WTN: 7 Malbecs, I interested some prospective Hounds!

Very relaxed tasting at deVines this week, 35 participants including some newbies. All heard about this site from yours truely so may have some additional lurkers here!

1) `08 RJ Vinedos Passion 4 Rose, Mendoza.

Reception wine, $20, from Joffre. Top-notch sipper, great for the patio. Raspberry and plums, delicate and fresh appealing flavors.

2) `05 Domaine de la Berangeraie Cuvee Maurin, Cahors.

Interestingly served first. Dry, tannic initial mouthfeel. Blackcurrant mint on the nose. Needs time for sure, no ripe fruit here. Black fruits, herbs, nice wine. $23 Cdn good price, will add more to my small stash.

3) `05 Zolo Reserve Malbec, Mendoza.

I have raved about other vintages, this one was a miss for me but others liked somewhat? Veggie hot nose, still has some puckery tannins, short finish with some bizarre veggie tones. Moderator found "bacon fat". Not for me. $24 Cdn. 2 bottles opened, maybe other one was better?

4) Kettle Valley Malbec Okanagan Valley Canada.

Yikes, $49 Cdn. Very popular wine however but not sure why?! Light color, chocolate, shortish finish but riper than others. Coffee on the nose with red cherries. Has some appeal but those true malbec-hounds should woff somewhere else!

5) `06 Mills Reef Reserve Malbec, Hawkes Bay NZ.

Lot of fuss about this one in the press and on Sue`s board. Nose was still closed after 2 hrs but some thought fruitcake. Plums and brambleberry was written on the write-up, agree! Certainly not a fruit bomb, liked the earthy tobacco finish. Nice wine but $49 Cdn.

6) `06 Reserve Malbec Melipal, Argentina.

80 yr old vines, moderator said very oaky on opening 2 hrs prior. Red fruits, cinnamom on the funky nose. Dark intense centre, dry tannic structure. This is a big wine for the cellar, $54 maybe too rich for some!

7) `07 Goulart Reserve Malbec, Mendoza.

WOTN for me and many others, great value at $26 Cdn. Buy buy!!
Long history with this winery, 90 yr old vines. On the nose I found ripe cherries and plums. Pepper and oak/spice topped up an appealing (ripe) finish. Best nose here, good fruit extract, moderator thought too oaky on opening but filled out very nicely. QPR at this price forumites.

**snacks served included beef jerky, salami and 2 types of cheese. Terrific evening, meet some interesting people!

4)

How interesting that you also got to taste malbecs from outside France and Argentina. Pretty pricey, though.

`07 Goulart Reserve Malbec, Mendoza.

WOTN for me and many others, great value at $26 Cdn. Buy buy!!
Long history with this winery, 90 yr old vines. On the nose I found ripe cherries and plums. Pepper and oak/spice topped up an appealing (ripe) finish. Best nose here, good fruit extract, moderator thought too oaky on opening but filled out very nicely. QPR at this price forumites.

This seems to be their middle wine, there is also a Paris (less expensive) and a Grand Vin (more expensive). I tried it more than a year ago and found it a bit too ripe.

The vines are old but the winery itself is pretty young (late 90s). See:
http://www.fincalugildegoulart.com.ar/home_en.html

I used to be curious about this winery because the owner, Erika Goulart, is Brazilian, her grandfather having been exiled to Argentina after a failed revolution in São Paulo in the 30s in which my grandfather was on the opposing side. Before going to Mendoza last September I wrote her a medium-length note introducing myself and joking that I hoped there would be no hard feelings if we visited the winery. The reply, though positive, was so sloppy and dull that it kinda made me lose interest in the person. And since I had found that one wine too international, super ripe, and malbec like-every-other, suddenly it all seemed consistent, of a piece (i.e., dull owner/dull wine). Your note makes me want to give them another chance, albeit reluctantly!

As an aside here is some news on Fournier, another great malbec producer.

http://www.wineanorak.com/Argentina/arg ... urnier.htm

Oswaldo, have you tasted the Goulart Grand Vin...???

4) Kettle Valley Malbec Okanagan Valley Canada.

Yikes, $49 Cdn. Very popular wine however but not sure why?! Light color, chocolate, shortish finish but riper than others. Coffee on the nose with red cherries. Has some appeal but those true malbec-hounds should woff somewhere else!

I know why (the price is sky high). Because they are ripping you off (again). This sells for $35 in BC.

[Jenise]

Bob, re the Zolo, I despised the 2004: B1) 2004 Zolo, $11, 13.8% Neither bad nor good, balanced but boring. Day two: wow, where'd all this brett come from? DNPIM.

IIRC, it's a negociant wine. Might explain the wide variations.