Quick Reviews
Cyatho Rueda Verdejo – Spain – 2016
Remarkable verdejo for the price. Fresh floral notes raise the usual verdy flavors to something more interesting. Very light but beware that 13% alcohol. Paired well with pan seared chicken with crazy-bold BBQ sauce.
Pisano Cisplatino Tannat Merlot – Uruguay – 2015
The playful Merlot meets the meaty Tannat in this wonderful Uruguayan blend. Nose is salted meat and soy sauce, on the tongue it’s dark berries and with a hint of nautical salt. Highly recommended.
Bodegas Santa Ana Sauvignon Blanc – Argentina – 2017
Middling SB from Argentina, leans more towards a steel cask chardonnay, but otherwise drinkable.
D’Arenberg The Stump Jump Lightly Wooded Chardonnay – Australia – 2016
More fruit than forest, thus “lightly wooded” chard lives up to its marketing. For those who prefer their chardonnay to taste like grapes and not margarine or a chunk of barrel, this fits the bill.
Viña Cobos Cocodrilo Corte – Argentina – 2015
The 2014 vintage came in at 3.5 stars (review here), but this 2015 bottle touches the sky at just under a full cinco. Good lord this cab/malbec blend is fantastic. Was served ever so slightly chilled and then left to sit in a decanter for an hour before drinking. Flavors were intense as a result: black cherry really comes through here. Less smoky than earlier vintages but makes up for it by showing more robust flavor. Tannins are too subdued and mouthfeel is just slightly lacking, keeping this from a full five stars.
De Martino Gallardia del Itata Cinsault Rosé – Chile – 2015
Very pleasant rose from Valle de Itata Chile, made from cinsault grapes. Dry and very light but also flirtatiously deceiving; moderate acid keeps this bright and the flavors here are equally playful: apple and flowers and vanilla all present themselves. Smashing finish. This drinks just fine by itself but would pair nicely with light salad or appetizer plate.
Trapezio Petit Bo Bó Sauvignon Blanc – Argentina – 2015
Not much nose but you won’t care once it’s swimming around your tongue. Ample citrus here, without getting too lemony, and bracing acidity. Paired well with a chicken carrots dish cooked with the same wine in the sauce.
Lengua Manolo Artesenal Malbec – NV – Peru
This wine you’re unlikely to find anywhere, as it’s a farm-produced wine not sold in stores. While it claims to be semi-seco, that’s only by Peruvian standards, and Peruvians prefer sickeningly sweet wines. As a result, this artisanal Malbec is very sweet, with the sugar outweighing nearly any other notes that a Malbec might otherwise produce.
Having said that, applying some understanding of the likes of the average Peruvian wine drinker, it’s not terrible. The sugar is there, sure, but there’s enough body behind it to provide a modicum of sophistication. The grapes were apparently imported from Chile, Peru’s mortal enemy, and then processed in Ica, rather than using grapes from the region, so that’s weird. But it’s indicative of the long road Peruvian wine has to travel to get to anything near acceptance by the world at large, since the wine producers are stuck on making wines for domestic consumption, and the average domestic consumer is utterly uneducated about wine, allowing some fairly sweet garbage onto their tables without much notice.
If you can find it, this Lengua Manolo it would be a fun treat, if only for the novelty.
Lagarde Viognier – Argentina – 2016
Despite amazing reviews, I found this lacking. Dry and slightly bilious, this was unlike any viognier I have tried before. Paired poorly with traditional Peruvian ají de gallina; and come on, pairing this with a tame chicken dish shouldn’t be a challenge. Still, it wasn’t terrible, I was just expecting more. Notes of lemon and salt water but not nautical like a sauvignon blanc. Just… odd.
Pascual Toso Malbec Alta Barrancas Vineyards – Argentina – 2013
An archetypal South American Malbec, wonderful for those just trying the grape for the first time as well as sophisticated wine drinkers. Nose has subtle notes of cherry, chocolate and licorice but these are never overpowering. Tannins are perfect right now, smooth without disappearing into the background. Flavors really come forth after only a few minutes in the glass: bright cherry dominates with dark chocolate hiding in the shadows.
Possibly the best Malbec I’ve had in years.