South America

Chile
Los Vascos Cabernet Reserve, 2004 ($18.49) - I’ve always been a fan of this Chilean wine and regularly put a few bottles away for myself. (A bottle of 1995 is calling to me.) Made by the wine-making team that fashions Chateau Lafite Rothschild, it tastes very much like a Bordeaux. We’ve been waiting for the 2002 Reserve, not only because we ran out of the 2001, but because 2002 is the best Chilean vintage in a long time. Drinkable now, but will improve.

Vina Chocalan Gran Reserva Proprietary Blend, Maipo, Chile, 2004 ($27.99) - Parker: 91 “This winery has produced several notable red wines that are listed on my value chart. The flagship 2004 Gran Reserva, a Bordeaux-inspired blend, is opaque purple-colored. It offers a dramatic perfume of smoke, toast, leather, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. This is followed by a fat, sweet, ripe wine with layers of spicy flavors. There is plenty of ripe tannin under all the baby fat indicating that this hedonistic, lengthy effort should continue to evolve for another 3-4 years and drink well through 2027.”

Undurraga Cabernet Sauvignon “Founder’s Collection,” Maipo, Chile, 2005 ($27.99) - Best known for inexpensive wines, Chile also produces some higher end wines such as this beautiful Cabernet. It has not yet been reviewed, but the Wine Spectator reviewed previous vintages: “Shows nice maturity, with elegant smoke, plum and black cherry. Sweet finish has a lingering cedar and vanilla mix. Pretty; Shows solid currant, mint, and loam notes, on a firm, old world-style palate, with slightly grainy tannins on the finish. The style will have some fans.”

Argentina
Condor’s Summit Pinot Grigio, Argentina, 2006 ($8.99) - Unlike the nut flavors typical of Italian Pinots, this Argentine wine has a flavor profile focused more on melon with ripe fruit, a rounded texture, and a clean quality. This delicious wine is a wonderful alternative to high alcohol, oaky Chardonnays. Interestingly the “spec sheet” on this wine claims 12.1% alcohol, while the label lists 12.5%. The discrepancy is  perfectly legal, for our alcohol-obsessed government (“According to the surgeon general, women should not...”) oddly allows plus or minus 1.5% leeway when it comes to alcohol on wine labels! Space precludes the relevant federal regulation, but it is posted on our web page. See how your tax dollars are being spent!  

CAOBA Malbec, 2005 ($10.99) - This fine example of Argentine Malbec comes from the same winery as our featured wines this month. Don Cristobal 1492 employs numerous brand names which I find rather confusing, but the wines speak for themselves. The nose of this wine is reminiscent of spiced plums and black licorice. This is a dry, medium-bodied red with dark plum and cherry pit flavors with subtle nuances of bittersweet cocoa in the firm finish. It's not nearly as exciting as the Assemblage, but it is well made, offers good fruit, and is a solid value.

Don Miguel Gascon Malbec, 2006 ($11.99) - According to USA Today, “From 2002 to 2006, Argentine wine exports to the USA almost tripled, reaching $101.2 million. The growth spurt has continued so far [in 2007] with shipments running at an annual rate of $131.8 million, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. More than one of every four bottles of Argentine wine are sold in the USA.” Most quality Argentine Malbec comes from the Mendoza district. This beauty received points and a “Best Buy” from Robert Parker in the Wine Advocate! It is a full bodied wine with a deep violet color, showcasing flavors and aromas of blackberry, blueberry, plum, dark cherry, and a hint of mocha. It is elegant and rich in texture, with soft, round tannins and a long, velvety finish. The grapes were harvested by hand in the early morning hours, then underwent cold maceration for four days to achieve optimum extraction of the deep, purple, violet color berries. To preserve the fruit flavors, fermentation then occurred at only 28°C (82°F). The wine was then aged in 50% American and 50% French Oak.

Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir, 2006 ($11.99) - Who would have thought that Argentina would be making as good a Pinot Noir in this price range as you can find today? Yes it’s a bit on the light side, but this has nicely rendered Pinot fruit that is as delicious with chicken or fish as it is just sipping by itself. Alfredo Roca is a very modern, medium-sized winery (for Argentina) with about 282 acres of vines. The five-acre Pinot Noir parcel is at an altitude of 3000 feet and is further cooled by a wind tunnel from the Andes. This is one of the coolest parcels in all of Mendoza. Cropped at barely two tons per acre, it produces only 650 cases of a wine that combines a Burgundian sense of terroir with a lively New World character.  

Tittarelli Torrontés Reserva, 2005 ($13.99) - It's unfortunate that most Americans will never get to taste a Torrontés. This fascinating white grape is Iberian in origin where it is thought to be related to Muscat. But this is a dry version with good body and texture as well as unique, interesting, compelling, and complex flavors.

Tittarelli Malbec Reserva di Familia, 2004 ($16.85) - The big brother of our featured wine, this is one of the best Argentine Malbecs I’ve ever tasted. It is certainly the best value! It was originally reserved (literally) for the extended family, but Tittarelli now produces enough to make a small amount available in the U.S. With rich fruit, a beautiful deep color, impeccable balance, and a touch of oak (one year in French barrique), this wine has it all. It shows a soft, generous mouth feel, very ripe tannins, rich fruit, and some oak notes. It somehow combines power and finesse. Drink this beauty now and over the next year or two. It pairs well with red meats, meat Empanadas, or Creole barbecue . Argentina’s wine country spreads over 1500 miles from the foothills of the Andean mountains. The various climates and soils are mostly arid using irrigation water from the Andes. Mendoza, the source of our selections, is the prime district for quality wines. Abundant sunny and warm days favor grape maturity and intense aroma and color. Soils are deep, permeable, and poor in organic matter. Although the history of wine making in Argentina goes back hundreds of years, quality wine-making is less than 15 years old. Political and financial instability have been problematic, but technological progress and investment have led to significant recent gains.

Layer Cake Malbec, 2006 ($17.99) - American Jayson Woodbridge (Hundred Acre) teamed up with fellow winemaker Philippe Melka to make the wonderful Australian Layer Cake Shiraz that we won’t have until the next vintage is released, probably in the fall. Expanding on the success of the Shiraz, the team is sourcing fruit from around the world to make three additional wines under the Layer Cake label. None of these wines will be available year round, for the production is limited. Like the Italian Primitivo, the Argentine Malbec is terrific. It distinctly shows Australian and Californian influences, but it has the rich gutsiness of the best Malbecs. This delicious wine is stylistically similar to the Shiraz. The flavor profile is, of course, different.  

Tittarelli Bodega del 900, 2004 ($29.99) - If you love intense, full-throttle red wines, you may already have tried the wonderful Tittarelli Malbec Familia de Riserva that we have carried for a few years. Tittarelli has just released this high-end blend of 75% Malbec, 15% Cab Sauvignon, and 10% Syrah aged 17 months in new French barrique. It shows dense flavors of blackberry and spice. From their best and oldest (50 years) vineyard, it represents the pinnacle of Argentine wine production. Despite its intensity of fruit, this is a balanced and delicious wine. And despite the weak dollar, it represents tremendous value. Because it was bottled unfiltered to maximize flavor intensity, you may wish to decant this wine to remove the sediment. It supposedly receive a 91+ rating from the Wine Spectator, but I couldn’t find the review.