Wine Club 32: Alamos Malbec, Luzon... um, varietal unknown.

Date: January 10th, 2013
Host: Andrea
Served: "Made Up" Stir Fry, Fortune Cookies

 Alamos Mendoza Malbec 2011 (Argentina) 13.7% alcohol, $17

Andrea says (17.5): A pretty fushia-burgandy color that smelled like raspberry, strawberry and cranberry, yet also smokey. Very jammy with tobacco notes. Very smooth mouth feel, good body, tasted like strawberry jam. I like this very much. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luzon Red Blend 2010 (Jumilla, Spain) 14% alcohol, $9

 

Andrea says (13.5): Ruby colored, more red than pink. The wine had a musty, earthy, smokey smell. Almost smelled like suede. Also some strawberry and vanilla aromas. The taste was fairly tart, cranberry and strawberry. I marked this down in the sugar, balance and overall catagories. I liked the Malbec better.

 

Wine Club 60: Asia Tour

Date: December 15th, 2013
Host: Christine
Served: Lumpia, edamame, Vegetable Moo Shu Wraps, toffee ice cream bombe


Bella Sera Pinot Grigio 2011 (Veneto, Italy) 12% alcohol, $8 at Pick 'n Save

Christine says (12): Translucent, very pale lemon. Apricot, floral, honey bouquet. Tart! Lemon taste. Less sweet than expected (and I didn't expect much). Some grassy/herbal notes. Shorter finish.

Andrea says (17): Lemon yellow and  very clear, frizzante. Smelled like crisp apple, citrus, floral and mineral. The flavor I observed most strongly was honey! Some lemon and green apple flavors. Sweet and mild taste, tart on the mid palette. A good everyday wine. 

Kim says (18): Really liked this wine! Smelled like red apples and powdered sugar. Did not taste overly sweet and I am surprised to say... while I thought this wine was well-balanced and the sugar was correct, I think I may have liked it even more if it was a tiny bit sweeter. Not a long or complex finish... I think mostly just acid. The missed points were for body (partial- slightly thin), acid (partial- slightly high) and finish. Andrea is right... pleasing and versatile enough to be an everyday wine!


Don Miguel Gascón Malbec 2010 (Mendoza, Argentina) 13.9% alcohol, $12.50 at Pick 'n Save

Christine says (15.5): Garnet color, but looked a bit cloudy, too. Smelled of strawberry seeds and fruit roll-ups. Mmm! Yum taste. Wintergreen, cedar, leather, blackberry. Kim and Andrea said they smelled cocoa, and I could, too, after whiffing some from the pantry. It had a dusty, powdery cocoa aroma. This wine was good with the Filipino egg rolls, which were filled mostly with sweet potatoes.

Andrea says (16): A bloody, brick red color. Fairly opaque with long legs. Had an earthy smell, plus chocolate, mocha, raspberry, blackberry and minerals. Strong tannins on the tongue. Tart and tasted like berries. Good with the egg rolls.

Kim says (16): Very dark color but surprisingly bright edges... maybe an effect of the cloudiness Christine mentioned. Smelled of black pepper, earth, minerals and wet rocks. I did enjoy this wine but the combination of high tannins and acid put it a bit off balance and detracted from the appeal. But yes, as we all agreed... very good with the egg rolls!





 

Hard at work. We are so studious!



  

Wine Club 58: Argentina & A Happy Accident

Date: November 14th, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: Cheesy rye toasts appetizer, grilled flank steak with chimichurri, chickpea salad with parmesan and herbs, grilled scallions

Terra Rosa Malbec 2010 (Mendoza, Argentina) 14.5% alcohol, $12 at Waterford

Kim says (19): Skip the bleu cheese crust or bearnaise sauce... do it the Argentinian way and top your steak with chimichurri, a sauce basically consisting of olive oil, vinegar and parsley. Add in whatever herbs might strike your fancy (garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, a spritz of lime juice) and you have a light and healthy alternative! And Christine really set the stage with this wine, which went great with the meal- a very deep color with vibrant edges. Aroma of jam but not sweet... maybe cranberries and cinnamon? Slightly thin body but perfect tannins! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

Christine says (16.5): Very deep purple color. Smelled like peppercorns, jammy fruit, blueberry poptart. Taste of acid, tannins, sous bois and black fruit. Medium-long finish. Still, tasted a bit thin and you definitely get the alcohol. I liked it better than the 2011 TintoNegro I brought last time.

Andrea says (17): A dark burgandy color, almost opaque but more clear on the edges. Smelled of blackberry, cherry, chocolate, brown sugar and alcohol when it was swirled. The first thing I noticed about the wine was the tannins. It really coated my tongue and stuck to my palette. It had nice acid and was more tart than I had expected from the smell.  Very rich flavor, with blackberry and cranberry flavors. Good, I would drink it again. I liked it with the steak.


Domaine Jean Royer Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011 (France) 15.5% alcohol, $27 on sale at Waterford

Kim says (17): Christine calls her reaction, "initial shock." If I were her, I think I would have cried. Upon finding out that she had accidentally uncorked a $40+ bottle of wine that she was very much looking forward to trying several years from now, she quickly recovered and we were all able to benefit from the mix up. This wine was a very elegant color, smelled of cocoa and had a complex finish... but that might have just been alcohol. Both of these wines went great with the steak!

Christine says (18.5): After I got over the initial shock that when I stopped at home to pick up wine for Kim's, I had grabbed this wine instead of the less-expensive Côtes du Rhône I'd planned to bring, it was time to just relax and enjoy it. The wine was ruby, with garnet edges. Smelled like fruit: cherry, raspberry, plus cocoa and cedary spice. A warm smell. Big taste! Well balanced, evergreeny (like wintergreen) and a long finish with fruit in the finish. It was really good. I probably would've shared the bottle with my same BFFs anyhow...I just planned to do it in about 3 years. Luckily, Waterford still had the wine on sale, so I was able to buy a replacement. It was very good with the meal: will definitely serve the second bottle with steak.

Andrea says (18): Poor Christine, I was sick when she realized she'd grabbed the wrong wine. But the wine was delicious and went great with the steak. I was glad to hear she was able to procure another bottle. This wine had more of a brick red or blood color, and more transparent than the first wine. The smell was very rich and subtle - Chocolate, dusty, minerals and anise. After swirled I could smell alcohol, licorice, raspberry and jam. The first thing I noticed when I tasted it was the nice body. Smooth, rich, sweeter than expected, tasted like strawberry! Again, great with the steak.

Wine Club 55: Spain and Peru in one night

Date: October 2nd, 2013
Host: Kim
Served: Lomo Saltado

TintoNegro Malbec 2011 (Mendoza, Argentina) 14% alcohol, $10 at Waterford

Kim says (14.5): After the fantastic tasting at Waterford, we came back to my place and it was a mad dash to throw dinner together. How appropriate... a night of Spanish wines and we start dinner at 8pm! Fortunately this meal (a spin on the traditional Peruvian lomo saltado) lent itself to exactly that... quick and easy throw-together! This Malbec was enjoyable... I liked the aroma and felt it was appealing but found it to be slightly off-balance with a thin body and overly strong tannins.

Christine says (15.5): Intense burgundy color, living up to Malbec's "black wine" reputation. Tobacco, red fruit, some mint and maybe dried strawberries in the bouquet. Subtle smell. It also had a hint of tires, which went away. Big body, round, good tannic grip, medium-long finish with herbal notes. Could taste the alcohol. Going back, I also smelled tomato stems. Sadly, it clashed with the meal. The cumin and other spices in the beef made this wine feel a little bit dirty. I had a glass the following night, and it definitely benefited from being open a longer time.

Andrea says (12): Dark and nearly opaque burgandy color, bright pink around the edges. Very light aroma. Mild fruity aroma. Jammy, with raspberry and yeasty notes. After sitting for a while, the wine developed a plastic, dirt, asphalt, rubber smell that really put me off. The taste was mostly of alcohol and some berry flavors. I think that my low score was mostly the result of asphalt stink. The food was terrific, but this wine didn't compliment it very well.


Cline Zinfandel 2012 (Lodi, CA, USA) 14% alcohol, $10 at Waterford

Kim says (16): Mmm! Although this wine was also a little thin, I felt it was well balanced... and it happened to be a better match with the meal. I very much enjoyed this (thank you, Christine- for leaving the bottle)!

Christine says (15.5): Pretty ruby color. Strawberries and some stemminess, with a hint of orange. Nice round, fruity flavor, herbally cedar taste, definite blueberries and some red fruit. Yum! Shorter finish. Very good with the meal; would also be good with chili.

Andrea says (17): Burgandy, fushia color. Smelled great! Vanilla, cake, sweet jam, and citrus. Smooth and sweet on the tongue. Spicy taste, a little pepper flavor. Blueberry and still a little bit of cake flavor. Very good with the steak.

Christine says: What an awesome meal. And we were hungry, getting a late start due to a wine tasting we got to attend at Waterford Wine Company. We were treated to a tour of Spain. Highlights to me were (the runaway favorite) a 1970 Rioja that's older than all of us, and the much more affordable and totally awesome Lusteau sherry. Damn good stuff. No one escaped without ordering at least one bottle! The tasting was educational, funny and fun. The only bad part was having to drink $10 wine with our dinner after being spoiled on these:

Heredia Vina Cubillo Riserva Rioja $21.99
Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero $49.99
Condes de Albarei Albarino $12.99
1970 Valdemar Gran Reserva Rioja $189.99
Nit de Nin Priorat $89.99
Recaredo Brut Nature Cava $34.99
Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla $16.99
Navaherreros Granacha de Bernabeleva La Mancha $22.99
1998 Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco Rioja $38.99
Lustau East India Solera Sherry $19.99

♥ Wine Club 14: Conquista Malbec, Elderton Shiraz

Date: May 31st, 2012
Host: Andrea
Served: Chicken Enchiladas, Rice and Beans, Gelato

Conquista Malbec 2010 (Argentina) 13% alcohol, $5.99 at Otto's Wine Cask

Andrea says (16): I enjoyed this Malbec. It was very smooth, dark and rich. It had very noticeable legs indicating high alcohol content. It smelled and tasted like raspberries.

Kim says (14): Well, this was a technically strong wine with the exception of Aroma and Bouquet, although I have come to the conclusion that is not necessarily the wine's fault. I seem to have difficulty discerning particular aromas... case in point, I apparently smelled "berries" with this Malbec.

Christine says (15): Deep dark claret; looked like a young wine. Lots of legs. Smelled like cherries and raspberries. Medium-dry taste; pleasant; not too fruity. Short finish, but good. A nice and simple wine...I liked it with the chips and salsa we had before dinner.

♥ Elderton Shiraz 2005 (Barossa Valley, Australia) $24.99 on sale at Otto's Wine Cask
 ♥ Love love love ♥ : This wine scored 18 or higher with each of us.

Andrea says (19.5): This wine was delicious and technically superior! The color was a pretty, dark red/brown. The only half point that I took off was in the "overall" column. The bouquet was fantastic! I could smell and taste mostly strawberry and chocolate. I think this would be great with dessert, and went well with the gelato.

Kim says (18.5): These are the first wines I've scored using the third version of our rating form and what great timing! Smelled faintly musty (not in a bad way) and for lack of a better word, deep, pleasant and of general spices. Amazing body... I had to resist the urge to actually chew it! Thoroughly enjoyed this wine and am glad that the very helpful woman at Otto's laid her hand on the bottle, said something along the lines of, "Now this bad boy..." and highly recommended it. Too bad it was the last one. Well worth the price!

Christine says (20): Very dark brick color. Awesome smell! It reminded me of Amarone. I picked out chocolate, oak, tobacco and dried strawberries in the bouquet. Taste was ripe dried strawberries; smoky; complex and good, with a long finish. This impressive wine was amazing with the enchiladas. I also thought it would be great with chili-rubbed steak, lasagna, bacon, blue cheese, figs and more. If only the budget allowed, I'd find a lot to eat with this winner!


I made the enchiladas from Tyler Florence's recipe from Food Network.com. They went over very well, and went well with the Gelato from Paciugo at the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa.