Don Juan Nahuel Malbec Reserva 2006 – 95 Points!

Two words popped into my mind as I sipped this Don Juan Reserva:  “Oh my”.  This is what Malbec is supposed to taste like!  All the hype you hear about South American wines comes to fruition in this one bottling.  It’s dense and rich and powerful.  It’s got the chocolate and vanilla and ripe fruit.  There’s spice box and a bit of cedar.  There’s ripe cherry and fig.  There’s the long lasting finish.  It really does compete with the best of the big Cabernets from Napa and yet…it’s less than $40.  Awesome!!

“Rich, dense and very well-focused, with a rock-solid core of blackberry, fig and raspberry ganache flavors layered with alluring cocoa powder, exotic spices and plush oak. The long, seductive finish has great underlying brightness, allowing the silky smooth texture to appear seamless. Enjoy tonight through 2016 with any grilled meats or mushrooms!” - 95 points, The Wine Insiders

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Viña Cobos Corte uNico Marchiori Vineyard 2008 – 98 points (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)

“The 2008 Cobos Corte uNico Marchiori Vineyard is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Malbec. Purple/black in color, it surrenders an impressive bouquet of pain grille, pencil lead, floral notes, Asian spices, licorice, espresso, and assorted black fruits. Loaded on the palate, this full-bodied behemoth is dense, powerful and complex. Give it 5-7 years to become a bit more civilized and drink it through 2028, perhaps longer.” 98 points The Wine Advocate’s Jay Miller

We recently had the privilege of tasting this monster with a field of “who’s who” Napa Cabernets and it stood head and shoulders above them all.  It’s being hailed as the “Screaming Eagle of South America” and I must admit, that is actually a worthy title.  Powerful and hedonistic with silky tannins and a finish that lasts and lasts.  This is an absolutely stunning wine from Paul Hobbs’ Argentinean property.

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Produced by Paul Hobbs

Altocedro Malbec Blend ‘Desnudos’ 2004 – 97 Points

This is a captivating wine that is both rich and concentrated, but focused, with a racy beam of raspberry ganache, blueberry, fig and plum fruit and freshly roasted coffee and vanilla bean notes. The velvety smooth finish just sails on for a full minute. The blend of Malbec and Tempranillo adds a deliciously exotic component guaranteed to seduce your senses anytime now (after decanting) through 2014.

Buy this wine at Porthos.

Argentina Wine Focus.

Argentina enjoys a storied history of relaxed, late night dinners and a festive wine culture, historically focused on highly tannic Malbecs and Cabernet blends to accompany the national obsession with red meat at virtually every meal! Argentinian Malbecs have recently gained world class collector status through the tireless efforts of local leaders and international pioneers to produce elegant, refined wines with more polished tannins ideal for long term aging. While the Malbec grape is one of the original five varietals of the prized red wines from Bordeaux, France, Malbec has not achieved noble recognition from serious wine collectors until recently. Today, Argentinian Malbec is on the short list of “must haves” for any diverse collection or chic restaurant wine list. The Catena family is widely recognized as one of Argentina’s “first families” of wine (similar to the Mondavi clan in Napa) and have garnered praise plus “Classic 95 – 99” point ratings for their “Zapata” Malbec. Legendary Napa Cabernet winemaker Paul Hobbs has raised the stakes among South American vintners with his remarkable “Cobos” project based in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The recently released Vina Cobos Marchiori Vineyard Malbec 2006 (rated 99 points by Robert Parker) is nothing short of breathtaking and one of the Top 5 most enchanting wines I have sampled in the past year.

94 Point Malbec from Argentina!

Andeluna Limited Reserve Malbec 2004

Set among the foothills of the Andes, Andeluna Cellars is a remarkably beautiful place to behold and is the source of the spectacular Limited Reserve Malbec 2004 we just rated “Outstanding 94” points. This guaranteed thriller is:

• BOTH elegant + exotic tasting (see notes below)
• Sourced from vineyards originally planted by world famous winemaker Michel Rolland, directly next door to his own vineyards.
• A “Steal” (!) at only $39 due to the Argentine Peso’s exchange rate (one currency where US dollar is still strong!)

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