September Wine Night - Malbec

Host

Tara & Sean

Date

September 10, 2010

Bottles

Bonifado - Brett & Katie
2007 Navarro Correas "Colleccion Prirada" - Jess & Evan
2007 The Gaucho Club - Emily
2008 Trumpeter - Danielle
2008 Trapiche - Phil & Jennie
2008 Trapiche - Amanda
2009 Colores del Sol - Tara & Sean
2009 Escorihuela Gascon - Alissa & Brian
2009 Alamos - Nicole
2009 Alamos - Derek & Joe

Malbec

Malbec is a variety of purple grape used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins. Long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine, the French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West France region. It is increasingly celebrated as an Argentine varietal wine and is being grown around the world.

Called Auxerrois or Côt Noir in Cahors, called Malbec in Bordeaux, and Pressac in other places, the grape became less popular in Bordeaux after 1956 when frost killed off 75% of the crop. Despite Cahors being hit by the same frost, which devastated the vineyards, Malbec was replanted and continued to be popular in that area where it was mixed with Merlot and Tannat to make dark, full-bodied wines, and more recently has been made into 100% Malbec varietal wines.

A popular but unconfirmed theory claims that Malbec is named after a Hungarian peasant who first spread the grape variety throughout France. However the French ampelographer and viticulturalist Pierre Galet notes that most evidence suggest that Côt was the variety's original name and that it probably originated in northern Burgundy. Despite a similar name, the grape Malbec argenté is not Malbec, but rather a variety of the southwestern French grape Abouriou. Due to the similarities in synonyms, Malbec has also been confused with Auxerrois blanc, which is an entirely different variety.

The Malbec grape is a thin-skinned grape and needs more sun and heat than either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to mature. It ripens mid-season and can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends. Sometimes, especially in its traditional growing regions, it is not trellised and cultivated as bush vines (the goblet system). Here it is sometimes kept to a relatively low yield of about 6 tons per hectare. The wines are rich, dark and juicy.

As a varietal, Malbec creates a rather inky red (or violet), intense wine, so it is also commonly used in blends, such as with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to create the red French Bordeaux claret blend. The grape is blended with Cabernet Franc and Gamay in some regions such as the Loire Valley. Other wine regions use the grape to produce Bordeaux-style blends. The varietal is sensitive to frost and has a proclivity to shatter or coulure.

The Results

WINNER: 2009 Colores del Sol - 109 points out of 160
Producer: Bodegas Colores del Sol
Vineyard: Bodegas Colores del Sol
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $11.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Cinnamon, Strawberry, Pepper, Cherry, Blackberry, Rose, Mocha
Taste: Pepper, Peach, Cinnamon, Cherry, Blackberry, Rose, Mocha
Finish: Medium
Individual Points: 8, 6, 8, 8, 9.5, 5, 6, 6, 5.5, 6, 7, 6, 8, 6, 7, 7

2009 Escorihuela Gascon - 107 points out of 160
Producer: Bodegas Escorihuela Gason
Vineyard: Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $11.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Full
Nose: Plum, Prune, Oak
Taste: Pepper, Raisin, Prune, Blackberry, Cherry, Mocha
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 7.5, 9, 8, 7, 7, 5, 6, 5, 4, 8, 6, 8, 6, 6.5, 7, 7

2008 Trapiche - 106.5 points out of 160
Producer: Bodegas Trapiche
Vineyard: Bodegas Trapiche
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $12.99
Aroma: Spice
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Brown Sugar, Cherry, Raspberry
Taste: Brown Sugar, Pepper, Raisin, Raspberry
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 9, 5, 8, 7, 7, 7.5, 6, 7.5, 4, 5, 6, 5, 6, 9, 7, 7.5



2007 Navarro Correas "Coleccion Prirada" - 106 points out of 160
Producer: Bodega Navarro Correas
Vineyard: Bodega Navarro Correas
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $7.99
Aroma: Spice, Herbal
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Cinnamon, Raspberry, Feta
Taste: Raspberry, Peach, Cinnamon, Plum, Cherry
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 8.5, 7, 8, 6, 7, 6, 5, 4, 8, 9, 7, 6, 8, 4, 7.5, 5

2008 Trapiche - 99.5 points out of 160
Producer: Bodegas Trapiche
Vineyard: Bodegas Trapiche
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $12.99
Aroma: Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Raspberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Blackberry, Chocolate
Taste: Raisin, Prune, Brown Sugar, Tabacco, Coffee
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 2, 7, 7, 6.5, 7, 6.5, 7, 6, 7.5, 7, 4.5, 5.5, 6, 4, 8, 8

2009 Alamos - 96 points out of 160
Producer: Alamos
Vineyard: Alamos
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $9.99
Aroma: Spice, Floral
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Light
Nose: Cheddar, Plum, Rune
Taste: Raisin, Raspberry, Cherry, Blackberry
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 6, 6, 5, 6, 6, 4, 7.5, 7.5, 6, 6, 6, 4, 8, 7, 5, 6





2007 The Gaucho Club - 94.5 points out of 160
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $11.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak, Floral
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Light
Nose: Pepper, Rose
Taste: Rose, Raisin, Prune, Raspberry, Cranberry, Blackberry, Earth, Plum
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 7.5, 7, 7, 7.5, 4, 7, 7, 4, 6, 4.5, 5, 4, 5, 5, 7, 6

2009 Alamos - 89 points out of 160
Producer: Alamos
Vineyard: Alamos
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $10.99
Aroma: Spice
Appearance: Tawny
Body: Full
Nose: Pepper, Prune, Raspberry
Taste: Vanilla, Pepper, Prune, Raspberry
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 3, 4.5, 6, 5, 7.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 6, 7, 6, 6, 7

Bonifado - 84 points out of 160
Producer: Vinicola Galadino
Vineyard: Vinicola Galadino
Country/State/Region: Trentino, Italy
Price: $7.99
Aroma: Spice
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Medium
Nose: Plum, Pepper, Cherry
Taste: Smoke, Cherry, Strawberry, Blackberry
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 5, 7, 4, 6, 6, 5, 6, 3, 6, 5, 5, 7, 5, 6, 3, 5

2008 Trumpeter - 83.5 points out of 160
Producer: Rutini Wines
Vineyard: Rutini Wines
Country/State/Region: Argentina
Price: $10.99
Aroma: Spice, Oak
Appearance: Ruby
Body: Full
Nose: Pepper, Tabacco, Cinnamon, Berry
Taste: Coffee, Raisin, Plum, Pepper, Cherry, Blackberry, Ginger, Vanilla, Toast
Finish: Long
Individual Points: 8.5, 4, 5, 6/5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 8, 4, 6, 7, 6.5, 7, 3, 2

Comments

I think Sean & Tara should win at every wine night, just so we can see Tara dance. Not pictured here is a special cameo from Tim via webcam! We sort of passed him around, but I found it difficult to make him feel uncomfortable across an internet connection.

Interesting - to me only, maybe - is the fact that all of the Malbecs tasted got average ratings. The winner wasn't rated high enough to go into my Top 5 and the loser wasn't low enough to fall into my Bottom 5. The highest rating had a 6.8 average and the lowest had a 5.1. I think it's safe to say that you could pick any Malbec on this list and enjoy it, even if it isn't extraordinary.

Also - there was crumb cake. Which I ate. And loved.

Evan - I'm never very good at commenting, can't you pick it up???