So the folks over at Twitter Taste Live and Wines of Argentina are hosting an entire month of tasty wines. Getting "together" in small groups of oeno-freaks and producers, the aim is to have a small round table discussion online while tasting and promoting the wines via Twitter.
Last night was the Mendoza tasting and I got to take part - the (free) wines arrived on time, I acquired the appropriate cheeses, polished up my glasses, and logged in. Much to the group's chagrin Twitter was having a massive failure, and it was nearly impossible to have any sort of dialog. However, having popped all the corks in anticipation for the group tasting, I soldiered on and tasted all six on my own!
While I tweeted my notes online right after finishing last night, I wanted to dedicate a blog post to the occasion, and share some fun wines with all you readers.
O. Fournier B Crux Sauvignon Blanc (2008 - Vista Flores)
Clear with medium- intensity, golden color. Clean nose, aromatic, herbaceaous, grapefruit, lime, citrus aromas. Deeper notes of kiwi, melon, and grass. Dry with medium+ acidity up front, but not lingering. Medium body and alcohol (12.5 abv) with flavors of citrus, green apple, unripe peach/stone fruit, grass and herbs.
This was a pretty basic Sauvignon Blanc, but refreshing nonetheless. Bright fruit and lighter body would make this a decent wine to drink on it's own, but even better paired with the right cheeses - preferably goat cheese.
O. Fournier Alfa Crux Malbec (2006 - La Consulta)Clear, deep, ruby to purple color. Full aromas of raspberry, preserves, dark fruit, fig, olive. Very deep and ripe. Dry with medium+ alcohol and tannins, full bodied, medium acidity. Flavors start with tart/sour cherry, and smooth into smoky, chocolate, espresso characteristics. Long finish.
This was by far my favorite wine of the evening - I love the balance between the oak, fruit, and savory aromas and flavors. This could easily age for a long time, but is deliciously rich now. The jammy/preserve notes are a bit like an old vine zinfandel. I'm thinking brownies with dark chocolate and dried fruits.
Trapiche Broquel Torrontes (2007 - Cafayate Valley)Clear, medium- intensity, gold color. Clean nose, somewhere between medium and aromatic intensity. Initial aromas of fennel and rosemary - unique. Ginger, herbal, medicinal, yellow apple, tangerine, pineapple and more tropical aromas as the wine opens. Dry medium body and medium to medium+ acidity. Flavors of yellow apple, citrus, lime, and menthol - similar to what you might find in Chapstick.
I've had a few other Torrontes(es?) but I can't say any of them were as interesting as this one. At first I wasn't sure if I cared for the nose with it's pronounced herbal aromas, but the deeper you get into the wine, and beginning to taste it it turned out to be more enjoyable than expected. Certainly not what I expected, but good quality. Production notes indicate 5% Chardonnay.
Trapiche Malbec Viña Federicuo Villafañe (2006 - Mendoza)Clear, deep, purple/ruby color with staining. Clean nose with vanilla, sweet spice, nutmeg, clove, tobacco, black cherry aromas. Dry, medium acid, medium to medium+ tannins. Red fruit, long and spicy finish, walnut/bitterness, black cherry, dark fruit, coffee, and tobacco.
The oak was a little bold on this wine, but I definitely think it has the ability to age for quite a while. The bottle itself weighed a ton - definitely not a "green" wine for shipping purposes. Would be great with sweeter bbq sauces (watch the heat because the alcohol is a little higher on this one - 14.5 abv).
Zuccardi Bonarda Serie A (2006 - Santa Rosa)Medium+ ruby color, clear, with stained tears. Nose is not huge, clean with definite notes of raspberry and black cherry. Ripe red fruit. dry with medium body, medium acid, soft tannins, and flavors mimicking the nose as well as blackbery, plum, spice (artificial cinnamon - like Big Red).
Same as the Torrontes, I've had one other Bonarda before. I didn't care for this one as much, but this wouldn't be bad as long as it's under $15 (not sure on pricing). The production noted indicate that it's been only lightly filtered, but no sediment was visible in the bottle. There was a noticeable texture to the wine though - not sure if that was actual or imagined? The power of suggestion is heavy! Lightly oaked this also went through 100% malolactic fermentation, which would account for the fleshier mouth feel.
Zaccuardi Q Malbec (2006 - Maipú la Consulta)Medium intensity, ruby red with a blue-ish hue, clear. Aromatic and clean with strong vanilla and toffee aromas. Plum, black cherry, raspberry, and fig fill in the fruits and there is a bit of violet as well. Dry, full body, medium acid, round tannins. Very fruit forward, lush, ripe dark fruit, cedar, dark chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry jam.
This Malbec was really rich - velvety, smooth, and full of fruit. The oak definitely shows on the nose, but isn't overwhelming on the palate. This would stand up easily to a piece of roasted meat - though I think I'd be more excited about pairing it up with some dark chocolate truffles.
All in all I really enjoyed trying these wines, and definitely have a couple I'm going to look for to hold on to. Big thanks to the producers, Wines of Argentina, and Twitter Taste Live - even if we didn't get to all taste together.
Though I can't imagine reading about these wines is anywhere near as pleasurable as tasting them, I hope this quick look at Mendoza will give you a good start on checking out some new bottles.
Cheers!
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