The Good Wine Guru » Malbec

Ruta 22 Malbec 2010

George — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:00:19 +0000

Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Patagonia, Argentina
Cost: $13 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: A deep ruby-colored wine with rich, smooth blackberry flavors and vanilla aromas. Pairs well with red meats, cheeses, and pastas.

My Review: I’ve been a fan of Malbec for some time now, I’ve found it to be, on the whole, a nice inexpensive alternative to numerous other budget wines where you can get far better quality than your dollar would lead you to believe, especially coming out of South America, and it tends to pair well with the foods I like to eat. Because of that, I was pleased to receive a bottle of Malbec as a sample right at the end of the year, and my wife and I finally decided to pop the cork and give it a try last night.

When I usually think of budget Malbec I think of wines with good fruit notes, maybe a bit fruit forward, but with dark notes and some body that can hold up to bolder meals. The 2010 Ruta 22 Malbec exhibited most of those things, but it wasn’t nearly as fruit forward as I was expecting, and that’s not a complaint at all.

As I was pouring the wine into a decanter (my wife and I received a custom etched decanter from my wife’s brother for Christmas and have found ourselves using it for just about every bottle of red we open lately) I noticed a lot of purple notes slashing through the deep red of the wine. On the nose I got a bit of alcohol at first, in no small part because of the 14.5% alcohol content, but that eventually gave way to blackberry notes and a touch of spice.

In the mouth the wine had tons of fruit, but instead of being “fruit forward” there was a nice dryness to the finish that I wasn’t expecting but appreciated. Paired with some pasta with red sauce and meatballs it wasn’t terrible, but my wife and I suspect that it would have paired better had we not thrown crushed red pepper into the sauce. That being said, when sipping on the wine after we’d finished eating it was a nice easy sipping wine with a bit more character than your usual budget Malbec.

If you want to give this wine a try and can’t find it at your local store, just follow this link and you can have it shipped directly to you.

Girard Artistry 2008

George — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:00:30 +0000

Varietal: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon; 19% Cabernet Franc; 11% Malbec; 6% Merlot; 5% Petit Verdot
Region: Napa, California – USA
Cost: $40 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Rich garnet color goes perfectly with the holiday season and it’s aromas of toasted hazelnut and winter spices make this wine the perfect gift for anyone on your list.

My Review: Another of the bottles that I received just before the end of the year, and on an unseasonable warm day on Sunday (pushing 70 in Virginia? Really?) my wife and I decided to throw a couple of steaks on the grill and a bottle of red wine sounded like the perfect pairing.

While there are some violet streaks going through the wine, it was a nice deep red in the glass and I picked up aromas of spice and dark berry. In the mouth there was a ton of fruit, but it was by no means a “fruit bomb”. By that I mean there was plenty of body and depth to the wine that allowed the wine to present nuanced fruit flavors and have a bit of complexity and a medium-smooth finish.

Paired with some steaks, baked potatoes, and asparagus it was great. The body of the wine held up to the steak and the fruit flavors managed to go well with the veggies (potatoes are a vegetable dammit). What I really liked about the wine is that even with the body to hold up to the steak, the fruit flavors were dominant enough to make the wine enjoyable all by itself.

If the wine isn’t available near you and you want to give it a try, you can follow this link and have it shipped directly to you.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

George — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:39 +0000

Varietal: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Syrah; 3% Merlot; 2% Petit Verdot; 1% Malbec; 1% Cabernet Franc
Region: California – USA
Cost: $11 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: The wine has a smooth texture and sweet, red fruit character that distinguishes California’s finest Cabernet Sauvignons, along with smoky oak, vanilla, and roasted nut accents to invigorate the palate and provide a lengthy finish. Enjoy with standing rib roasts, grilled steak, roast duck, spareribs, lasagna, or flavorful hard cheeses.

My Review: An evening where my wife was out and I was home alone with the dog to fend for myself on dinner usually only means one thing – steak, a baked potato, and a bottle of red wine to be enjoyed. There are worse ways to spend an evening. I’d been sitting on this sample until I could get around to cooking up a steak, and as tends to be the case, I’m glad I did.

There’s a line where a line goes from having good fruit to being a fruit bomb. Don’t ask me exactly where that line is, because I think that it’s different for every wine, but the 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon did a good job of walking the line between fruity and fruit bomb.

On the nose I got dark fruit notes with a touch of roundness to it. In the mouth I got plenty of nice tart fruit, with raspberry and some blueberry being the most prevalent to me. The finish on the wine was surprisingly smooth, though with the extra varietals blended in that should come as less of a surprise than it was.

Paired with a ribeye I picked up at the local store it was a nice simple wine that didn’t try and do too much, but was more than adequate before, during, and after the meal. As value wines go, particularly for a California Cabernet, this is a good choice if you’re looking for something that’s easy to drink, and will make a good choice as a red wine option during the holiday party season thanks to the price.

Big House Red 2010

George — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:00:51 +0000

Varietal: Petite Sirah; Tempranillo; Syrah; Grenache; Malbec; Mourvedre; Nebeillo; Tannat; Souzao; Aglianico; Barbera; Zinfandel; Petite Verdot; Cabernet Franc; Charbano; Nero d’Avola; Sanviovese; Sagrantino
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: This Big House Red lives up to that old Fruit Bomb moniker that you’ve come to expect. It starts with a nose full of blackberries and raspberries, with hints of leather and spices. The palate is clean, exhibiting flavors of cranberries, roses, and a touch of rhubarb. This finish lingers, with flavors of vanilla and a touch of dark cherries in the finish. Pairs well with all grilled meats, lasagna Bolognese, grilled vegetables, or even sashimi grade Ahi tuna.

My Review: The previous version of this wine was one of those that I was torn on. I liked what they were trying to do by creating a table wine with a little bit of everything that could then go with a little bit of everything, but I felt that the attempt created a wine that just fell flat. This vintage was different.

Now, to preface, I’m not saying that the 2010 Big House Red is some revolutionary wine, but I did like it better than the previous years bottles I had tried. They’ve changed the mixture some and I think it’s for the best. On the nose I got mostly raspberry with a touch of spice and in the mouth I got dark cherry and some cranberry with a juiciness that made me feel like the Zinfandel as much as anything was coming through.

With a dinner of pizza after a trip the grocery store to stock up after the Thanksgiving holiday, a simple bottle of inexpensive red was a welcome sight and I continue to be a proponent of what Big House is doing – making nice affordable wines that might not set the world on fire, but are certainly welcome after a long day at work.

Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain 2008

George — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:00:55 +0000

Varietal: 36% Cabernet Sauvignon; 33% Merlot; 14% Syrah; 11% Cabernet Franc; 6% Malbec
Region: Washington – USA
Cost: $25

Winemaker’s Notes: Flagship wine of the estate, the HFE Red Mountain consistently displays dense color, firm tannins, and well-defined acidity. Always a majority blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine is suitable for drinking upon release, but will reward those with the patience to age it. This wine represents all vineyard blocks farmed within the Hedges Family Estate vineyard portfolio. A true chateau-production bottling, the HFE Red Mountain is the epitome of classic style, and one that represents the Terroir of the Red Mountain AVA in a pure and elegant form.

My Review: Oh big red wines, how I enjoy you. A couple of weeks ago the folks over at Hedges Family Estates sent me a sampling of their portfolio to check out, and included in that was two bottles of the 2008 Red Mountain. On my wife’s recent trip to South Carolina with her parents to visit her brother and his wife I sent one of those bottles with her to share with her brother. Her early report was that it was a steak wine, so the other night we grilled up some steak and lobster tails and popped open the other bottle.

I was immediately struck by how dark the wine was. Holding it up to light let pretty much none of it through and the only way I was able to really pick out any streaks of purple were from the small bubbles that resulted from the pouring.

On the nose I got dark fruit which carried through to the palate with just a hint of tobacco/smoke on the finish as well. The finish on this wine was silky smooth, like far smoother than I was expecting and maybe the smoothest finish I’ve had on a red in a long time. with the dinner of steak, lobster tails, and baked potatoes it was great. The big, bold dark fruits held up great against the grilled steak, but the smooth finish was perfect for the more delicate lobster.

I really enjoyed this wine, and it’s a great value for such a big wine that will make any steak lover happy. If you want to try it and can’t find it in your local store, you can either order it directly from Hedges Family Estates, or you can follow this link and order it.

Alex Elman Malbec 2009

George — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:00:38 +0000

Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Argentina – Mendoza
Cost: $11

Winemaker’s Notes: This unoaked, delicious, cozy, well-balanced Malbec is ruby in color and texture. Notes of cherry, candied apple and caramelized onion mingled with great tannins to make this a perfect wine for hearty stews, smoky mushrooms, spicy sauces, sausages, tomato based pastas and steaks.

My Review: You may (or may not) remember that a few months ago I reviewed the 2010 Alex Elman Torrontes and that I enjoyed it overall, but that it wasn’t what I was expecting based on my experiences with Torrontes. Had I kept that in mind I probably would have been less surprised by the 2009 Alex Elman Malbec.

While I had received both the Alex Elman Torrontes and Malbec at the same time, it took me a while to get around to the Malbec, partly because I was waiting for more regularly warm weather to give it a chance at pairing it with some BBQ.

In the glass the wine was a deep red color and on the nose I got some bright cherry notes that I would expect from a Malbec; in the mouth, however, the wine was fairly different than I was expecting.

Maybe it’s just the Malbec’s that I’ve gotten used to, but this wine was much dryer than I was expecting, with none of the juiciness that I was anticipating and hoping to pair with some grilled chicken basted with BBQ sauce. While I got the typical flavors of a Malbec, cherry in particular, the wine was dry with good tannins on the finish and honestly made me feel like I was drinking a cabernet sauvignon instead of a Malbec.

That being said, my only complaint with this wine was my own fault in that I paired it with BBQ chicken instead of a steak or some pasta which I think would have been a better pairing with this particular wine.

If you want to try a Malbec that’s different than others you’ve probably tried, the 2009 Alex Elman Malbec is a good value and Alex’s story is certainly interesting if nothing else. If you can’t find the wine at your local store you can follow this link and have it shipped to you directly.

Santa Julia Reserva Malbec 2009

George — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:00:54 +0000

Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Mendoza – Argentina
Cost: $12 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Dark violet with brilliant purple colors. Good complexity in the nose with typical Malbec aromas of ripe fruit such as figs, plums, blackberries, and marmalades. Notes of vanilla, tobacco, coffee, and chocolate. Full-bodied red wine with sweet tannins, good structure, and long finish.

My Review: Given my fondness for the wines of South America, and for Malbec in general, the 2009 Santa Julia Reserva Malbec that I’d received as a sample seemed like a good choice to open for my third wedding anniversary last night when my wife and I were at home making dinner.

In case you forgot, back at the end of April I attended a lunch for Santa Julia wines and while everything was amazing, the 2009 Reserva Malbec was paired with a steak that had a lot of heat to it and made it hard to get a good feel for the wine. Fortunately the organizers were kind enough to send me another sample.

Since it was my wife’s and my anniversary, we decided that something a bit nicer was required for our home cooked dinner, so a pair of steaks and lobster tails found their way onto the grill while some potatoes cooked away in the oven. Given as the wine was paired with steak at the lunch, it seemed appropriate to pair it with steak when sampling it again for review here.

In the glass the wine was a dark red (though it still let light through when held up) with purple streaking throughout. On the nose I didn’t get a lot of aroma, just a very subtle aroma of general red berries.

In the mouth I got cherry and ripe fruit with a nice bright finish of light tannins. Paired with the dinner it was a good compliment to the grilled steaks and actually managed to not be completely overwhelming of the lobster tails. A good sign of a good wine is wanting more after the last drop has been poured and in that regard, the 2009 Santa Julia Reserva Malbec was a good wine.

When compared with the 2009 Santa Julia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon I didn’t enjoy it as much, which is surprising given how much I enjoy Malbec, but I certainly wouldn’t shy away from drinking it again or recommending it to anybody wanting to try out a new Malbec.

If you can’t find a bottle of the 2009 Santa Julia at your local store you can always follow this link and have a bottle shipped directly to you.

Santa Julia Lunch and Wine Tasting

George — Mon, 02 May 2011 16:00:13 +0000

On Friday, I was fortunate to be invited to a lunch in Vienna to sample some Argentine food and wine. The Culinaria Cooking School was kind enough to host us as myself and others sampled a host of Santa Julia wines from the Zuccardi Family of wines, all paired with great Argentine food in what may have been one of the best lunches I’ve had. As with all good things, it started with bubbles.

We were each greeted with a glass of the Santa Julia Rose NV ($13 SRP), made from 100% Pinot Noir. The wine was a deep pink in color with aromas of strawberry that I would expect. In the mouth were subtle fruit flavors which went well with the light bubbles in the wine. All in all, a great way to start the lunch.

Our first course was a selection of Zuccardi Olive Oils with some fresh baked bread and Beef Empanadas, which had some hard-boiled egg in them, which I found to be absolutely brilliant. To pair with this we had a 2010 Santa Julia [+] Torrontes and a 2010 Santa Julia [+] Malbec ($10 SRP for both). The Torrontes had nice floral notes on the nose, and a slight sweet finish that was a nice counter note to the subtle spice of the empanadas. The Malbec was jammy and fruit forward, with dark fruit on the nose.

The second course featured a home made goat ricotta cheese served over Shiacciata l’uva bread with raisins and fresh grapes and touch of olive oil. The ricotta and the olive oil gave this amazing combination of sweet and savory, and when you added in the tang of the raisins and grapes, the whole combination was savory and sweet in the mouth all at once and just great. Paired with this we tasted a 2010 Santa Julia Organica Chardonnay ($11 SRP). The Chardonnay offered up tropical notes on the nose with a robustness in the mouth that made me think it had spent time in oak barrels, which it hadn’t.

The third and main course was a beefsteak with crunchy potatoes and chimichurri. I want to start by saying that the chimichurri had some kick to it, with a heat that lingered in your mouth – not to say it wasn’t good, but it wasn’t something I was ready for and it kicked on the first bite. The steaks were cooked to perfection, and the crunchy potato cake was a nice textural difference from the steak. To pair with this we had two red wine selections – a 2009 Santa Julia Reserva Malbec and a 2009 Santa Julia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ($12 SRP for both). Both wines were a nice dark color, with the Malbec show aromas of dark fruit and tobacco with a smooth feel in the mouth. The Cabernet Sauvignon showed some of the same aromas as the Malbec, cherry, dark fruit, tobacco, and some leather, but was more full-bodied in the mouth, which is why of the two, I enjoyed it with the steak better.

The final course, the dessert course, was nothing short of amazing. We were served a Mendocinean puff pastry which was a crispy handmade puff pastry covered in a handmade dulce de leche in layers (think baklava), that we then ate with our hands. The pastry was sweet, but not overly sweet, and when paired with a 2009 Santa Julia Tardio ($13 SRP 500ml) it was a great finish to our lunch.

So, my take-aways from this lunch. While I already knew Argentina was making some great wines, this just confirmed it even more. What I really appreciate is that they’re creating amazing wines at great prices, making them accessible to everyone. Santa Julia and the Zuccardi Family in general have done an amazing job of making wines that I think are perfect for this time of year – they just cry out to be shared with family and friends over a warm weekend in the backyard.

I want to thank our chef, Ana Soledad Rodriguez Armisen and Julia Zuccardi (the namesake of the wines) for an amazing lunch, as well as the Culinaria Cooking School and their amazing staff for letting us use their space – if you’re looking to take a cooking class, I definitely recommend going there.

Caminada Malbec 2009

George — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:00:37 +0000

Varietal: 100% Malbec
Region: Argentina – Uco Valley
Cost: $12 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Deep red in color with cherry, plum, and vanilla notes. Pairs well with steak, sharp cheeses, and BBQ.

My Review: First, a bit of related knowledge. The name of the vineyard is actual a reference to the Tango, which originated in Argentina. The “caminada” is the walk, a seemingly simple, but key step within the Tango. The idea is that you do the simple things correctly and the rest will fall into place. Ok…now on to the wine.

I make no secret of my fondness for Malbec, and in I think this past weekend I consumed perhaps a record amount of it between this bottle and an evening out with some friends. It’s a versatile grape that is great for pairing with foods as well as sipping by itself. With my in-laws in town and a big meal of some beef stew prepared for the four of us by my wife, I thought this would be a good bottle to open up.

The wine was a nice deep red in the glass, and I got aromas of cherry and a touch of vanilla. My first sip really gave me the nice cherry flavors that I’d come to expect from the varietal, but it wasn’t as bright as I was expecting – more bold and with a note of earthy/footie flavor that I wasn’t completely turned off by, but wasn’t entirely expecting either.

Paired with the meal the wine was a different matter entirely. I had picked this wine to pair with the meal as I thought the typical bright Malbec flavors that I tend to enjoy would be a nice counter note to the stew. Unfortunately, as it didn’t have all those flavors, it wasn’t a great pairing with the meal. I don’t know if it was some combination of the vegetables or the broth or something else, but when paired with the meal, the wine took on a sort of prune juice flavor that wasn’t enough to make me stop drinking, but wasn’t exactly great either.

I’m not ready to say avoid this wine, because without the food it wasn’t bad, but if you do grab a bottle of it, I’d say stick to a steak or some BBQ, as what I paired it with was a big mistake. If you do try this wine, I’d love to hear your experience as I suspect mine isn’t typical.

Taste of Loudoun Dinner

George — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:00:46 +0000

This past Tuesday I was lucky enough to be invited to a dinner here in Richmond at the Bolling Haxall House to show off Loudoun County’s food, wine, and hospitality. For those not familiar with Loudoun County, it’s referred to as DC’s Wine Country, as it’s about 20 minutes west of the District, and currently features 28 different vineyards and wineries, more than any other single county in the state of Virginia.

Before the dinner began, we were treated to hors d’oeuvres and a selection of wine including a Rose’ from Chrysalis Vineyards (which I didn’t sample), the Topiary from Boxwood Estate – a nice dry red, and the Jolie Blonde from Breaux Vineyards – a Seyval Blanc that was light and crisp and perfect for sipping before dinner.

The dinner was from Chef William Walden of the Goodstone Inn & Estate, and I just have to say that he was spectacular. If you were ever considering staying at the Goodstone and eating at his restaurant I feel confident in saying that you will enjoy yourself. Our first course was a Vicchyssoise of braised leak, garden potato, and sherry that was paired with a 2009 Chrysalis Vineyards Viognier. The wine had all the typical tropical and floral notes that I expect from a Virginia Viognier, but it also featured a nice roundness to the finish that I found very enjoyable and helped it from cutting through the richness of the dish too much. As somebody that drinks a lot of Viognier, especially during the summer months, this has quickly jumped onto my list of ones to keep on hand.

Our second course was a winter greens salad of organic lettuce, roasted beets, spiced pecans, champagne vinaigrette, and accoutrements paired with a 2009 Albarino from Chrysalis Vineyards. I’m not much of a salad eater (which my wife will attest to), but other than the beets, which I’ve never had a taste for, it was quite tasty, and the champagne vinaigrette was something I’d never had before and quite enjoyed. The Chrysalis Albarino was nice as well, with just a hint of sweetness that went well with the vinaigrette. I think what impressed me most about the wine was that I was unaware that anybody in Virginia was making an Albarino.

The third course was a palate cleanser of fresh raspberry sorbet. I like raspberry flavors so this was a win.

The fourth and main course was a domestic rack of lamb with a garlic parsley crust, tarragon jus, winter vegetables, and herbes de provence paired with a 2008 Boxwood Winery Topiary. The Topiary is a blend of 64% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, and 1% Malbec. It was nice and bold and dry and the perfect compliment to what was, quite possibly, the most perfectly cooked piece of lamb I’ve ever enjoyed. I’ve tried cooking lamb at home and I’ve somewhat given up as I just can’t cook it as well as somebody like Chef Walden.

The final course was a Belgian hot chocolate souffle with hot chocolate sauce to pour over it. To give you an idea of how amazing this was I should state that I am not a chocolate person. I don’t crave chocolate, I don’t buy chocolate, and don’t typically order chocolate deserts. I destroyed this souffle. It was amazing and if somebody like me that isn’t a big chocolate person loved every indulgent and fattening second of this dessert, imagine what somebody that does actually love chocolate would do to it. Probably wouldn’t be allowed in public.

Now, to really drive home what an amazing time I had, it should be noted that the only picture I have from Tuesday night (and I usually take lots of pictures at these events), is this one:

Domestic Rack of Lamb with Garlic Parsley Crust

I want to give a special thanks to Visit Loudoun for putting on this event, it was amazing. To my table guests, including Alan Kinne, the winemaker at Chrysalis, and his wife – thanks for making our table the fun table. To Boxwood, Chrysalis, and Breuax vineyards for supplying wine for the dinner, thank you so much for spoiling us with a great selection of wines. And to the staff at the Bolling Haxall House – thank you for taking such good care of us.

If you’re in Virginia and haven’t been out to Loudoun County to visit their wineries (which I haven’t either, a problem to be fixed sooner rather than later), I highly recommend it as they’re putting out great wines and everybody I met from there was just incredibly friendly and welcoming. If you’re not in Virginia…well you should come here and sample all of our wine regions, including Loudoun.