but the restaurant manager took it away before i have a chance to finish it. Nooooo !!!! But that's because the next wine being served is even more exciting !! You might already guessed it. It is the Nicolas Catena Zapata !!! WOAHHHH !!
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Inky Color, Aromas of Ripe Plums, Milk Chocolate, Spices, Licorice. Full Body with pure fresh fruit, and velvet tannins. Long caressing finish. Dring Very well right now, but if you can be a little patient this will reward you.(2009-2015) - JD93
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Great nose of mix of sweet dark berries, good taste with still very tannic and a touch bitter finish. This is way too young but it will be 89-92pt wine once it softens.
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This is the best Argentinian Malbec I have ever tasted (but I haven't tasted many). Impressed in structure and fullness on the palate. Aromatics were a little subdued, even after 2 hours of decanting. Aromas of burnt cedar, shoe polish (without the VA), and black berries. Good acidity and fine tannin. I suspect this will age nicely. Try again in a year.
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Purchased of restaurant list, had them open upon arrival. Didn't take an extensive note but this wine made a nice impression. Deep purple in glass, aromas of black cherry, blackberries, and violets with a hint of minerals and earth. Medium to full bodied with black fruits and a great mineral laden spine. Really started to open after 45+ minutes.......but is still a baby and needs another 2-5 years.........however, it's still a beautiful drink, even in it's youth. This bottling really makes me appreciate Argentinean Malbec even more, it's such a nice marriage of both power and elegance, possessing chalky tannins and perfect acidity for a meal. But the fruit is certainly present and that's what makes this wine so appealing - it will work for both ends of the red wine tasting spectrum, the acid freaks and the fruit cocktail crowd. Those who fall in the middle will love it!
And having this made wonder.....Why pay for much more expensive Bordeaux's when wines such as this are available? Just my opinion of course....
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nose - boysenberry, and other dark fruits. Smells like what i imagine a fistfull of wild dark berries would smell like after being crushed in the palm. Mouth - Lush red fruit with hints of chocolate. Concentrated with good structure and esp good acidity. Mid to full bodied with a good midpalate and finish.
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Open at 2:00. A touch of burnished wood and smokeiness. I am not convinced that this bottle hasn't seen heat damage. Refreshing with a good attack.
These wines were all tasted together in one night over a period of 10 hours.
2006 Clos La Coutale Chaors, 2006 Catena Malbec, 2005 Catena Cabernet, 2005 Catena Alta Malbec, 2004 Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec, 2006 Bramare Lujan de Cuyo District Cabernet, 2005 Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Cabernet, 2004 Nicolas Catena Zapata, 2004 Cobos, 2004 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard, 2004 Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard.
In general the feeling was the all of the Catena wines, from top to bottom, are stylistic, elegant, well made and classy to drink. Paul Hobbs’ wines are certainly not chump change though. They are by far flashier and sometimes run the risk of becoming over-done. This was certainly the feeling with the Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec. Here the fruit flavors seemed to be lost in a sea of hedonistic oak treatment.
Speaking of hedonism you can’t find a much greater fruit bomb in this world than the Paul Hobbs Cobos. If you need a gift to impress someone this would certainly do it. But it is, perhaps, hard to drink more than a glass. There is only so much jam on can imbibe.
The exact opposite experience is the Nicolas Catena Zapata. Here is a big wine, yet with such refinement and elegance that the experience of finding the bottom of the bottle justifies its price (around $95). Maybe the experience of drinking five regular Catena Malbecs (around $20 – and an excellent value) would equal one Catena Zapata? A question for another night!
My only critique of Catena is the price on the single vineyards. Why price Adrianna and Nicasia at $91 when their composite, winemaker-built-blend (I have met Jose), Catena Alta, is $40 less? For those savvy few not chasing Parker points this means that the better wine – Catena Alta – is half the price its big boy, body-builder-bottle cousins. At around $50 Catena Alta is frankly a steal. And its carbon footprint it smaller to boot!
And while we are discussing steals, if you can find them, Paul Hobb’s lower tier Argentinean stuff, from the Lujan de Cuyo series (around $35? – Jesus Christ buy this in cases when you see it) to the Cocodrilo or whatever-they-have-decided-to-call-it-series (around $20?) are ridiculous values in and of themselves. Note that the Cabernets from these two tiers are stronger than the Malbecs or Merlots. All of Hobbs’ wines are flashy, ripe fruit in your face, smooth rounded out BOMBS. Don’t bother cellaring them past year three. The acid and tannins just aint there. Instead get sloppy drunk with them now. They are the Lay-Z-Boy chair of the wine world and are too much fun for your own good.
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Deep inky purple in the glass. Little toasted oak on the nose to begin with but opened up and the oak was muted as the evening progressed. Big roasted coffee, black licorice, silky texture and beautifully integrated tannins. Little raspberry and blackberry in hour 3. Best Malbec I have had in my short time with this veritial.
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A "Dang Eunice" wine! Big and lush and sexy. Stunning. Worth every penny. Balanced ripe berries and warm spice. An event in itself. (D 7.5, F 6; Pine; MSW)
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5/21/2023 - Mnawacki Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bad cellar management let this bottle go too long. Concentrated core of syrupy dark berry fruit, lots of sediment, but quite flaccid structure at this point. No longer displaying the strength expected out of either Catena Alta or the Malbec grape.
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2/22/2022 - Otis Wine Lover Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear deep garnet color, no sediment or bricking at all. Aromas of wood, cinnamon, and crushed dark berries lead into deep, intense flavors of red and black cherry compote, cassis, hints of vanilla and echos of cinnamon and mocha. A long, long finish emphasizing the dark, rich fruits, firm but velvety and refined tannins, and a hint of spices and mocha. A lovely, elegant, refined wine, a pleasure to savor. Last bottle in my cellar, wish I had more, although I’m not sure it would be this good very much longer.
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10/17/2020 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Decanted fo sediment which was light, big dark cherries, currants cassis, woody tart finish, fully integrated and clearly on the backside. Personally cellared Since 10/2008, to the best of my knowledge this bottle has not moved from my cellar since then.
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10/10/2019 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 89 Points
Easy drinker with dark fruit and some acidity. I thinks it's past its prime but still drinking well. Drink 'em if you got 'em
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7/10/2019 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP, tasted over two nights. Mid+ body, mid acid, 13.9%
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3/7/2018 - BrunelloBob wrote: 90 Points
Liked this, buy again
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9/28/2017 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not sure if it was the bottle or just the passage of time, but this seemed over the hill. Drink now. 13.9%
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5/17/2017 - Uncle John wrote: 91 Points
This was just a bit behind the 2004 Alta Malbec. Beautiful dark fruit with soft tannins and a smooth finish. At it's peak.
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3/17/2017 - wineshaman wrote: 90 Points
Decated 1 hr, I have not tasted since 2012, perhaps because I found the last bottle not all that appealing, however this bottle was quite to the contrary, According to CT I still have 1 more bottle damn if I know where. Nice cedar nose with hints of plum, chocolate and cherry. The palate was full of similar flavors, with some nice rustic notes on the finish, way more balanced and integrated than the bottle I tasted in 2012. Paired with Cucina soup from one of my favorite Italian restaurant in the area. Drink soon!
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1/21/2017 - BenU Likes this wine: 90 Points
Interesting for me to have a 12 year old Malbec.
I enjoyed it and it is a good wine but I didn't find it as fruit forward as others have said.
Notes of black fruits on the nose to start but then the age comes into it and there's some fruit but more oak and leather in the mouth.
Definitely drink up if you have.
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1/9/2017 - Wink Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last bottle of 2005 Catena Alta Malbec. Not much to add to my most recent note, from 2/17/15. Excellent, fruit-forward Malbec with opulent fruit, integrated oak, refreshing acidity, and sweet tannins. This wine tastes fully mature. Drink up now!
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9/11/2016 - jkoenen wrote: 91 Points
Great BBQ-wine. Of couorse. Black cherries, grilled meat, balsamic notes, earth and smoke.
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8/4/2016 - Tannic Monster Likes this wine: 90 Points
dark garnet in the glass. On the nose: dried herbes de Provence, anise, cherry licorice, and fresh pencil shavings. On the palate: Dark fruits, cherry cola, red grape skins, mocha latte, and rhubarb pie. Lively tannins present with a little spice on the finish.
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10/12/2015 - David Meddings wrote: 91 Points
Opened one hour prior. Dark garnet purple with fine suspended sediment. Dark fruit bouquet with some spice. Palate is similar with fine tannins and a medium final.
This is drinking very well now. Refreshing and well balanced - a full bodied Malbec with good complexity.
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8/3/2015 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lab BBQ and finished over course of week from Enomatic. Consistent with previous notes and a nice Malbec. My last bottle -- this was enjoyable overall.
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7/4/2015 - Vinoevelo wrote: 88 Points
Finally shed the baby fat, interesting enough, great spice box thing going for it but too much oak, alcohol and not enough tertiary characteristics to keep my attention.
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5/17/2015 - David Meddings wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Dark garnet, purple rim, fine suspended sediment. Could be a north Rhone wine on the nose - dark fruit aromatics with a spicy note. Round, supple attack. Building slowly to a fine dark fruit mid-palate. Fine drying tannins and some spicy oak in the background. Moderate final.
Good complexity and balance. Drinking nicely now and probably unlikely to gain much with additional cellaring. Still - no hurry to finish these - I'd expect they can easily make it another 2-3 years. Best with food - paired very well with fresh pesto.
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5/15/2015 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 87 Points
Age hasn't been that kind to this wine. By no means did it seem flawed, but it was just lacking intensity in all aspects. Soft, lacking acid, very little tannin and really without much pop from the fruit. It was perfectly drinkable, but it was completely anonymous as well. If you have any in your cellar, drink them now as they are clearly on the decline.
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5/8/2015 - JWSOMMERFELD wrote: 87 Points
Decanted prior to serving, wine threw very little sediment. Clear, deep garnet with a light purple rim. Medium intensity, developed nose of blueberries and black cherries, orange peel, tobacco, leather, a touch vegetal (bell pepper, straw), and wet earth. Palate is dry, medium across the board (acid, tannin, body, alcohol, intensity, and length). Palate disappoints. Fruit is sadly muted. Plenty of weight, acid, etc., just not much flavor.
Drink up folks, this wine is fading. I definitely remember it having much more life when I last opened a bottle in 2012 for a blind-tasting when it was the star of the night.
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3/25/2015 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice balance and structure. 13.9%
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2/17/2015 - Wink Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opaque dark garnet. Nose of dust, plum, cassis, blackberry, and vanilla. Ripe full palate of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, plum, and black licorice. Excellent length. Pleasant acidity. Sweet tannins.
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1/22/2015 - tantotinto wrote: 91 Points
The last bottle of this wine opened a little over a year ago was past its prime or just an off bottle. Hard to know which. Well not so here. Blackberry, cherry, spice and cedar. Nicely mellowed with time but plenty of ripe fruit yet. Very tasty.
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8/27/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Could have swore this was corked. Or at least had a green thing on the nose and was pretty dead on the palate. Not quite what I was expecting.
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7/11/2014 - jusuf wrote: 89 Points
Very concentrated, opens up only very reservedly. Strong mocha notes. Almost bitter. Only good if you like exactly this taste. Lots of leather notes. On the palate with black fruits that seem somewhat reduced. The finish is too short for a Zapata Malbec.
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6/29/2014 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 90 Points
A great marriage of old world and new worlds. Medium (+) to deep ruby. Good concentration without being viscous and heavy. The nose is clean, medium (+) in intensity, with aromas of black currant, black pepper and some oak spice. The nose is youthful to developing and the oak is nicely integrated. The palate is dry, with medium alcohol (13.9%). The acidity is a pleasant surprise at medium (+) to pronounced, making this a very lithe and agile wine. The tannins are medium and nicely integrated. This is a medium-bodied, balanced, food friendly wine with a medium (+) flavor intensity and a medium (+) finish. At this stage in its evolution, this is a very elegant, old-world centric wine that is very clean and fresh. It was a great pairing with rib-eye steaks with a Tuscan rub. It is drinking very well now but is likely to remain in its optimal drinking window for at least another year or two.
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2/4/2014 - Wink Likes this wine: 93 Points
My first bottle of this wine since 7/31/12. I'm doing research for our up-coming trip to Mendoza. Dark, opaque purple. Nose of smoke, tobacco, vanilla, and a little dark fruit. Full, ripe palate of blackberry, cassis, and plum. A terrific, long finish with some black licorice. Refreshing acidity that keeps you reaching for the glass. The oak is largely integrated. The tannins are sweet. This wine may be starting to peak.
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12/5/2013 - tantotinto wrote: 86 Points
The magic is gone. Our last bottle of this wine (in January) was excellent. This one is listless and spent. It was drinkable but not enjoyable.
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9/26/2013 - WineDoctors wrote: 91 Points
less paint the glass and fruit forward as so many woeful argentian malbecs. bravo on structure with mouthcoating appeal and purple pain in the glass
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9/20/2013 - Montecristo13 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent
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6/22/2013 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 92 Points
First of two bottles. Wow, this exceeded expectations. Very new world with clear notes of oak spice and vanilla, this may not appeal to the old world fans. However, we really like it for its rich dark fruit, depth and concentration. Rich and full, this has substantially more stuffing than the basic $20 Catena malbec. Full throttle, but no heat and did not come across as gloppy. Was a great pairing with rib-eye steaks. This drank pretty well on PnP and did not seem to evolve too greatly with an hour or two of air. An enjoyable wine and wish I had more than one left.
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5/14/2013 - Montecristo13 wrote: 91 Points
Very good. I have three more bottles and must drink them soon
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3/4/2013 - Biglama Likes this wine: 89 Points
prima wijn, zit goed in elkaar, sappig, vriendelijk, allemansvriend, gewoon lekker
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2/23/2013 - rsazima Does not like this wine: 91 Points
Definetely not on par with previously drank bottles of Angelica Zapata and Catena Alta. Good aromatics, but not as dense, complex and lingering as one would expect for this kind of wine. Also, faded faster than it should with aeration. Worrying about the regular Catenas I still have on the cellar (2006-2010 vertical). Anyway, not what WS drank...
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1/16/2013 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
From other's recent notes it would appear that there is considerable bottle variation in this wine. If so, I got lucky. This bottle has a quiet nose but great flavors of blackberry and dark cherry fruit, spice, and cedar. The fruit is intense but not pushy. About as suave as any Malbec that I have tasted. Excellent.
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12/20/2012 - depdoc wrote: 87 Points
Immediately after decanting, little aroma and not much fruit. After an hour, no improvement. Not nearly as good as my last bottle 18 months ago.
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11/18/2012 - David Meddings Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Dark garnet. Lashes of black cherry and some vanilla on the bouquet. Palate was more of the same. Deep dark and lip smackingly good. Some heat on the final and tannins not fully integrated yet but this is drinking well now and is very enjoyable.
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11/3/2012 - wineshaman wrote: 87 Points
PNP, musty nose, that took a while to blow off, blackberries, lots of oak, hints of plums, still a bit harsh, tannins appear to be winning.
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10/15/2012 - marcellevi wrote: 92 Points
Dark ripe plum color and nose. Mostly consistent with prior reviews. Paired with spicy Thai probably not the best pairing but it worked well. Good oak integration. Very strong wine.
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9/9/2012 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
This has developed quite a dit inthe last few years and is now well round and silky. On the fruit, mellow and with good palate presence. Granted not very complex but still very enjoyable. Would suggest one drinks this sooner than later. 91
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9/5/2012 - David Meddings Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured at 12C. Bright purple with garnet rim and some suspended sediment. Bouquet of maraschino cherries, some alcoholic heat. On the palate this is vibrant, full bodied red and black fruits laced with a fine lattice of oak and dissolving tannins on a medium final. A slight alcoholic heat signature that mars the balance somewhat but overall this is rich, rewarding and engaging.
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7/31/2012 - Wink wrote: 92 Points
See 6/13/11 and 9/2/11 notes. Almost opaque dark garnet. Nose of blackberry, plum, espresso, and vanilla. Ripe palate of blackberry, plum, fig, black olive, spice, and espresso. Superb length. Refreshing acidity. Supple tannins. Excellent balance. Toasty new oak not fully integrated.
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7/20/2012 - prism wrote: 89 Points
Dark garnet, darkly translucent. Vinturied into a decanter. Black cherries, blackberries, a little toast on the nose. Tannins fairly well integrated; fruit a bit subdued. An elegant glass of wine and an excellent Malbec, but not outstanding, and pricey for that, at least at this stage.
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6/2/2012 - Vinoevelo wrote:
Nice malbec, not great. Not sufficiently better than the standard catena malbec to justify the additional price. 2.75.
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5/2/2012 - pmk wrote: 91 Points
well balanced, with prominent fruit (dark cherry, blackberry) toasty spice to follow, soft tannins and a medium long finish.
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5/1/2012 - pmk wrote: 90 Points
dark, elegant, soft tannins, dark fruit, wonderful spice, nose less evident than expected, medium finish, drier than expected.
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5/1/2012 - pmk wrote: 90 Points
soft and elegant dark fruit with a hint of spice and a medium long finish.drier than i expected and a bit tart.
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4/9/2012 - garambler wrote: 90 Points
We had this with grilled tri-tips on 4/9/12. It had an alluring, soft, ripe and elegant bouquet of smoke, black raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, burnt toast, cocoa and baking spice aromas. The palate was round, tart, dry and somewhat disjointed with flavors of blackberry, blueberry, black cherry, cocoa, licorice, cinnamon and baking spice. I was expecting much better.
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3/13/2012 - Strikermax wrote: 92 Points
Donkerrood/paars, licht aan de randen, tranend. In de neus rijp zwart fruit, leder en mint. Romig, soepel en vol in de mond, met bramen, vleeskersen, chocolade, drop en kruiden. Zachte, maar lang aanhoudende afdronk met frisse zuren. Prachtig!
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2/26/2012 - bvin wrote: 90 Points
Delicious. I was quite drunk by the time we got to this one but it really stood out. Concentrated and full bodied.
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1/27/2012 - Thobman wrote: 92 Points
HUGE fruit....almost too much. Still quite young.
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1/27/2012 - IconeWino wrote: 87 Points
Floral perfume and slight chocolate, figs and raspberry hints on the nose. Tart on the palate right after opening, bitter short aftertaste.
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1/22/2012 - davo22 wrote: 90 Points
Stunning colour, lots of legs. Vanilla, mocha, hint of leather. Classy Malbec, but maybe a little high on the price scale vs. value.
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1/15/2012 - Vinacull wrote: 88 Points
Out of decanters, so aerate to giant measuring bowl, let sit three hours. Color red-purple loaded with black hues, medium body. Bouquet of blackberries, plum, vanilla, cinnamon and oak. On the palate moderate depth of blackberries, some grapey notes, spice, dark chocolate and oak. Buoyant acid adding some freshness, medium full tannins are somewhat integrated but still rather vigorous despite the age and air time. Medium finish of dark fruit, chocolate, and some spice. Overall enjoyable nose and flavors but seemed to be a little thin on fruit. Value so-so.
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1/10/2012 - Papies wrote: 87 Points
Opened and poured. Dark purple colour. Mocha on the nose. Too tannic on the palate. Harsh. Felt disjointed. Not as enjoyable as last time. Maybe we should have decanted.
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1/8/2012 - warres wrote: 90 Points
A good wine and example of a quality Malbec. To me, a reasonably sophisticated wine despite the dark fruit and vanilla flavors that make for easy drinking. I have several of these and have been drinking over the last three years. Clearly still getting better.
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1/2/2012 - phil0711 wrote: 85 Points
dissapointing after reading all the reviews - decanted and waited two hours and still had very little fruit and lighter than expected. Bottle had been stored in my cellar since purchase and cork was clean so not sure why. Have consumed many bottles of the regular Catena Malbec and some have been outstanding and some we have dumped down the sink - not sure if a symptom of the producer, but i'm seeing no consistency from bottle to bottle.
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12/10/2011 - CdP in NYC wrote: 89 Points
Not quite what i'm looking for in a malbec; however, this was an excellent showing. Blackberry, plum, mocha, toasted oak, and hints of leather and spices. Classy and refined on the palate showing nice fruit, oak and hints of cinnamon. Excellent, but didn't have the depth and concentration i was expecting. When it comes to malbec, i prefer a more obvious, upfront style. 89
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12/4/2011 - pomelo wrote: 92 Points
Je crois qu'il est présentement à son mieux. Complexe, fruité, tannins fondus. Bouche ample et longue finale. Un délice.
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11/5/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 93 Points
Just wonderfully rich and smooth.
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10/16/2011 - Antonius wrote: 92 Points
In de neus vijgen, krenten, koffie en kruiden: kaneel en notenmuskaat. Bij proeven komen koffie, chocolade en ook drop naar voren. Mooie zachte wijn. Geen zware Malbec. Goede balans. Mijn tweede fles laat ik nog liggen tot 2013.
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9/26/2011 - Uncle John wrote: 92 Points
Dark color and a nose of black fruits and spices like vanilla and mocha. On the palate deep dark fruits and wood notes that ends so smooth (30 sec.+). Even better on day 2 (92+). This is much better than it was 1-2 years ago. Glad I have a 6 pak +.
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9/2/2011 - Wink wrote: 93 Points
Nothing to add to 6/13/11 note, except that I liked it more! Excellent wine!
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8/5/2011 - pmk wrote: 92 Points
not much of a nose but a wonderfully balanced fruit forward (blackberry, dark fruit just right acidity) wine with very soft supple tannins and a medium finish. popped and poured and enjoyed with BBQ chicken.
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7/30/2011 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Regular dinner group (@ JvT): Very youthful color. Very juicy wine with a lot of sweetness, some paprika, eucalyptus and soft tannin. Lacks a little luxury and elegance for a higher score, but this surely is a great wine. Already a great pleasure, but no problem keeping this for a few more years.
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7/14/2011 - tb_baltimore Likes this wine: 88 Points
We shared this as at Samba Brazilian Grill in Madison -- it came across to us as a bit 'muddy' and one-dimensional. The other reviewers commented on the fruit and the 'wow' factor. Maybe it needed to be decanted longer (ours was about fifteen minutes at the table in a decanter). But, this was flat and for the price we've had much better Malbec. I was expecting a full spicy flavor with a sense of fruit. This was more smokey and cigar-like, there was not a lot of complex flavor going on.
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6/13/2011 - Wink wrote: 91 Points
This is my first bottle of a six pack that has been sitting in my cellar for quite awhile. I guess I have been working on my '04's and haven't gotten around to trying this. Purple with a garnet rim. Nose of dark fruit, smoke, vanilla, and a hint of licorice. Full ripe palate of blackberry, figs, olives, and integrated oak. Excellent length. Vivacious acidity. Supple tannins. Year after year, the Catena Alta Malbec is a delicious wine. More depth than the basic Catena Malbec.
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6/4/2011 - depdoc wrote: 90 Points
Immediately after opening, it showed liittle aroma, but later had dark fruit and cedar. The wine opened up much better after 1-2 hours of decanting. At that time, it had smoothed considerably. Dark cherry was predominant.
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3/27/2011 - ScottGoodwin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beatiful nose. Dead ringer for Cab Sauv. But no leather or tobacco that would send me towards Bordeaux. But not enough up front fruit to send me to Napa. Eventually an olive tempenade/tomato aroma emerged. Super silky. Really refined tannins. Plenty of life left. Dusty chocolate. Plums. Very pure.
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3/6/2011 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
Drank 4 bottles of this last night with friends from work. As expected, it paired exceedingly well with the tenderloin. All the bottles were quiet good, no variation. Wine continues to be full, smooth, and rich. I think that it has lost a little over the last couple of years, but there were no complaints what so ever from our guests.
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3/5/2011 - Surfdoc wrote: 87 Points
Simple black currant and earth aroma and flavor. Soft, acidic, short finish. Not feelin' it.
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2/28/2011 - farinas Likes this wine: 93 Points
purple glaze crisp fruit scents, pure and driven with a very polished taste and finish (Costco), BDAY '11
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2/4/2011 - Buick455 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. Good wine with more to come.
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12/23/2010 - Tarrant wrote: 90 Points
Really nice, balanced Malbec not over the top in any way - Black, full bodied with a nose of plum, blueberry, spice, cherry and vanilla, well made, strong backbone and acidity, decent balance now, sweet, smooth on the palate with very good length (90 Points).
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12/23/2010 - Yiannis wrote:
This reminds me of the 2004, as it was 2 years ago, meaning that probably the 2005 is evolving at a slower pace than its predecessor. The wine is still very primary and somewhat unconnected and the oak effect is very intense. My experience with previous vintages tells me that this wine will evolve at least as gracefully as the best Catena Alta Malbecs of the past. The color is very dark purple and the nose is very plummy with intense vanilla, sweet spice and hints of chocolate and moccha. Full-bodied on the palate, with firm but fine grained tannins, rich fruit and balancing acidity. The finish is long but the oak dominates. It would be unfair to score it at this stage.
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12/5/2010 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
Two bottles with friends. Very consistent. Rich plum and black fruit, with very smooth, well integrated tannins. This is prime drinking now, and I'm not too confident that it won't start falling off from here over the next couple years.
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11/15/2010 - wineshaman wrote: 87 Points
Decanted and tasted, musty nose at first, disapated slightly over 2hrs, harsh and disjointed, maybe bad bottle 3 more left will see.
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10/23/2010 - 2Travel wrote: 91 Points
Rich and smooth, but flavor and structure did not live up to my memory of previous bottles. May have suffered because it followed a couple really good Pinots.
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9/12/2010 - Battleship wrote: 92 Points
3 hour decant revealed a sophisticated nose of dark red fruits and a hint of smokiness. On the palate it was quite refined with a very balanced fruit to acidity transition. The finish came back for a second round and really was a nice surprise.
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7/17/2010 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well. Nice structure for a malbec. Very tasty.
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7/16/2010 - Cheryl wrote:
TWERPS World Cup Blind Tasting (La Cave a Fromage, London): This was nice. Not complex but enjoyable. Good memories from my earlier wine drinking days.
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7/10/2010 - pedwards wrote: 91 Points
Extremely dark purple in the glass. With a 1/2 hour decant nose of plums, smoke and dark fruits. On the palate dark fruits and vanilla, full bodied with a nice balance of acidity and smooth tannins. Paired extremely well with grilled skirt steak and chimichuri. Would have scored higher but found the finish tart/green and not worth the $40 bones I paid.
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6/26/2010 - drunkstar Likes this wine: 90 Points
purple and fabulous
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6/23/2010 - konquest Likes this wine: 89 Points
Gros jus intense et moderne. Ne fait pas dans la subtilité mais est bien fait dans son genre.
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5/28/2010 - ELH wrote: 90 Points
Decent Malbec. Purple in the glass. Plums and figs. Medium bodied. Integrated tannins. Overall effect is somewhat restrained. But drinking well. Opened an hour beforehand but not decanted.
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5/22/2010 - plow68 wrote: 91 Points
Fabulous Malbec. Let it breathe for an hour in a decanter before drinking. Will drink very well over the next few years as it should improve with age as well.
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4/4/2010 - marcellevi wrote: 92 Points
Superb Malbec for <$50.
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3/31/2010 - NCWino1 wrote: 90 Points
[Popped & Poured] Deep, dark purple color. Plum and dark fruits on the nose. Coffee, fig, leather with spice notes integrated through tame tannins. Finish is medium long and smooth. Not good QPR on this Catena Malbec. I would not seek this out, @ $40, there are better Malbecs for less money. Disappointed........This wine does NOT bring the thunder. Drink over the next 2 years, cellaring will not help this wine.
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3/21/2010 - Dave Halliday wrote:
Black cherry with cedar notes. Very soft tannins. Great steak wine.
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3/21/2010 - redknife wrote: 90 Points
I've had better for less money.
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3/20/2010 - Bob in NC wrote: 91 Points
Served at dinner party. It was the WOTN for several people.
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3/13/2010 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Argentinian wines evening (new wine-buddies group meeting) (at Uri Wizenberg): dark color, sense of a good aroma, full-bodied wine that will improve with 3-5 additional years of aging
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1/18/2010 - wchisling@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour and opened up nicely. Not overly powerful but very fruity with a nice finish
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1/2/2010 - willthethrill wrote: 91 Points
Nice and smooth with a slightly dry finish. I expected something a bit more spicy. All in all very nice, but didn't blow me away.
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12/26/2009 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Brilliant bright purple color. Nose of plum, blackberry, new oak, and a little spice. Palate has a crisp acidity and light weight, but full bodied with dense dark fruit character, mostly currants. Lenghty finish of toast, mocha, and a little slate. Nice well made malbec, but didn't exceed expectations given the price.
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12/22/2009 - andtheodor wrote: 90 Points
WWJD? (Fort Collins): Dark purple, young appearance. Sweet berry fruit, bright flowers, and wood on the nose. Youthful and primary, this immediately stood out as Malbec to me. Well executed but too sweet and a little shy in the complexity. Maybe see you in a few years...
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12/9/2009 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
Took a minute to open (popped and poured). Very nice structure for a Malbec. Fruit is pure. Went very nicely with loin roast. This bottle did not show the fruit power that the 2003 displayed.
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11/23/2009 - chad1616 wrote: 91 Points
A wonderful Malbec that paired up well with 12 meets at a Churasceria in Costa Rica. Plum upfront and cedar on the back with a lingering light spice. A reminder that I do not drink enough Malbec (especially with grilled meets).
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11/14/2009 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with past note [ Big body but mild finish. Still closed on the nose. Super dark colour as expected. Still an enjoyable wine but no greatness here. ]
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10/3/2009 - manonthemoon wrote: 91 Points
Notes from day 2. Dark purple to black color. Nose of black raspberry, plum, vanilla, cedar, and mocha. On the palate there was black raspberry, plum, mocha, and a decent amount of tannin still around. The finish is medium average in length and there is nice balance with the acidity present. Decent mouthfeel, still a really young wine that needs time to really show. Catena rarely disappoints, especially for the price. Hold. 50+5+11+16+9
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9/27/2009 - Seo wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. A fair amount of barnyard on the nose that blew off in a few minutes. Lots of dark fruits, plums, blakcberries and black cherries. Touch of clay on the palate brought an interesting dimension. Would have liked to see a little higher acidity to match the fuit and good tannic finish. Should keep well for a few years but doesnt show cellaring potential.
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8/24/2009 - marcellevi wrote: 92 Points
Deep inky purple violet color. Nose of plums, rasperries and vanilla. Round, balanced in the mouth with subtle oak and spice notes adding to the fruit-forward complexion. Wonderfully executed, perfect w/ grilled meats or pasta w/ tomato-based sauces. The finish is medium and clean. Potential for 93/94 over the next 2 years. A really stellar wine!
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8/17/2009 - pjaines wrote:
Deep purple colour. Nose: Violets, mint, cedar, tangy spices - really alluring and complex but in a restrained way. Young, deep flavours - really quite tightly wound up at the moment, but notes of chocolate, deep fruit come through but held in check by the integrated tannins which work really well within the structure of the wine. Needs time, but good with food.
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8/10/2009 - aschiavi wrote: 93 Points
Big Malbec, strong earth, complexity with a lasting finish. very dark. could use some time in the cellar and this one will be stellar.
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8/7/2009 - pvd420 wrote: 91 Points
Big fruit, dark as night, lush but not hot. Nice with grilled pizza!
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8/1/2009 - tsmathiesen wrote: 91 Points
Bold nose, beautiful black plum color, marvelous example of Mendoza.
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7/19/2009 - ken-yyz wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, dense… A little monolithic though - needs a couple of years.
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7/16/2009 - communion wrote: flawed
Pop & Pour-not quite what was expected. Color was ruby/garnet but not dark. Rotten eggs, sweet oak and alcohol on the nose. Thin, dry and somewhat chalky. Bell pepper, onions, cabbage and vanilla. Well integrated tannins. Tonic and dry, but very long finish. Due to other ratings, I am convinced this bottle was somehow damaged. I will try it again.
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7/14/2009 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
Big body but mild finish. Still closed on the nose. Super dark colour as expected. Still an enjoyable but no greatness here. Decanted for 30minutes.
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5/21/2009 - chiliman96 wrote: 93 Points
nose of dark berries, heavy body, deep dark red color, coffee, leather, caramel with excellent structure; dreamy; will improve as tannins weave their way into the blend; paired very well with fudge brownie, vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce;
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5/16/2009 - chiliman96 wrote: 93 Points
espresso, tobacco, leather, earth fantastic Malbec
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5/11/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Catena Wines (Waterford): aromatic coffee notes. shows more rustic nature than the straight catena malbec. again, palate shows very smooth fruit. so approachable.
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5/11/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
More smoke and meat than the cabernet. Also more balanced with better acidity and excitment across the palate. Just my opinion. I really think it is worth the effort at $50.
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4/22/2009 - thewineoceros wrote: 93 Points
Bibendum Bordeaux tasting (Lord's Cricket Ground - London): Silky black fruits seamlessly woven with sweet oak nuances of vanilla and resin. A lot of spice and tremendous length and staying power. Drinking nicely now, but will age. Makes me think of steak!
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4/19/2009 - chiliman96 wrote: 92 Points
figs; jam; manure; barnyard; wonderful wine; balanced
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4/7/2009 - Moby Vino wrote: 92 Points
This really needs to open up a minimum of 3 hours, to let the tannins burn off and the fruit open up and everything to integrate. I'm not sure it's really worth the bucks because I've had malbecs I like as much or better for less than a third of the price. But it's still a nice wine.
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4/6/2009 - hutch wrote: 91 Points
Walker's Newport Tasting (The Spiced Pear): Killer bottle of wine. Everything is in balance. It's rich and lush, but has a nice streak of acidity. Stylish, tasty, and terrific. 91-92
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3/27/2009 - Gotwine1969 wrote: 92 Points
Dark and brooding color but the nose shows richness of fig, meat and blueberry with a bit of pronounced toasted oak. the palate is front loaded with raspberries, espresso and ripe fig with a much less oak influence than the nose suggested. Medium tannins that are very fine so it drinks nicely now but will probably develop with a few more years in bottle. Hard not to drink up now.
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3/14/2009 - OTTnMIA wrote: 92 Points
WOW! Hands down the best Malbec I've ever had. Huge, powerful, deep, complex. Dark color and beautiful body to it. Great nose of dark berries, spice, earth and licorice. An absolutely explosive pallete! We were blown away at the strong coffee and mocha notes, so intriguing! The best part of the wine was its "true to its roots" Malbec qualities, it had all that rough fleshy brambly quality to the fruit that you come to expect from Malbec (which gave it such an identity) and yet was so elegant and refined. The wine needs a bit of time to develop, we decanted about 2 hours. Once it got there it developed a nice acidity or astringent bite to it that really added to its balance. Paired with a killer ribeye off the grill, DEFINITELY a great beef wine! Wonderful stuff, highly recommended.
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2/14/2009 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2+) Has better potential with age. A well structured wine with a fantastic finish and little oak or heat, but very tannic and lacking fruit. Will this open up with time in the bottle?
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2/7/2009 - scott davis wrote: 92 Points
Very dark purple/black in color, with profound aromas of red raspberry, violets, and toast. The palate shows big, yet elegant flavors of juicy blue fruit, blackcurrants, dark chocolate, and cedar. Admirable sweetness and texture, with approachable tannins, medium viscosity, lively acidity, and a staying finish. Nicely balanced and delicious.
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1/24/2009 - BSteffes wrote: 93 Points
fantastic Wine. Let is breathe for about 3 hours..and the wine is so perfectly balanced. Just enough fruit...and tons of coffee and cocoa powder. A perfect beef wine and an outstanding value!
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1/22/2009 - Bob in NC wrote: 91 Points
This wine tells beautiful story with its sexy deep purple color, a shy nose of blackberries and vanilla, luscious full mouth feel and a moving plot line of well integrated flavors of blackberry, vanilla, mild oak and caramel. The story has a romantic ending with smooth silky tannins that lets the berry and caramel flavors dance on and on. Please, tell us this story again! Will the story be better next year? – Oh yes, for a few more years to come.
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1/12/2009 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 91 Points
Terroir-istes International - Chile & Argentina (Rodwell House): Deep Crimson colour the bright aromas display Ribena, red plum along wth cassis and tobacco.
A dry, spicy entry, the wine soons fills the mid-palate with a creamy-infused richness. Full-bodied, concentrated with a fresh acidity keeping the wine together, this is a juicy Malbec filled with wine gums, mulberry and squashed blackcurrants. firm, grippy tannins lead to a medium to long finish.
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12/25/2008 - happynothing wrote: 93 Points
super deep purple in color, with a nose of blackberries, violets, plum, vanilla & smoke. this wine is not shy about it's oak influence, but it really isn't too overwhelming and seems like it will integrate after a few years in your cellar. a very Thick, smooth mouthfeel that coats the palate, moderately low acids that are just high enough to balance out the smooth, round tannins and 13.9 abv, massive finish with nary a hint of bitterness. the wine opened up drastically as it aired out in the decanter, seemed to lose a bit of it's "thickness" and gained a pleasantly astringent finish. excellent expression of malbec. very appealing wine, and worth the $$ IMHO. great with a bloody rare steak.
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12/24/2008 - kennyg wrote: 92 Points
Robust, full bodied, licorice and tar on the nose, almost barolo like. Still a little chewy but nice dark fruit with bittersweet finish. Solid thick wine, held up to spicey Indian food (although would not recommend this combination normally). Will give my next bottles a couple years in the cellar.
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12/21/2008 - lumpkins wrote: 90 Points
had with a roast with fig and port reduction. Decanted for 2 hrs. Rich full bodied wine loaded with dark fruits.
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11/11/2008 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 93 Points
Inky Color, Aromas of Ripe Plums, Milk Chocolate, Spices, Licorice. Full Body with pure fresh fruit, and velvet tannins. Long caressing finish.
Dring Very well right now, but if you can be a little patient this will reward you.(2009-2015) - JD93 (Second tasting, consistent notes)
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11/7/2008 - LelouchViBritannia wrote: 92 Points
Catena Zapata's Premium wine tasting (North Vancouver): Decanted 1hr+. Classic Argentinean Malbec but way too young even with decanting.
The aroma scream out from the deep violet surface. Taste more of bitter mocha than the cab version's sweet tobacco, which is more powerful and will require time.
Almost Wine of the night (WOTN),but the restaurant manager took it away before i have a chance to finish it. Nooooo !!!! But that's because the next wine being served is even more exciting !! You might already guessed it. It is the Nicolas Catena Zapata !!! WOAHHHH !!
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11/4/2008 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 93 Points
Inky Color, Aromas of Ripe Plums, Milk Chocolate, Spices, Licorice. Full Body with pure fresh fruit, and velvet tannins. Long caressing finish.
Dring Very well right now, but if you can be a little patient this will reward you.(2009-2015) - JD93
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11/3/2008 - hcampana wrote: 93 Points
Retailer wine tasting (Lots of TNs incl. 05 Torre Muga, 05 Guado al Tasso, 06 Achaval Mirador, 05 Pintia, etc.) (Monterrey, Mexico): On the border of over ripeness. Caramel and blackberry dominate the nose. Low acid, full palate coverage, delicious.
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9/6/2008 - dke wrote:
Great nose of mix of sweet dark berries, good taste with still very tannic and a touch bitter finish. This is way too young but it will be 89-92pt wine once it softens.
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8/17/2008 - FakeAccount wrote: 93 Points
This is the best Argentinian Malbec I have ever tasted (but I haven't tasted many). Impressed in structure and fullness on the palate. Aromatics were a little subdued, even after 2 hours of decanting. Aromas of burnt cedar, shoe polish (without the VA), and black berries. Good acidity and fine tannin. I suspect this will age nicely. Try again in a year.
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8/13/2008 - *Vine* wrote: 93 Points
Purchased of restaurant list, had them open upon arrival. Didn't take an extensive note but this wine made a nice impression. Deep purple in glass, aromas of black cherry, blackberries, and violets with a hint of minerals and earth. Medium to full bodied with black fruits and a great mineral laden spine. Really started to open after 45+ minutes.......but is still a baby and needs another 2-5 years.........however, it's still a beautiful drink, even in it's youth. This bottling really makes me appreciate Argentinean Malbec even more, it's such a nice marriage of both power and elegance, possessing chalky tannins and perfect acidity for a meal. But the fruit is certainly present and that's what makes this wine so appealing - it will work for both ends of the red wine tasting spectrum, the acid freaks and the fruit cocktail crowd. Those who fall in the middle will love it!
And having this made wonder.....Why pay for much more expensive Bordeaux's when wines such as this are available? Just my opinion of course....
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8/8/2008 - soyhead wrote: 90 Points
nose - boysenberry, and other dark fruits. Smells like what i imagine a fistfull of wild dark berries would smell like after being crushed in the palm. Mouth - Lush red fruit with hints of chocolate. Concentrated with good structure and esp good acidity. Mid to full bodied with a good midpalate and finish.
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8/2/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Open at 2:00. A touch of burnished wood and smokeiness. I am not convinced that this bottle hasn't seen heat damage. Refreshing with a good attack.
These wines were all tasted together in one night over a period of 10 hours.
2006 Clos La Coutale Chaors, 2006 Catena Malbec, 2005 Catena Cabernet, 2005 Catena Alta Malbec, 2004 Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec, 2006 Bramare Lujan de Cuyo District Cabernet, 2005 Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Cabernet, 2004 Nicolas Catena Zapata, 2004 Cobos, 2004 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard, 2004 Catena Zapata Nicasia Vineyard.
In general the feeling was the all of the Catena wines, from top to bottom, are stylistic, elegant, well made and classy to drink. Paul Hobbs’ wines are certainly not chump change though. They are by far flashier and sometimes run the risk of becoming over-done. This was certainly the feeling with the Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec. Here the fruit flavors seemed to be lost in a sea of hedonistic oak treatment.
Speaking of hedonism you can’t find a much greater fruit bomb in this world than the Paul Hobbs Cobos. If you need a gift to impress someone this would certainly do it. But it is, perhaps, hard to drink more than a glass. There is only so much jam on can imbibe.
The exact opposite experience is the Nicolas Catena Zapata. Here is a big wine, yet with such refinement and elegance that the experience of finding the bottom of the bottle justifies its price (around $95). Maybe the experience of drinking five regular Catena Malbecs (around $20 – and an excellent value) would equal one Catena Zapata? A question for another night!
My only critique of Catena is the price on the single vineyards. Why price Adrianna and Nicasia at $91 when their composite, winemaker-built-blend (I have met Jose), Catena Alta, is $40 less? For those savvy few not chasing Parker points this means that the better wine – Catena Alta – is half the price its big boy, body-builder-bottle cousins. At around $50 Catena Alta is frankly a steal. And its carbon footprint it smaller to boot!
And while we are discussing steals, if you can find them, Paul Hobb’s lower tier Argentinean stuff, from the Lujan de Cuyo series (around $35? – Jesus Christ buy this in cases when you see it) to the Cocodrilo or whatever-they-have-decided-to-call-it-series (around $20?) are ridiculous values in and of themselves. Note that the Cabernets from these two tiers are stronger than the Malbecs or Merlots. All of Hobbs’ wines are flashy, ripe fruit in your face, smooth rounded out BOMBS. Don’t bother cellaring them past year three. The acid and tannins just aint there. Instead get sloppy drunk with them now. They are the Lay-Z-Boy chair of the wine world and are too much fun for your own good.
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7/5/2008 - cabdrinker wrote: 92 Points
Deep inky purple in the glass. Little toasted oak on the nose to begin with but opened up and the oak was muted as the evening progressed. Big roasted coffee, black licorice, silky texture and beautifully integrated tannins. Little raspberry and blackberry in hour 3. Best Malbec I have had in my short time with this veritial.
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5/10/2008 - nubbin wrote: 91 Points
A "Dang Eunice" wine! Big and lush and sexy. Stunning. Worth every penny. Balanced ripe berries and warm spice. An event in itself. (D 7.5, F 6; Pine; MSW)
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