Punto Final Reserva Malbec 2007

Ahhhh Malbec...it’s almost unfair to other varietals how easy it is to find good Malbec at a great price from Argentina. The incredible terroir in Argentina has taken a grape that was not so exciting in Cahors in France and made it an everyday red winner that you can easily find in the $10-12 price range. There are also some fantastic higher end Malbecs that are a steal in the $40 to $50 range (for a review of one of my favorites see http://acoupleofwines.blogspot.com/2010/08/catena-alta-malbec-2005.html). What I haven’t seen much of on the market, though, is anything between the entry level and the high end reserve that is worth the extra money.

The makers of this Punto Final Reserva, Bodegas Renacer in the Lujan de Cayo area of Mendoza, have finally changed this for me. I have known about their entry level Malbec for years, which you can read more about here http://acoupleofwines.blogspot.com/2009/11/its-time-for-yet-another-great-value.html but I only recently discovered their reserve Malbec which retails in the high teens to low $20’s. Their wines are made by the team of Alberto Antonini, a flying winemaker from Italy, and Hector Durigutti, who is a very talented winemaker from Mendoza. Their combined effort with this Reserve Malbec is right on. The grapes for this wine are sourced from vines that are over 50 years old in the Uco Valley and Lujan de Cayo, and the wine is aged for 10 months in French oak.

In your glass, the Punto Final Reserva Malbec 2007 is very dark red in color. The nose brings aromas of blackberries, cherry, and a fantastic element of cola. On the palate, black cherry and cola dominate and like so many Argentine Malbecs, there is lots of great fruit up front. Beyond that fruit, however, are some really nice tannins that are neither too mild nor over the top, and the acidity is just right.

Overall this is a really nice Malbec that can be found for under $20 without too much trouble. It is one of the best balanced Malbecs I’ve seen in this price range, and the balance and structure that back up all the fruit really separate this from all the good Malbec out there that can be bought for a few dollars less. The extra money you’ll spend on the Punto Final Reserve is well worth it if you’re making a nice steak with an authentic Argentine chimichurri. Cheers!

Catena Alta Malbec 2005

When I think Malbec, I normally think "good to very good wine and great value." There are so many pleasant Argentinian Malbecs out there in the $15 and under category, that it's almost too easy to find good values. Lets face it fellow wine geeks - part of the thrill of a great value is the hunt itself - right? So a few years ago I asked my friend Ryan Seward, currently the Wine Education Director at City Wine Merchant ( http://www.citywinemerchant.com/ ), to set up a South American tasting for me and some of my friends so we could try to discover some more unique Argentinian and South American wines. Among other things we discovered a crazy Chilean Pinot and a really interesting Argentinian Syrah, but the star of the show was clearly the Catena Alta Malbec 2005.

In your glass you will see a very intense inky purple color and you will breathe in aromas of dark berries, plum, and leather. This is a wine that I could swirl and smell for a good half an hour without even taking a sip. In your mouth you get dark berry and black cherry fruit with a mix of mild spice and a hint of chocolate. The wine has a beautiful, rich mouthfeel without being overwhelming, and the well integrated tannins are just perfect.

I have to confess that this wine has single handedly changed my perception of what Malbec can be. I always thought of it as a really nice everyday wine that really had no place at the table for special occasions, but this Catena Alta Malbec is one of my all time favorite reds. It brings the great fruit that Malbecs can have, but underneath all that fruit there is additional depth and complexity that take this to a higher level. Here is a Malbec that would pair beautifully with grilled red meats. For a true Argentinian food and wine experience, put some flank steak on the grill and make a nice authentic chimichurri to spoon over it. You won't be disappointed.

You can find this wine for just under $50, and it would hold its own against many Cabs that retail for twice the price.

Cheers!

Bodegas Renacer Punto Final Clasico Malbec 2008

It’s time for yet another great value from Argentina. This region is producing some very nice wines these days and the beauty of it for me is that many of these wines carry very affordable price tags. Leading the way for value in Argentina is the Malbec varietal, which has become the country’s flagship grape for good reason. Malbec in Argentina is a classic example of terroir on a macro scale. Malbec vines simply produce unique results when grown in the Mendoza region of Argentina. If you compare Malbec from Bordeaux or Cahors in France with Malbec from Argentina, you’d be hard pressed to believe that it’s the same grape. The terroir of the Mendoza region makes that much of a difference, and the really unique thing about this is that it is not only a couple vineyards or a small region but a rather extensive and large region that produces these unique and very good results.

The Bodegas Renacer Punto Final Clasico Malbec 2008 is a great example of the quality that you can get from Malbec in Mendoza for only about $12 a bottle. I should note that althought they call this "Clasico," you won't find that word anywhere on the bottle. It simply says Punto Final Malbec 2008. Made from primarily old vine (50 years) Malbec by winemakers Alberto Antonini and Hector Durigutti (Durigutti also has his own winery that makes a good value Malbec – see the review here http://acoupleofwines.blogspot.com/2009/09/durigutti-malbec-2007-mendoza.html ), the wine is made from hand picked and hand sorted grapes from the Perdriel zone in Mendoza.

In your glass you get intense purple color, and the bouquet brings aromas of blackberries laced with notes of mocha. On the palate the wine brings black fruit and lots of it right up front. You also get a hint of chocolate as well as a nice earthy element on the finish. Mild tannins that are just a little dusty provide some nice balance to the fruit, and the finish has decent length for a wine in this price range.

Overall, this wine is an outstanding value at a price of about $12. It is a budget friendly, everyday red that gives you outstanding bang for your wine buck. Bodegas Renacer Punto Final Malbec 2008 would pair perfectly with a grilled strip steak with mushrooms or a flank steak with an authentic chimichurri sauce.

Cheers!

Catena Chardonnay 2007

Argentina never ceases to amaze me when it comes to wine. The results that they get with Malbec at high elevations have been phenomenal for quite some time now, and now I’m starting to see some interesting things happen with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in higher elevation vineyards. What I never expected was to see Chardonnay grown at elevations as high as 5000’ with good results. I guess that I should never underestimate Argentina and in particular I should never underestimate the winemakers at Bodega Catena Zapata.

Starting in 1902 when Nicola Catena came to Argentina from Italy, the Catena family has been making wines in Argentina for over a century now. For most of that time, they were making bulk wine for domestic consumption in Argentina, and for many of those years they struggled to survive as a winery. In the 1980’s Nicola’s grandson, Nicolas spent time as a visiting professor at UC Berkeley with many visits to nearby Napa Valley. In Napa, he was surprised to see that there were places in the New World that had the kind of terroir to make truly great wines. He returned to Argentina as an inspired man who immediately sold off their bulk wine business to focus on making great wine in the foothills of the Andes, and in my humble opinion he has had outstanding success with Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This offering from Catena is a Chardonnay that is grown in two different high altitude vineyards in the Mendoza region. The Lujan de Cuyo vineyard is at an elevation of 3100’ and the Tupungato vineyard is all the way up at 5000’. I did not have high expectation for Chardonnay grown at these high altitudes, but perhaps I just had the wrong attitude. This Chardonnay is very impressive.

Pale straw in color, the Catena Chardonnay 2007 brings aromas of apple and a little pear along with some subtle oak. In your mouth you also get apple and pear, but in this case it is the pear that dominates. In addition to the pear and apple, you also get a hint of peach on the palate. I love the fruit flavors in this wine. The oak is very well done without being overdone, and the wine has a medium-full bodied mouthfeel with very nice acidity and a great finish. Overall, this is a very nicely structured Chardonnay. It has a little something for everyone to like. Fruit, oak, body, acidity, and a nice finish all work beautifully together

With a retail price of $14.99, the Catena Chardonnay 2007 is a steal. At this price you’ll be hard pressed to find a better Chardonnay. This is a food friendly and versatile wine that you can enjoy with fish, shellfish, or chicken. We had it with sautéed chicken breasts in a parsley tarragon gremolata and they paired together beautifully. Enjoy!

Durigutti Malbec 2007 Mendoza

The values just keep coming from Argentina and their flagship Malbec grape. Durigutti is a family project started by brothers Pablo and Hector Durigutti who were both accomplished winemakers in their own right before joining together to form Durigutti. The two brothers have some stylistic differences, but where they agree strongly is in their belief that the wine is made in the vineyard more than in the winery. As a result they believe in minimal handling and intervention in the winemaking process.

In your glass you get intense purple color from the unfined and unfiltered Durigutti Malbec 2007, which is the winery's base level Malbec. The nose is filled with blackberry and cola aromas with more subtle notes of black raspberry. In your mouth you get a full bodied wine that has pleasant blackberry and other dark fruit flavors with a cola influence. The tannins are very mild and smooth. Also of note with this wine is a big lift that you get on the mid-palate, which is quite impressive, but it does leave you wanting a little more on the finish. I don't think you can call this a fault in a Malbec that retails for $12, but it sure is a little bit of a tease.

Overall the Durigutti Malbec is not overwhelming, but its a very solid value at a retail price in the $12 range. I drank this yesterday with a combination of strong and medium cheeses, and it worked quite well them. It could also pair well with barbecued pork and other casual grilling fare. This is a pleasant everyday red for everyday type food. Enjoy!

Mendel Malbec 2006

Malbec from Argentina continues to be one of the best values at any price that you will find in red wine these days. Whether you are buying a $10 bottle that tastes like its $15 to $20 or a $50 bottle that tastes like it should be $100 there are great values to be had throughout Argentina and the beautiful Andes Mountains.

This offering from Mendel is no exception to this wonderful rule of great value for the price. Sourced from vines that are approaching 80 years old and grown high in the Andes in the Mendoza region, the wine is aged for 12 months in 40% new and 60% used French oak. With a wonderful, deep purple color in your glass, you get a complex bouquet from this wine. I pick up aromas of black cherry cola with some black plum and blueberry. There is also a subtle element of sweet toasted oak with a nutty nuance to it. In your mouth you get a rich, full bodied wine that is fruit forward with intense dark fruit flavor, but it doesn't stop there. This fruit is backed up with nice structure and a long finish with notes of mocha and spice.

Retailing in the $23 range, this is a really wonderful and complex wine for the price. If your more casual in your appreciation of wine and looking for something that's a step up in price that will not disappoint, this is a great choice. For more serious oenophiles, this is just a great expression of Argentinian mountain fruit for a very reasonable price that you want to have in your cellar.

I had this wine with a thin sliced grilled tenderloin with a shallot demi-glace. Absolutely delicious!

Vina Cobos Felino Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Vina Cobos is a joint venture between American winemaker and consultant Paul Hobbs and his partners in Argentina, Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud. Hobbs is much more famous for the Napa Valley winery that bears his name, but Vina Cobos makes some very nice wines that might start to change that a little bit.

This 2007 Felino Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza has deep red-purple color with a full body. Aromas of cassis and blackberry dominate with pencil lead and a hint of vanilla and spice. Fruit forward in style, you get flavors of cassis and blackberry jam with very smooth tannins for such a young Cab.

At a price of about $18, this wine gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It compares favorably to a lot of Cabs in the $30 plus price range. Highly recommended!

Like any good Cabernet, this wine pairs very well with grilled steak or other beef dishes. It also goes nicely with aged cheeses.

Catena Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Made by Bodega Catena Zapata, famous worldwide for making great Malbec in the Mendoza region in the foothills of the Andes, this Cabernet Sauvignon shows that Mendoza can produce great fruit for wines other than just Malbec. The fruit from this Cabernet is estate grown in high altitude vineyards - ranging from 3100' to 3500' in altitude.

Aromatically, the Catena Cab gives you black fruit, mocha, and spice. Full bodied, with some backbone to it, flavors of black cherry, plum, and blackberries dominate with a much more subtle taste of the mocha, which is much more prominent on the nose. Overall, a very good Cabernet from a producer who made their name with Malbec.

At a price point in the low $20's it is a solid value. Like any good Cabernet, it wants to be served with beef, lamb, or game. Would also go very nicely with aged cheeses.