WTN and other musings: Malbec epiphany

I haven't posted in a long while, so I'm glad to be back. I think I'll try a WTN for the first time. Here goes:

Tonight, I had a nice Argentinian Malbec with grilled, dry-aged, bone-in rib steaks, and something hit me: Malbec, in my humble opinion, is a far superior alternative to everyday Cabernet Sauvignon. Let me be clear: I don't begrudge a GOOD CS--one that is truly balanced and displays that unmistakable impression of craftsmanship and quality--however, so many Cabs that I've tried in the $10-20 range don't impress me. They sear my senses and leave me smacking my lips to get rid of the overt oak flavorings. I've tried and tried, but in the $10-20 range, I never quite feel like its worth it compared to so many other styles available at that price. But this Malbec, for $11, was perfect. It reminded me very much of what I like in a better-quality Cabernet: great mouthfeel (that silky, full-bodied viscosity); great balance of earth, spice, and fruit; oak as an element, as opposed to the predominant flavor; and a lingering finish. It struck me that Malbec shares many of the qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon that I enjoy. I'd still choose a top-shelf Cabernet over Malbec, but I'm hard-pressed to think of a cab that can compete with Malbec, QPR-wise, at this price. Whenever I'm in the mood for Cab in the future, yet don't want to spend more than $20, I know to what section I'm heading in my local wine shop.

Tonight was a semi-special occasion, so I decided to cook a great meal and enjoy some wine...but I wasn't willing to spend much on the wine. I just finished my last law school exam today. Ever. But I say semi-special because I actually graduate this Saturday, so that is when I will actually splurge a bit (I'm thinking 2005 Le Vieux Donjon, as CdP is my favorite style. Any other ideas?). But I digress.


The wine: 2006 Terrazas de los Andes, Malbec (Argentina), 13.5% alc., $10.79.

So, without further ado, my WTN (I'm a WTN virgin, so be kind ):

On the nose: the wine displayed a pleasing blend of black cherry and currant, with hints of vanilla...and then, (a quality that I've only recently been able to detect), I could perceive anise. The wine was almost earthy, but not quite as intense as one would perceive in an old world style red.
Taste. One thing that I immediately noticed was its softness, which sometimes turns me off to a wine, but it had a silky, heavy mouthfeel--almost chewy--that complemented that softness very well. The fruit was fresh and forward, and it's spiciness didn't overwhelm it. Indeed, they seemed to complement each other very well. Most importantly for my tastes, it had a very balanced oakiness to it. As I mentioned earlier, the oak was but one element, not the predominant flavor.

For $11, I'll buy again.

Excellent notes Steven. I'm sold. I'd say the Vieux Donjon would be a great choice, but it's YOUNG. I'd decant for a few hours first.

We popped a bottle of the Malbec tonight. We picked it up a Whole Paycheck last week at close to the same price. Our notes match Steven's very closely. We matched it with grillpanned marinated loin ends, rolls and salad. A very nice Saturday night.

P.S. Couldn't grill because the deck was just repainted!

Thanks for the note. I used to think that Terrazas was only worth drinking from the Reserva upwards, but I'll try the one you had.

Thanks for the note. I used to think that Terrazas was only worth drinking from the Reserva upwards, but I'll try the one you had.

Me too, I thought the `04 regular bottle was quite "modern/international". No emails please!

Oswaldo / Bob -- I also favour the reserve Terrazas over the regular bottling, but it does have more "newer" oak in it so it does need 18 months after release to come around.... if you drink current release Reserva vs. reglar Terrazas, by bet is that 9 out of 10 times, the lesser bottling performs better. As I post all over the place these days............ wines are being rushed out to market... this is especially true for Malbec in the Terrazas portfolio.... they sell the stuff so well that they run out of juice and have to release the next year. If you look at the other varietals of the same line, this does not happen..... ah well.... the magic of time value of money.

Oswaldo / Bob -- I also favour the reserve Terrazas over the regular bottling, but it does have more "newer" oak in it so it does need 18 months after release to come around.... if you drink current release Reserva vs. reglar Terrazas, by bet is that 9 out of 10 times, the lesser bottling performs better. As I post all over the place these days............ wines are being rushed out to market... this is especially true for Malbec in the Terrazas portfolio.... they sell the stuff so well that they run out of juice and have to release the next year. If you look at the other varietals of the same line, this does not happen..... ah well.... the magic of time value of money.

I ran into a bottle of the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva last week and tried it last night. Note to follow...