Bramare Malbec 2007 one of the best

Tonight we had deer rump on mushroom and shallots with couscous.

Our wines were excelent, all between 25 and 30 USD.

Lets see:

- Bramare Malbec 2007, (30 USD,Paul Hobbs) A very attractive wine with ripe sweet fruit and smoke allong a good acidity and balance. A tipical Lujan de Cuyo (a Mendoza Departament) malbec

very rich and solid. I´d say 90-92 points wine.

- Mora Negra 2005, malbec and bonarda, (23 USD,Finca Las Moras) from San Juan showed wide palate specially at the begining and middle part. Short at the end though. Nice and roud but some lack of soul. I´d say 89 points.

- Arnaldo B (Bodega Etchard) 2004, malbec fron Cafayate, Salta (26 USD) showed some oxidation notes but still alive. Fruit concentrated and dark but evanescent in the palate. I´d say 86 points (tasted vintage 1999 with close notes).

La Celia Cab Franc & Septima Reserva WOW values

Tonight were our partners a rosted spicy leg of lamb with couscous filled tomatoes and onion rings. Here the bottles:

- Quara Torrontes Barrique Aged 2005 , 20 USD showing a great balance with sweet citrus , grapefruit and rue plant tipical of Torrontes. Probably the best todays torrontes. Delicious and complex. Only slight creaminess probably giving enduring struture. A great value for a fine bottle. I´d say 92 point bottle.

-Marianne, Cab Sau 2008, Finca Las Moras,San Juan by 7 USD is a nice bottle with clear black fruits like blueberry and black cherry on sweet tanins. Very little red pepper and smoke. Simple but attractive. I´d say 86 points with marvelous price. Ideal for everyday dishes,more if spiced.

At the end we tasted:

- La Celia, Heritage, Cab Franc 2006, USD 26 of excelent balance. Beautiful Mixed Jam of black cherry, blueberry and plum nicely coated with slight smoke and a pinch of sardine in the late palate. A attractive and inviting wine. I´d say 92 points with excelent relation to price.

- Septima, Reserva 2003, Bodega Septima (Codorniú) Cab Sau and Malbec blend 25 USD.Nice fruit with mixed cherries,raspberry and boysenberry all sweet and mouth watering. Strong structure with firm tanins and only soft smoke and hearthiness. I´d say a 90 point bottle with excelent relation to price.

-Terrazas de los Andes, Cab Sau Barrel Selection 2002, 20 USD.

Very good bottle with tipicity of terroir (Lujan de Cuyo) and grape variety but some weakness in struture and bright. Some kind of opaque or letargic wine. I´d say 86 points with no very good relation to price.

See you all next review. Bye bye

Miguel

Again Catena Zapata, Cab 2005 the best

Hot summer night in Rio Negro.

Tonight we discussed the plan for our 2010 vintage

While waiting for Gabriel´s Lomitos (a home made charbroiled loin sanwitch with tomato, lettuce and mayonaise) we tasted a Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from Choele Choel ( ´enclave sur´,around 10 USD) of beautiful balance of citric fruit, mostly grapefruit,some tipical rue plant on it and enough acidity and alcohol. I´d say a 87-88 points bottle with excelent price-cuality relationship.

Afterward came up the reds.

- Angelica Zapata Alta , Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, 35 USD (sold int´l as ´Catena Alta´)

Again and again a wonderful wine. Black and red fruits on a smooth and sweet envelope. Some oak vanilla and smoke on top but nicely engaged. Complete palate from the start. I´d say a 90 points wine at 5 y/o that may evolve better into something next 2-4 yrs.

-Raza Argentina, Syrah 2005, Famatina Valley, La Rioja, USD 35, showed a more acid wine with a shift to spicy and black fruit components but less impressive.Also showed a shorter and incomplete palate. It seemed ready to consume now or soon with any cellaring innesesary. I´d say 88-89 pts and not a very good value bottle.

- Renacer, Malbec 2006, USD 47. Nice malbec with tipical Lujan de Cuyo balance and power. Now showed big fruit, mostly plum and little black fruits with a marked acidity and no much oak stuff. It wasn´t very attractive for my palate but a very good wine.

I´d say 88-89 pts wine.Clearly outbalanced in price, way too expensive.

Picture shows a Familia Reina, Reserva ,Malbec 2003 (later Andeluna Reserve) one of our best loved malbecs (USD 13) opened up at the end. We know this vintage quality. Tipical Valle de Uco (tupungato) malbec with rape black fruit on a sweet and softly minty envelope. Great acidity and alcohol with nice oak almost none. I´d say a 90 points wine probably slightly below its best

(now at 7 y/o, probale best 1 or 2 yrs before).