Wine Tasting on October 16, 2009

Present were Uncle-N (after being absent from the prior two tastings), Piroca, Jimmy, and Uncle-E. Winepath is globe trotting (again) and was absent. We blind tasted 6 wines. It so happened that three were Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. Piroca was particularly sharp tonight--calling grape varietals from the colors of the wines correctly.

1. Ave Malbec Premium 2007, Score=3

Color is dark with purple tinge on the rim. Nose has black fruit especially black currant, cedar,  and olive. Some felt it has some funk. Palate is very nice, a New World style with plenty of plum, black fruit (initially tasted somewhat candied or sweet but in the second tasting, it did not taste too candied). It finishes with nice firm tannin with some acidic kick. Reasonably lingering finish. All tasters liked this wine as a very pleasant and nice wine if not exceptional. Because of the blue tinge, Piroca was of the opinion that this was Malbec or Petite Verdot. He concluded that this was Malbec from Argentina. Other possibilities mentioned were Grenache, Cab-Merlot blend, and Spanish (Tempranillo). This is a little brother of the Ave Malbec Grand Reserva which was on the last tasting. Uncle-N was absent from that tasting and found this wine for the  tasting today. Considering this is only $11, PQR is very high.

90 Points - Wine Spectator

"Deliciously vibrant, with mouthwatering acidity running through the dark plum, violet, pastis and licorice snap notes, which stay tangy and pure on the nicely driven finish. Drink now through 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 8,000 cases made."

2.  Havens Bourriquot 2005, Score=2+

Color is dark but has brownish tinge indicative of some age. Nose has a bit of funk with smoke and burned wool. Not the best nose for wine in our opinion.  Upfront palate is a bit austere but nice black fruit is apparent which leads to smooth tannin. French, may be Bordeaux, Super Tuscan were mentioned. Uncle-E was of the opinion that this may be Cotes de Castillon or even Languedoc. Some mentioned Merlot component. This is Havens Bourriquot composed of 67% Cab franc and 33% Merlot. (Our resident green pepper expert, Uncle-E, did not mention "green pepper" in this wine despite the main grape was Cab franc). We have tasted their Merlot and "Black and Blue" in the past.

92 Points - Robert Parker (Wine Advocate)

"Fashioned from a blend similar to the 2004, the brilliant, fuller-bodied 2005 Bourriquot displays classic notes of menthol, mint, black currants, blueberries, and raspberries, terrific fruit on the attack, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, silky tannin, and a long, expansive finish. It should be even better in 3-4 years, and keep for 15 or more."

91-93 Points - Stephen Tanzer  (International Wine Cellar)
"Good ruby-red. Slightly funky, claret-like aromas of black fruits, violet, licorice, chocolate and game. Sweet, rich and shapely, with nicely buffered acidity and good inner-mouth energy. Round and plump in the middle, then suave and long on the finish, with late-arriving dusty tannins and firm acids leavening the wine's sweetness. Very promising."

3. Familia Mayol, Lujan De Cuyo Montuiri Vineyard Malbec2004, Score=1+

Color is dark with, again, purple tinge. Nose is not very pleasant, some said solvent, some were more kind and said soy sauce and sushi rice with mineral (rusted iron).  Palate has strange "effervescent"  mouth feel with black fruit with raisin component with mild tannin and very sharp acidic bite. For many, this is the least favorite among the 6 we tasted. Spanish (tempranillo), Italian were suggested (should have paid attention to the purple tinge). We had this one before and we also commented on the very unpleasant nose especially after one day of aeration. At least we were consistent here.

At this point, Piroca felt that he had to bring out another wine to compensate for this not so good wine and brought the next wine to taste.

4. Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection 2006,  Score=4

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose is very pleasant with vanilla, chocolate and black fruit. Palate reflects the nose and is loaded with nice mixed fruit with predominance of  black fruit such as black cherry, blueberry and blackberry. Very nice mid-palate with vanilla, chocolate, and caramel  leading to smooth, well-integrated tannin. Nice long finish. Nice smooth mouth feel.  All the indication is this is a well-crafted California Cab. By far, our favorite for the night. After some examination of the bottle, our conclusion was that this is Caymus Special Selection, which was right on.

winemaker's notes:

"One of the most allocated and collectible Cabernets in the world, Caymus Vineyards Special Selection is crafted from the outstanding barrels of the vintage. Special Selection is produced only in vintages that proprietor Chuck Wagner feels are suitable for this designation.

We are proud to offer limited amounts of the new release of Caymus Special Selection – dark and intense with deep, rich flavors of black currant, cherry, mocha and spice. A collectible masterpiece!"

94 Points Wine Spectator "Complex, riveting aromas of spice, cola and sassafras join wild berry, spice, black cherry and sage notes in this full-bodied, intensely flavored, tightly focused and very persistent display of fruit that's long and lingering. Drink now through 2017."

 5.  Caliban Petite Sirah 2004, Score=3+

Color is dark, almost black with purple hue and came in a sloped shoulder bottle. Syrah and Petit Sirah were immediately mentioned without further tasting. Nose is nice with black fruit, floral with chocolate without any funk or unpleasant component. Palate has nice upfront black fruit and plum with smooth mouth feel. Palate also felt a bit hot indicative of high alcohol. Vanilla and spicy toasted oak (some even specified "American" oak) follows.  Tannin is big but not too overwhelming. The verdict was Petit Sirah from California which is absolutely correct! I think the alcohol content is very high at 15.5%. This is a very low-production wine (only 190 cases made).

Product Information:  "Prior to his first Franz Hill Zinfandel effort, Jack Bittner and his good friend David Phinney took a vinous-laden dinner conversation from speculation to reality. The resulting collaboration, Caliban Petite Sirah, has emerged -- in all its 190-case production glory – to a stunning 94 point Parker review!  (Jack notes that David Phinney deserves 100% of the winemaking credit for this Big Boy.)"

94 Points - Robert Parker (Wine Advocate)

"A fabulous Petite Sirah, Caliban's 2004 rivals the finest Napa examples of this underrated varietal. An inky/blue/purple hue is followed by aromas and flavors of creosote, graphite, blueberries, blackberries, and brioche. The wine is full-bodied with fabulous pure fruit that cascades over the palate in layer upon layer. There is plenty of tannin, but most of it is buried under the extravagant display of fruit and glycerin. This 2004 should drink well for 20-25 years."

6.  Viña Cobos "El Felino" Malbec Mendoza, Argentina 2006, Score=2+

This was served too cold since it was stored in Uncle-E's car in this cold wet weather.  We had some difficulty tasting all the flavors. Color is dark but some did notice the common finding for tonight of "purple tinge". Immediately, P. Verdot and Malbec were mentioned. Nose has some soapy note with tobacco but not unpleasant. Palate is OK with some acidic kick.

We had this before a few times (most recently, 07 vintage on may 2, 09) . This is the third Malbec for tonight all from Mendoza valley. Among the three Malbecs, it appears "Ave" took the first place tonight on its own merit as well as its extremely high PQR.