brooding flavors of spice, purple fruit and black licorice. The Crios has a touch of heat on the finish that dissipates with air. Best decanted for an hour. Another year in the bottle should tame its youthful zeal.
Description: The nose offers aromas of blueberry, blackberry, toast and vanilla. Juicy fruit on the attack with a provocative palate of vivid fruit, black currants, chocolate and a tiny hint of butterscotch. The finish is long and dry with notes of black currant and slate. Decanting not required, although air enhances its mature and complex nature. Despite the time spent in oak, it's not overly woody. Yummy.
Price: $16
Note: 50 year vines, ten months in French oak.
Previous vintage: My review for the 2005 can be found here.
Description: Dark, rich and lush elements of coffee, wood, earth, black fruit and spice are highlighted by soft florals. Silky smooth and wonderfully complex, this resembles a fine Bordeaux more than an Argentine Malbec. We will pick this one up again. A short decant loosens it up nicely.
Description: Juicy fruit with a touch of spice. Simple with a bit of a bite, a waft of smoke and a lingering finish. Decanting not required although it benefits from some air. We considered this 1 step above a pizza wine.
Description: Spice box, vanilla and a potpourri of black and blue fruit make up the nose. Darker in tone than the 06, this has lush flavors of blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, toffy, vanilla and a hint of cranberry. Soft and round in the mouth with a dry, persistent finish. Decanting not necessary. Brightens with air.
Description: Friendly, simple and fruit forward. Decanting not required.
Description: Aromas of forest floor, plums, White Shoulders perfume, and a touch of menthol waft out of the glass. Lightly sweet on the attack with meaty notes of spice, mocha and blackberry. This wine has a delightful Old World character that's a little dusty and rustic around the edges. It finishes with intensity and a touch of heat. We liked this one. Decant 15 minutes or so.
Description: Truly un-malbec like. The nose has elements of oak, dark fruit, old socks and rootbeer. It has a sharp and tangy acidity that outshines its lower notes of prune, earth, and black pepper. Sour cherries dominate the finish. 45 minutes in the decanter helps reduce the acitidiy a little.
Description: This easy drinking wine offers up notes of smoke, menthol, blackberry and caramel. Light and fruity with a sweet attack. 30 minutes in the decanter will loosen it up.
Description: This not-too-dry and not-too-sweet malbec is soft and nice despite its lack of depth. Prunes and blackberries are nicely accented by an orange peel finish. Decanting not required.
Description: A perfume of violets, green apple, roasted nuts and vanilla is the best part of this wine. Undeveloped flavors of not quite ripe fruits create a mouth watering sensation. The green apple finish lingers. We think a couple of years in the bottle will tame its youthful exuberance and release riper flavors. It wasn't bad, it just needs more time to develop. Decant at least 45 minutes. Synthetic cork.
Price: $9
Description: This is a lovely malbec with aromas of kirsch and wood smoke. On the palate it's sleek and rich with flavors of black cherry, blueberry, violets and coffee. The finish has great length with sweet tannins, a hint of slate and a nice lift. Well balanced with good depth, we enjoyed this one with and without food. Decanting not necessary although a bit of air develops some sophistication.
Description: The nose delivers oak, spice, flowers and blueberries. The swift attack is followed by jammy flavors of blackberry, cherry, blueberry, flowers and spice. Although this is missing a low note, it is complex and pleasant drinking. Dillettante says, "the finish has a high note that sends it a little off key." Decant for at least an hour. The longer it sits, the better it gets.
Description: Dark stewed fruit on the nose with notes of smoke and saddle leather. Round in the mouth with crisp, dark fruits. Full bodied with a dry, lingering finish. Not quite as good as the 05, but still tasty. Decant 20 minutes.
Description: Dark and intriguing nose of violets, dark fruit and a waft of smoke. The subdued attack is followed by fruit forward flavors of blueberry, blackberry and a hint of old fashioned licorice. The lingering finish has notes of mineral/slate and menthol. The whole experience is accented by a nice lift. Easy drinking and very likable , this wine is best served after 10 minutes in the decanter.
Description: The nose and palate has notes of dark fruits, earth and a chalky mineral quality. The attack is lightly sweet and the finish has a tang. Despite its dark character, we thought it could have been more complex and intense. Decant for 20 minutes.
Description: Round in the mouth, this wine has elements of black cherry, cut grass and plums. The finish is dry and lingering. Decanting not required.
Description: The nose has enticing aromas of autumn leaves, spice box and black fruits. This wine is one Cool Cat with slinky flavors of spice, black raspberry, black cherry, mulberry, cedar and a hint of old fashioned black licorice. The finish is oh, so smooth. We loved it. Decanting recommended for 30 minutes.
