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Thursday March 27, 2008

2005 Clos des Andes Malbec
Most regions have their signature varietal. It doesn't have to be the most planted or best, but there's one that stands out. For New Zealand it's Sauvignon Blanc. For California it's Zinfandel. And for Argentina it's Malbec. In most of the world Malbec is relegated to the status of a blending grape, but in Argentina it takes centre stage. Plus it's pretty good value too - there are plenty of wines available for under $15, and many of them are getting high scores from wine critics.

I spotted the 2005 Clos des Andes in Costco at the weekend for $12 - the shelf-talker said it got 90 points from Wine Spectator. I had the 2004 last year - my note on CellarTracker says Bags of fruit, held its own against a curry and only got better with air. Definitely a caseworthy red. Great QPR so I grabbed one.

Did you ever cook something and think there was something missing? Then you realise that you forgot to add salt, and suddenly it all comes together? Well this wine is like that. It's tight and tannic, and on the palate there's something missing, it's hollow, like it needs salt or something. Perhaps it would have been better with a meal rather than on its own. Maybe it just needs time; there was a glass left over so I put it in the fridge and will try it again tonight.

But even if it does improve, to be honest I think you'd be better off paying an extra $3 and getting the Catena Zapata Malbec instead. I had one of those recently and it's lovely. Big mouthful of blackberries, soft tannins, not much acidity. Great value, but not one for the cellar.

I'd also be on the lookout for the 2005 Terrazas de Los Andes Reserva. (Make sure it's the Reserva, there's also a regular one that Safeway carries for about $7, which is nowhere near as good.) I've yet to try the 2005 but Costco had the 2003 Lots of blackberry and dark cherry. Good finish. Bet this would cellar well, but it's unlikely to get the chance. and 2004 Big and fruity. Tannins are soft at first but become pronounced after a while in the glass. Has the stuffing to age, but it's so good now I see very little point and they are highly recommended.

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Tags: argentina malbec

Tuesday November 27, 2007

Christmas Wine Bargains 2007
Yes it's that time again. I just noticed the post I wrote last year and decided to update it.

Frankly, even though it's a year old a lot of what I wrote there still applies. We are still seeing Rosemount wines at insanely good prices from time to time; the last one I saw was the Roxburgh Chardonnay for under $13 in Whole Foods. And Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc remains a firm favourite. Try it as an aperitif - it's half the price of Champagne.

One wine I forgot to mention last year is the Foxglove Chardonnay. This is a second label of Varner, a winery with a great reputation here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The grapes for Foxglove are sourced from Edna Valley in San Luis Obispo and at around $10 it's a bargain. If you want to spend a bit more, Mount Eden also makes an Edna Valley Chardonnay from Wolff Vineyard at around $17, but that may be harder to find since Wine Spectator rated it #29 in their annual Top 100 list.

For reds you really need to be looking at South America. There's some terrific stuff coming from there in the $10-$20 range. Look for Malbecs from Argentina, particularly Catena, Terrazas de los Andes Reserva and Norton. From Chile, look out for labels such as Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon, Montes Alpha Syrah (and also the Chardonnay), Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot and Santa Ema.

Finally, don't forget the pudding. Sauternes is a great match for Christmas Pud and also Christmas cake with marzipan and it remains one of the wine world's greatest bargains. 2003 was another terrific year in Sauternes so there are plenty of bargains to be had. Cost Plus has been selling off 2003 Chateau d'Arche in 375s for around $10 and they've also been showing up at auction on WineCommune. Not bad for a wine that got 92 points from Wine Spectator. You can also find plenty of 2001s around - another great year. Look out for 2001 Castelnau de Suduiraut, (the second wine from Chateau Suduiraut who made my favourite of all the 2001s) - you may still find it for under $30. The 2002 and 2004 vintages weren't quite so good, but are still better than most vintages since 1990.

If you want to try something a bit different, consider Tokaji, from Hungary. This is made as a dry wine which is then sweetened by adding baskets - "puttonyos" - of grapes that have been dried out by the effects of the noble rot, botrytis. The more "puttonyos" on the label, the sweeter (and more expensive) the wine is. A 500ml bottle from the excellent 1999 or 2000 vintages will start at about $20-$25.

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Tags: aregentina catena chile christmas edna foxglove malbec rosemount suduirut valley varner