Virtual tasting

[robr]

Santa Ercilia, Alto de Uco, Mendoza '01

Sorry, I couldn't wait! Very good wine, one of my all time favs. Very fruity, lots of black cherry, plum and a little prune flavor. The merest hint of vanilla. Slightly sweet, well balanced, and delicious. Little tannins, medium bodied, smooth long finish of cherry. 13.1% alcohol.

I can't recommend this wine enough. I love this wine.

[brappy]

Your self control is amazing. Just kidding. I know, I was down in the cellar and wanted to just pull the malbec and taste it. Even thought about just posting the notes on Thanksgiving....the notes from tonight. But alas I plucked a zin and will post on that one later.

So, are you finished with the wine. Or is it still evolving in the glass. Is the wine basically one-dimention wine or are there layers of flavors. Did the tannins completely melt into the wine or are they still present?
etc. etc.....

Anyone taste with you?

Anyway, time for the Packers game.

mark

[Capocheny]

Brappy,

What a marvelous idea! I'll pass on this one but perhaps participate in a future tasting.

So many wines... so little time!

Cheers

[tw]

I'll pick up a bottle tonight and let you all know what it is.

Chris

[tw]

My dissapointing wine shop only had a $6 Argentinian Malbec. Funky Llama or something to that effect. I will try some other places in the mean time to locate something nicer.

Chris

[robr]

"So, are you finished with the wine. Or is it still evolving in the glass. Is the wine basically one-dimention wine or are there layers of flavors. Did the tannins completely melt into the wine or are they still present?
etc. etc....."

Anyone taste with you?

BRAAAP,

Excuse me. I really do like your user name! I am not done with the bottle - it's evolving in the fridge. To answer your question, I find this divine wine to be the best one-dimensional red I've ever tried. It's not complex, like a Bordeaux, or a top-shelf Cab, but utterly delicious and very food friendly. There are some tannins present, but they are very tame. I'll post again when I drink some more of it.

Bern

[brappy]

Capocheny, There's still time to get a bottle if you want to join in.

Chris, Now you're going to have more than one bottle.......Hmmmmm, I might have to follow suit.

Bern, Yeah, that name was a highschool nickname that stuck. And yes it had something to do with drinking too much beer at one time. So your spelling, Braaap is very "right on". Any way, good to hear about your Malbec.

Time to open something for this evening.

mark

[RedsOnly]

Brappy,
I'm in. I picked up a bottle of Trapiche Broquel Malbec 2003. When I went to the store, they where giving out free taste of the wine you chose. It was big and chewy. Very tasty.
Talk to you soon,
RedsOnly

[brappy]

Redsonly,

Sounds like a cool store. We start tasting tomorrow.

Everyone, I, unfortunately have to work so I won't open a bottle till about 10pm or so. So don't think I'm not around, it'll just be later.

mark

[robr]

Chewy... hmmm... yes! It is chewy! Never thought of describing it that way. I had the rest of the bottle between yesterday and today.

To me, the dominant flavor is plum/prune/cherry. There is a bit of oak/vanilla also -- so I guess what I'm saying is that it tastes the same two-three days later... I'm waiting with baited breath to read the notes from youse guys.

[brappy]

Nevermind that last post....I'm now not working. At present am opening up the Malbec to breath. I'll taste to decide when it is ready although I don't have much experience with Malbec. Anyone have any suggestions. Bernkastler, Hmmmmm?

Will be tasting soon..........

[brappy]

Bodega Cantena Zapata Catena Malbe, '02
Opened and let sit for about an hour.
Did not decant.
13.8% alc.

Nose: currant, even dried currant with a touch of dried red cherry. A touch of espresso, wet hay, and rainy earth. A tiny bit of alcohol showing through.

Palete: The currant is still there, add baked cherries, and a touch of vanilla. The oak isn't really noticeable except for the touch of vanilla which tells me it's there. There's also a bit of cacao and espresso mixed, but just a touch.

I'm going to let this one sit for a spell and come back to it.

I've opened up an Amon Ra Shiraz which is sitting in the decanter and is closed down like a 60 yr. old nun. So I've also opened Pillar Box Red.
That should work in the interim.

mark

(No offense to nuns mind you)

[brappy]

Now a couple hours later and the wine has fully evolved. It's lost the alcohol in the nose and the palate and has maintaned the currant flavors with even a touch of sweetness. I don't know about the aging ability but my quess is this will be good for the next 4-8yrs. For $19, this wine is showing beautifully. I didn't know what to expect and I'm pleasantly surprised. Had to have a palate cleansing and opened up a sauv. blanc from Australia and a Rhone rose. I'm feeling no pain.

mark

[jv38]

Don Rodolfo Viña Cornejo Costas 2003 Malbec 14% alc. $15.00~

First of all let me say that Malbec is becoming one of my everyday favorite grapes, next to Shiraz and Zinfandel...

This one is not a disappointment for sure...

Color, dark purple, looks clean but it is so dark that you can't see the light through the glass.

On the nose, blackberries, raspberries and an interesting, but not intrusive, earthy aromas and minerals (think Sunday morning on a farm, blue skies and fresh air...).

On the palate, you can detect all the fruit, some chocolate sweetness, the heavy alcohol and a long finish.

[brappy]

jv38, Did the alcohol lessen after awhile? Either way, sounds like a great bottle. I'm going to pick one up if I can find it. Thanks for the notes.

mark

[robr]

Glad to hear the Malbecs were good for you guys. It's a great almost forgotten grape.

Apparently it was planted in Argentina about 50 years ago, forgotten about, and rediscovered growing wild and producing abundant fruit. It orginated in Southern France.

[jv38]

Brappy:

I would say it will lessen a bit, but to tell you the truth, I don't notice the alcohol too much after the first two glasses anyway. I can say that in this case the aromas and texture of the wine stay unchanged for most of the bottle probably until the last glass, which actually gave me the impression of been mellower, less tannic and fruitier.

[jv38]

Bodega Nieto Senetiner Reserva Malbec 2003 14% alc. $15.00

Dark Purple very clean, some brownish color on the rim.

On the nose black cherries, Plums, Raisin, Oak and some Sweet Caramel.

The caramel and oak are more abundant on the mouth. Med to high tannins, long finish.

This is a strong wine, I'm not an expert but I would say that this wine need decanting to mellow it out some.

(Later that night...)

Half a bottle gone and it mellow some when some flavor of coffee.

I'm ejoying this wine with a Rib eye steak with baked sweet potato.

[brappy]

Beautiful notes Jv38; Thank you!

mark

[RedsOnly]

Trapiche Broquel Malbec 2003
14 % Alcohol
$19.00

I tasted lots of plum, a little coffee, and a little touch of chocolate. The nose had the addition of some vanilla. The grape itself seems to be big and tight. It appears to need lots of time to breathe. An hour and a half later it softened a bit. Yet, I saved some for the next day and it seemed to really come alive. I liked it even more the next day. I would definitely get a another bottle. I would also like to taste some more of the bottle that you had Brappy.