Falling Star Merlot-Malbec 2000 (Argentina)

[zenda2]

Color: dark ruby-purple
Nose: dark fruits, leather (both faint)
Taste: Smooth, soft, light body, light tannins

Overall: Here's an inexpensive red wine for those who don't really like red wines, something for that in-law that everyone has. Falling Star Merlot-Malbec ($5). While it's not expensive, I won't label it plonk...it's too inoffensive to be plonk. There's nothing here to really dislike, this is a very mild and smoothly tasty wine. Not really exciting, but a lot of people don't need excitement in a wine, they just want a tasty quaff to drink with dinner...this is it.
Light body, soft, light tannins, it went very well with food and is decent enough to drink on it's own as an aperitif. At $5 a bottle, you're getting your money's worth. QPR+

Falling Star is imported by Wildman, it's an Argentinian blend of merlot and malbec. Malbec is another one of the grapes allowed in the Bordeaux blends of France. It's never been a popular grape in the US, rather tough to grow and 'not necessary' for a tasty cab-merlot blend, but of course malbec is widely planted in Argentina, more or less their national grape. It makes a nice solo red wine, one which goes well with their fine Argentinian beef.