2009 Picada 15 White Blend

An Estate grown and bottled White blend from the Neuquen region of Patagonia in Argentina. The blend is 55% Chardonnay, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Pinot Noir. Yes, Pinot Noir is a red grape, but they remove the grape skins right after crushing the grapes, so you get none of the red grape color. The wine is aged for 5 months in stainless steel tanks and the alcohol content is 14.3%.

A light wheat yellow with lime green highlights. The nose is grapefruit and oranges, a little green apple and cut flowers. It tastes of light apricot mixed with lemon/lime, then tart apple. The has good acidity, it’s there but it does not get in the way of the flavor. A very light tart apple finish, you can barely taste it, but it last and lasts.

Light, crisp, refreshing, cheap, just how a White blend should be. Would pair well with grilled seafood and light pasta dishes.

2009 Urban Uco Malbec

100% Estate grown Malbec from the  Uco Valley in the Mendoza Region of Argentina. The wine is aged three months in French oak barrels. Argentina is known for it’s Torrontes white wine and Malbec red wine. Malbec is a French grape mainly grow in the Cahors region of France, but Argentina has become very competitive in terms of quality and price. Alcohol content is 14.5%.

A dark opaque ruby red, in France Malbec is known as “the black wine” and the Urban Uco Malbec lives up to that name. The nose is not fruit based, it’s spicy and rich exotic spices, a flowering Magnolia tree, with the scent of a newly mowed lawn. Medium bodied, dark red fruit, at first, then blueberry followed by a touch of spice. Malbec’s used to be big hairy tannic wines, but the tannins here are soft and slightly sweet. A good, reasonably long berry finish.

A very balanced, well made wine.  Would be very versatile with food,  you could pair it with burgers or pizza, but it’s quality would also enhance upscale menus. I have seen the Urban Uco Malbec on several wine lists, it’s quality to price ratio would make it an excellent pick

2008 El Ganador Malbec $9

A Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina, Estate grown and bottled. 10% of the grapes are aged in French oak barrels, then mixed with the other 90% of the grapes that were aged in stainless steel vats. The wine gets a bit of that oak spice and vanilla, a bit of structure, but no real aging capabilities.

If your looking for a single varietal red wine in the $10 range, Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel and Malbec are your most reliable choices. Good Cabs and Pinots are out there, but few and far between.

Deep opaque ruby red in color. The nose is plums, black cherry, pepper and vanilla.  Smooth blackberries and blueberries surrounded by a halo of spice (almost curry like). The finish is non carbonated Dr. Pepper. The El Ganador has nice structure and soft tannins.

The El Ganador Malbec has the structure and the flavor to pair with steaks or chops.

2008 Astica Malbec – $8

Right now the hottest grape on the planet is Malbec. Every day someone emails us “Where can we find Malbec?”. The problem is – it’s very hard to find an inexpensive Malbec that stands out. Well – we found one for you, and it’s from Argentina.

Jammy and fruity up front. Deep dark red. It’s full-bodied yet velvety with a slight spicy finish.

2008 Mi Terruno Uvas Malbec

Mi Terruno means “My Terrior” or “My Land” in English. An Estate grown and bottled wine sourced from the Lujan district of Mendoza, Argentina. The grapes were hand picked and the wine sees no oak, the wine is aged for 5 months in stainless steel tanks. Alcohol content is 13%.

The color is see thru cranberry red. The nose is slightly musty dark fruit . The flavor is raspberries upfront, then black licorice, the tannins are well balanced. Not a fruit forward wine, the word “balanced” is the key here. The finish shows a touch of acidity and lasts a very long time.

An elegant wine, no oak so it’s not a wine for aging, but a wine that suggests that it sells for far more than it actually does.

2009 Yllum Torrontes

The Yllum Torrontes is grown in the Salta Province of Argentina. Located in a mountainous region in the North, the vineyards are 5,576 to 7,800 feet above sea level, the highest growing region in the country. The Torrontes is a young wine, it is aged for 2 months in stainless steel tanks, so a drink it now wine, it will not cellar long.

The color is a pale, pale straw yellow, just hints of color. The nose is vibrant with fresh fruit and flowers, white peaches stand out. The taste is light citrus, tart, clean, it reminds me of 7-Up. Good balanced acidity on the finish.

This is a food wine, just the ticket for your favorite BYOB spicy Asian joint.

2009 San Huberto Estate Torrontes

Torrontes is the wine of Argentina, it is their varietal. Very crisp, refreshing and food friendly, the San Huberto Estate Torrontes is grown in the Aminga Valley in the LaRioja Region of Mendoza in Argentina.

The color is pale yellow with green apple highlights. The nose is citrus, flower pedal and a little pineapple. A light crisp mouth feel, the acidity is evident. It tastes of lemon chiffon pie upfront then evolves into melon, not a sweet wine, this Torrontes leans toward the dry side.

Very much a food wine, crisp, clean tasting, good palate cleansing acidity, while still retaining a pleasing flavor.

2008 Antis Cabernet Sauvignon

Grown on the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains in the Maipe district of the Mendoza Region in Argentina. The wine sees six months in French oak.

The color is a beautiful burgundy red. The nose is bright young red fruit, strawberries and raspberries, vanilla and a touch of spice. Rich flavors, plums and blackberries,hints of milk chocolate, with a shot of spice with each swallow. Nice vanilla cola finish. A young wine, but reasonably complex. Not too much oak, tannins are well balanced.

A yummy well priced wine. Argentina is one of the first places to look for wonderful wine values.

2007 Chateau Armandiere Cahors Malbec

I’ve been reading that Argentinian Malbec’s are going to be all the rage this summer. All the big name wine companies have partnered with Argentinian Malbec Wineries to bring Malbec to the masses. So, before the Argentinian onslaught, I decided to check out the Malbec Mothership, the Cahors Region of France. In France, where the grapes are grown and which Wine House made the wine is more important than what grape varietal is in the bottle, so the label lists the region,in this case Cahors, and the Chateau, again, Armandiere. That system works if your French, but the casual wine drinker is completely lost when trying to negotiate the French aisle of your local wine shop. Therefore, Argentinian Malbec is poised to be the next big thing and Cahors, the home of Malbec, is trying to play catch-up.

The Chateau Armandiere Malbec is Cahors’ response to the competition, 90% Malbec and 10% Merlot, no oak, estate grown and bottled. Traditional Cahors Malbec’s are big, bold, rugged, tannic wines, the kind of wines that will put hair on your chest. But, this is made to be fruit forward and engaging, the kind of wine that Shiraz/Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers will immediately understand.

In Cahors, Malbec is nicknamed “ the black wine”, so the Armandiere has a deep opaque black cherry with a strawberry halo. The nose is smoky and savory, floral and a burst of blueberries. The flavor is lush dark fruit, plums, blackberries, there are firm tannins evident, but well integrated, no jarring jolt.  The finish is cherry cola and lasts a very,very long time.

If you are in the France section of your local Wine Shop and you see Cahors on the label and the price of the bottle is right, take a chance on these wines, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

2002 Finca Flichman Reserva Shiraz – $5

Finca means both vineyard and winery in Argentina, the Reserva designation indicates that this is estate grown and bottled. The Vineyard is located in the Barrancas region of Mendoza Province. Flichman is owned by a large wine conglomerate from Portugal and has been producing wines in Argentina since 1965. The Shiraz was stored in oak barrels for 6 months. this wine retailed for between $12 and $17 when first released, but now that it is toward the end of it’s shelf life, the price has come way down.

The color is deep dark opaque crimson red. The nose is smoke, violets, spice drops and red plums. The mouth feel is slightly watery, the oak and tannins are evident, but under the surface. The taste is muted dark fruit, the name says Shiraz, but this is not like an Australian wine. Not a fruit bomb, but blueberries, hints of tea, plums and stewed fruit. The finish is lengthy with bits of vanilla and cranberry juice. The Finca Flichman would stand up to a steak, but would also work for lighter food. You can really get a lot of wine for your money with South American wines.

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