Graffigna Centenario Elevation Red Blend Reserve

Graffigna Centenario Elevation

Red Blend Reserve

Vintage: 2012

San Juan, Argentina

It's no secret I'm a huge fan of wines from Argentina.  Probably a good third of the wines I've reviewed here on Bob's Brew and Liquor Reviews have been from Argentina.  Something about that place is magical... at least for wine making!

So for now, we're looking at reviewing a new wine from Graffigna, their 2012 Centenario Elevation Red Blend Reserve.

Layer Cake Malbec 2011

Layer Cake Malbec.

2011.

Pure Love Wines

Mendoza, Argentina

And here we have it, the 2011 Layer Cake Malbec.

If you read through some of my amazing wine reviews, particularly the Malbec reviews, it won't take long before you see me mention the Layer Cake Malbec.  

Redwood Creek Malbec

Redwood Creek Malbec

2009

Frei Brothers Vineyard

Mendoza, Argentina

So, here we have another Malbec up for review.  And again, it's a Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.  

Imagine that.

This is the 2009 Vintage Redwood Creek Malbec from the Frei Brothers Vineyard.

Little Chica Malbec

Little Chica Malbec

2010

Mendoza, Argentina

I'm still on a Malbec kick.  I don't know why.  But hey, there's worse things I could be doing.

This is my review of the 2010 Little Chica Malbec.

Trapiche Broquel Malbec

Trapiche Broquel Malbec

2008

Mendoza, Argentina

I'm kind of on a Malbec runner here lately.  I think this is the fifth Malbec I've reviewed in a little over a week.

Cupcake Malbec

Cupcake Vineyards Malbec

2010

Mendoza, Argentina

So, here's another Cupcake wine.  I've already reviewed their Red Velvet and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.  I actually found their Red Velvet to be better than their Cab, which surprised me. It was only a matter of time before I reviewed their Malbec...

Septima Malbec

Septima Malbec

Bodega

2009

Mendoza, Argentina

I know, I know, here's another Malbec.  I've been reviewing quite a few Malbecs.  And I'm good with that.

This is the 2009 Bodega Septima Malbec.  Like most Malbecs, it's also out of the Mendoza Region of Argentina.  

Durigutti Malbec

Durigutti Malbec

2009

Mendoza, Argentina

Well, here's another Malbec.

This is the 2009 Durigutti Malbec from the Mendoza Region of Argentina, like so many other Malbecs.  

Tinto Negro Malbec

Tinto Negro Malbec

2011

Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina

Ohhhhhhh yes, another Malbec from Argentina.  

This bottle is the 2011 Tinto Negro Malbec produced by Bodega Cruz de Piedra out of Mendoza, Argentina (like a TON of other Malbecs).  

Colores Del Sol Malbec

 

Colores Del Sol

Malbec

Vintage: 2010

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina

I drink a lot of Malbec.  No question there. 

And well, here's another one.  

This is the 2010 Colores Del Sol Malbec from the Mendoza Region of Argentina, just like many Malbecs.  I'm starting to wonder how big the Mendoza Region of Argentina really is, because there are a TON of wines all produced in that same region.  Perhaps it's like California where many vineyards are packed into the same area.  I'm not sure.  Maybe I'll look it up sometime, but today I'm too lazy.  

It happens.

Let's get to the wine.

The 2010 Colores Del Sol Malbec pours an inky deep purple and has aromas of dark blackberries and black cherries.  Tasting brings a good bit of raspberry, dried cherries, a hint of something floral and a touch of leather and oak.  Tannins are mild, but the mouthfeel here is quite velvety, which I love.  

This is an interesting Malbec.  It retains the characteristic rustic nature of Malbec while at the same time being a bit more elegant and refined.  It's almost a hybrid between the Argentinian and French wine styles.  And at around $12, it's a good verging on great deal.

Drink This: if you want an affordable Malbec that is more refined than the usual at this price range.

Don't Drink This: if you are looking for a burly, rugged Malbec.

Cheers!     

Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, 2009, and 2010

Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 2008, 2009, and 2010

Bodega Catena Zapata

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina

I've been reviewing a  fair bit of wines lately, but who's complaining?!  Not this guy.

It's not too often that I get to taste more than one vintage of the same wine side-by-side.  Apart sure.  But side-by-side? 

Rarely.

Well, today's my lucky day!

  

Here are three vintages of the Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2008, 2009, and 2010.  Not too long ago I reviewed the Alamos Torrontes, which I enjoyed quite a bit so I was hoping their Cabernet would fair as well.  Especially since these are easy wines to find just about everywhere.  

Enough talk.  Let's taste these bad boys.

All three pour approximately the same dark magenta color.  The 2008 smells of cherries, currants, and vanilla, with this carrying forward into a palate of sweet, soft cherries, hints of herbs and oak.

The 2009 smells and tastes a bit more vibrant with aromas of black cherry and leather followed by tastes of zesty sour cherries, raspberries, plums, a touch of tobacco and other herbs.

The 2010 has aromas of black cherries and vanilla followed by tastes of raspberries, blackberries, and a bit of nondescript herbs. 

So to sum it all up the 2008 is far and above the sweetest and has a soft, velvety mouthfeel.  The 2009 is tart, zesty, and the liveliest of the bunch.  The 2010, however, is a bit too juicy and flabby ending up kind of boring.  I really enjoyed the 2009, with the 2008 being a decent pour.

Well, there you have it.  And no, there's not a "Drink this/Don't Drink this" report for the review this time since I just don't feel like it... and it's my blog, so there!  

Now I just need to find a bottle of the 2011 Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon...

Cheers!       

 

      

The Show Malbec

The Show

Malbec

Three Thieves/Rebel Wine

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2010

I've mentioned The Show Malbec wine before, but haven't officially reviewed it

... until now.

(Queue dramatic music)

Okay, so let's not be that dramatic.  It's just a simple wine review, afterall...

Anyway, if you've read through some of my Malbec reviews (check them out here) you may have noticed I tend to compare Malbecs to a few of my favorites, Layer Cake's being one and The Show being another.  They're not the most expensive Malbecs, but they both are certainly good bang-for-your-buck wines.  

The Show Malbec is produced by Three Thieves which I take it is owned by Rebel Wines which is out of California.  Despite this, The Show Malbec is made in Mendoza, Argentina home of many great Malbecs.  85% of this wine is from Lujan de Cuyo and the other 15% is from Uco Valley.  If that sounds familiar, it is.  I recently reviewed Diseño Old Vine Malbec which is made in the exact same two regions of Argentina.  I'm wondering if there may be some overlap in the vineyards where these two wines are sourced (they're both good wines and similar, so I could believe it).  Regardless, the wine is then aged for 9 months in 25% new French oak.  

The Show Malbec pours a deep purple and has aromas of blackberries, vanilla, anise, and a bit of florals.  Tastings brings out more blackberries, blueberries, raisins, bits of clove, coffee, and cocoa, followed by an earthy and rustic finish.

I consider this to be, like I said earlier, a great Malbec wine for the money.  It has good, strong dark fruit flavors and depth followed by the classic Argentinian Malbec finish of earthy rustic soul-pleasing goodness.  I know a few people who don't like the earth notes in good Malbecs, but I, for one, love them.

Drink This: if you want a big, yummy, earthy Argentinian Malbec.  It only costs around $12 a bottle, but tastes like other Malbecs that are $20+.

Don't Drink This: if you don't like a dark red wine with a rustic, dusty, farmyard feel.  

This wine isn't for everyone, but that just leaves more for me... 

Cheers!  

 

    

Diseño Old Vine Malbec

Diseño

Old Vine Malbec

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2010

Malbec. Malbec. Malbec.

Big, earthy, rustic Malbec.

 

Malbec is one of those polarizing wines.  People either love 'em or hate 'em.  And yet, for the money, they can't be beat.  There are MANY great Malbecs under $20 a bottle.

 

This is the 2010 Diseño Old Vine Malbec and like a good deal of Malbecs, it's from the Mendoza region of Argentina, of course.  Specifically, this is made from grapes grown in Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valleys, if you were wondering.  The grapes are grown from "old vines," which lead to a better tasting, more flavorful and complex end product.

 

Okay, enough backstory, on to the wine!

 

Diseño Old Vine Malbec pours a deep, dark violet verging on black.  It has aromas of raspberries, vanilla, and leather.  Tasting gives you dry blackberries, stone, black licorice, and a long earthy, bitter finish with moderate tannins.

 

This is a full-bodied, earthy and dry Malbec.  While it certainly isn't for everyone, I loved it.  There are a lot of different and interesting things going on here.  I believe this costs between $10-14 most places.

 

Drink This: if you like 'em big and dirty... okay, that sounds naughty...

Don't Drink This: if you want a sweet or restrained wine. 

 

Cheers, friends!        

 

Alamos Torrontes

 

Alamos

Torrontes

Origin: Salta, Argentina

Vintage: 2009

I have a weird obsession with wines from Argentina, particularly Malbec.  

There's something intriguing about their rustic nature.  Something I find much more interesting than a refined, classic Italian or French wine.  

Maybe it's their unpredictability.  

Sometimes they are amazing and sometimes they are downright off and/or dirty tasting.  

Perhaps the thrill of not knowing if it will be great or awful is what makes them interesting.  I'm not sure, but that's not really the point here.  I'm just rambling and psychoanalyzing myself.

So, this is the 2009 Alamos Torrontes.  If you're unfamiliar, Torrontes is a variety of white grape from Argentina.  Technically there are three distinct varieties of Torrontes grapes, yet this bottle does not say which particular one it is, so perhaps it is a blend.  

The 2009 Alamos Torrontes pours a... well, look at the picture up top.  No need for me to describe what you can see! Ha!  Anyway, it smells of grapefruit, lemon, apricot, and a bit of floral.  It tastes very bright, lemony, and tart, with hints of white tea and herbs.  There is definitely lingering citrus and tartness in the finish and aftertaste.  

It is certainly interesting, and I'm certainly glad it's not overly sweet like many white wines.

Drink This: if you want an interesting and different white wine.  This is easily one of the better white wines I've had in months, and I'm usually a red wine type of guy.

Don't Drink This: if you're looking for a super sweet or super dry white wine.  This is somewhere between the two extremes, but I definitely enjoyed it.  I will be picking up another bottle for sure...

Cheers!        

Espuela del Gaucho Malbec Reserve

Espuela del Gaucho

Malbec Reserve

Vintage: 2010

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina
Alcohol: 13.5%

Yesterday, I reviewed the regular bottling of the 2010 Espuela del Gaucho Malbec.  But this bad boy, this is the Reserve (Limited Edition) bottle of the same year.  

Now the term "Reserve" on a wine can mean many things, and is really only regulated in a few European countries that have strict aging protocols to apply the term.  But in general, "Reserve" wines are merely wines the winemaker thinks are of better quality, whether it's from better quality grapes, grapes from a certain plot of land (terroir), or a wine that has simply been aged longer prior to bottling.  I'm not sure which is the case with the Espueal del Gaucho Malbec Reserve, but I agree, it certainly is better than the standard bottle.

The 2010 Espuela del Gaucho Malbec Reserve pours a dark, deep plum color and much like the standard bottle, smells of black raspberries, vague spiciness, and a bit of oak.  On tasting is where it distinguishes itself from the standard bottle with dry plums, black raspberry, a distinct woodiness, nutmeg, cloves, and an earthiness that tastes a bit like cocoa powder and leather, followed by a sharper, acidic finish.  The tannins are moderate, and more present than in the standard bottle.  This wine is big, bold, earthy, dry and rustic.  

Like many earthy wines, it could be quite the turnoff to some wine drinkers.  But for lovers of Malbec, this is a very good wine, verging on great...

Drink This: if you like 'em big, earthy and rustic. 

Don't Drink This: if your wine of choice is Pink Zinfandel.  This is about as far from that as you can get. 

Cheers!    

Espuela del Gaucho Malbec

Espuela del Gaucho

Malbec

Vintage: 2010

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina
Alcohol: 12.5%

Ahhh yes, another Malbec to review.  This time, it's the 2010 Vintage Espuela del Gaucho Malbec, which is of course, out of the Mendoza Province of Argentina.  The Malbecs coming out of Argentina have continued surging in popularity, despite the recent trend of people shifting toward drinking sweet red and pink wines.  I think the allure of the Argentinian Malbecs are the value.  The middle shelf Malbecs are running only $8-15 a bottle, which makes many of them a great bargain.  But, I digress. 

So, what's a gaucho?  Well, it's essentially a term used for the South American equivalent of a cowboy, or cattleman, something which is a big part of the Argentinian culture.  I assume the winemakers were trying to capture some of that lifestyle and vibe into this wine.  When I got this bottle, I expected a rustic, dark berried wine... and that's exactly what I got.

The 2010 Espuela del Gaucho Malbec pours a deep plum purple.  It has aromas of black raspberries with some nondescript spice and a bit of oak.  It initially tastes of juicy plums and raspberries, with some Christmas-type spice, followed by a fairly strong bit of toasted oak and earthiness (think cumin).  This is juicy, yet spicy, yet pretty damn earthy.  All in all, it's what I enjoy in a Malbec, a fruit-forward, earthy, rustic red wine.  Granted, I could see this being a very polarizing wine for many people.  This isn't a silky smooth, refined French wine.  This is rustic and raw Argentinian Malbec.

Drink This: if you want a rustic, earthy taste of Malbec.  This isn't my favorite Malbec, or even in my top 5, but it's good and pretty characteristic of what I think a Malbec from South America should be.  I'd buy it again.

Don't Drink This: if you're looking for a refined, balanced red wine, this will just turn you off.