Quick Reviews
Bodegas Arraez Mala Vida Blanc White Blend – Spain – 2019
A sassy aunt who came uninvited to your house, but had enough funny anecdotes to forgive her. Nose is honey, palate is over-bracing and maybe over-dry. Needs some sugar to lighten the semi-tart twang. There are floral and melon notes, but your face will be scrunched up trying to find them.
Bodegas Arraez Mala Vida Red Blend – Spain – 2019
Remember that last PowerPoint presentation on modern accounting principles? This is that. Boring red blend that sucks the joy out of the individual components. No nose to speak of, and some fairly routine flavor notes (oh, look, red fruit!) Pair it with something – – anything! – – or risk dozing off. Only plus is that it’s relatively smooth.
La Val Orballo Rías Baixas Albariño (Fermentado en Barrica) – Spain – 2015
A top-down Lotus drive through a citrus field on Sunday morning. Fantastic alby that proves the breed. This bears the barrel-fermented labeling and is a step up from the other La Val’s without it. Buttery but by texture, not the fake margarine of California chardonnay. Nose is pure lemon. On the palate, it’s tart apple. Finishes nice with some lingering vanilla. Recommended.
Château Haut Peyruguet Bordeaux Blanc – France – 2020
Flimsy white lingerie leads to trouble. Nose is pure SB, but mild: asparagus and lemon. On the palate, the semillon comes alive with floral notes and melon. Finish is also floral. 13% alcohol? You’d never guess it, so swig with caution. This is a bit delicate, so pair with tame plates like white fish or pasta Alfredo. Very nice.
Bodegas Arraez “Bala Perdida” Alicante Bouschet – Spain – 2018
A great conversation with an old school chum that you remember years later, even if you forget what the topic was. The grape here is Alicante Bouschet, AKA Garnacha Tintorera. Aerated and filtered due to bungled cork pull, it immediately filled the room with grapey fruit juice fragrance, but settled quickly to note of cellar. Once guzzled, it’s all notes of cherry and still-ripe red fruit. I found none of the oak that others have mentioned. Acidic with zero tannins. Short finish. Despite all of that, very drinkable nonetheless. Highly recommend pairing with red meat, but nothing too overpowering, maybe a simple burger.
La Val Orballo Rías Baixas Albariño – Spain – 2019 (CORKED)
My bottle had significant slight cork taint which shaved off a full star. Pushing past that I found the usual Albarino notes of apple and lemon and crabgrass. Dry with a 12.5% booze meter that you’d never suspect, as it drinks light like a lower alcohol white. Very drinkable and I will eventually need to try another bottle to see if I get luckier with the cork. Albies are quickly becoming a new fave for me. This one just couldn’t be tested properly with the cork taint.
Zuccardi “Serie A” Chardonnay Viognier – Argentina – 2018
A walk through the park with your first love, but it’s 30 years later and you’re reminiscing about those apple candies you ate as a kid. Proving yet again that the Zuccardi brand does very little wrong, even with their cheaper street-level offerings, this Chardonnay/Viognier blend is a winner. Floral notes on the nose along with sweet apple. In the mouth it shifts to mildly tart apple, and with some typical Chardonnay notes of vanilla taking over the viognier. Having said that, this is better than a standard chard, as there’s none of that annoying butter, and a brighter overall palate. Short finish, easy drinking, might be forgettable later, but while drinking it, it’s great. Paired with fried pork, which worked well. Others in the party loved the stuff.
Pinord Chateldon Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon – Spain – 2011
Gunpowder truck blows up near a pepper mill, enterprising vintner bottles the ashes. I rated this same vintage back in 2019, and hated it. Back then I wrote, “You poured your old uncle a nice glass of cab while he was grilling, but he’s easily confused, and accidentally poured pepper over his glass of wine rather than the steaks.” I felt I might have been unfair, so grabbed a bottle to try again. No improvement, it’s just a bad wine. Earned 2 stars back in 2019, and didn’t improve its score in 2021.
Bodega Norton Quorum VI Red Blend – Argentina – NV
If Dr. Frankenstein had stitched together his creation, and it came out an Adonis. This is a blend of three different vintages: tannat 2017, malbec 2018 and cab franc 2016, so you won’t find a year on the bottle itself. Jammy notes upon opening give way to more mature hints of leather and blueberry. Those latter flavors follow through once you’ve drunk the stuff, and are joined by some earth and bright red fruit. With more time the tannins might soften, but don’t let that dissuade you from sloshing back a few glasses right now. Recommend pairing with spicy Italian plates, but I drank it solo and it was very good. Finish was lengthy. Highly recommended. “
Morande Adventure El Padre Cabernet Franc – Chile – 2018
The actress who shows potential, but never wins the Emmy. For me, cabernet franc is a wine I keep thinking will become a red fave, but never quite crosses the finish line. Here’s a great example. This was served with a pass through an aerator, and the nose was powerful jam. After 5 minutes it settled to blackberry, and after that to earth and baked mint. On the palate it was a burst of brief tannins that dissipated quickly. Notes of more blackberry and red fruit, but nothing overwhelming. Earned 3.5 stars solo, but gained 1/2 star when paired with Italian food. Finish was long, but lacking in anything memorable. Not bad, but just came away lacking a final “oomph.”