Monday, November 16, 2009

2008 Altocedro La Consulta Select Malbec


2008 Altocedro La Consulta Select Malbec - $16 from Argentina. This is a wine to seek out, it might be hard to find but the search will be worth it. This is an excellent malbec. I've had other wines from this winery including the Reserva (which is twice as much as this wine), and this is easily the best wine I've had from this very good winery. A very young wine, this is an extremely smooth and gentle malbec. The nose has a bit of stink on it also known as earth smells. The finish on this wine is silky and gentle. The amount of quality for the price is way up there. This wine is why I keep going back to Argentina malbec's, I've only had a couple other malbec's that I liked this much, and this is definitely my favorite wine from the La Consulta region of Mendoza. I found this wine at Bevmo (a store remarkably similar to Total Wine on the East Coast), I don't know where else to find this wine but I recommend asking your local wine shops where to find Altocedro wines. I couldn't even find information on this exact wine on the winery's own website. Make sure to look for the Select not the Reserva. The websites for information on the winery are: www.altocedro.com.ar and www.vinodelsol.com

p.s. the label on the picture is not the exact wine, just something to look at that is also made by Altocedro. I was drinking the '08 La Consulta Select, not the '04 La Consulta Reserva

Saturday, November 7, 2009

2005 Waterbrook Melange


2005 Waterbrook Melange - $13 Columbia Valley, Washington. In the never ending search for value I have turned to Washington state, an up and coming area that is expanding in vineyard acreage and quality. I hit pay dirt with this quality bottle of red wine that I picked up from World Market for $8 (it was being discontinued). The online dictionary defines melange as "a mixture of very dissimilar elements", and that is an excellent description of this unconventional blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. This is a nice departure from the usual style of wines, a New World blend that is not bound by Old World traditions and also tastes good. Often wines that are crazy blends don't work out but this one comes through. This is a soft medium bodied wine with little tannin, a hint of sweetness, with subtle aromas of brown sugar and spice. A refreshing value that showcases the quality and innovative spirit of Washington wines, a great everyday sipper.

www.waterbrook.com