Water into Wino

Friday Night Flight

Friday started another weekend of wine assimilation. Last night we got together with friends and decided to make wine the main course of the evening. The first bottle we corked was a ubiquitous Bogel Petite Syrah 2004. It's been some time since I had this wine, but I thought I'd see how my taste buds have changed. It didn't taste as good as I remember. I thought it had a juicy quality that I don't care for.

After polishing off that bottle we took a field trip to a liquor store adjacent to a Costco store. I know, this is sinful in the eyes of someone that has become accustomed to wine boutiques, but it wasn't a let down. First off, they had free samples from Martha Clara Vineyards from the North Fork of Long Island. Each wine we tasted was almost half of the price you pay at the winery, but we ended up buying two Cabernet Sauvignons from not so ordinary regions as well as a Merlot from Navarra Spain.

We opened an Argentine Catena Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza and tasted it next to a Cousino Macul Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo Valley, Chile, both from the 2003 vintage. While being extremely different they both delivered for the prices we paid (around $13). The Catena was full very full bodied with concentrated dark fruit flavor and a touch of pepper. Very reminiscent of quality California Cabs for twice the price. The Cousino Macul had a remarkable dusty aroma that I could only associate with the odor of a moist cavern. Dark fruit flavor with sweet tannins that end on an earthy note. They were so different that I could not pick a favorite over the other. The Chilean one is much more interesting although it isn't as crowd pleasing as the Catena.

The Monjardin Merlot Deyo 2002 seemed to go over well too. This Spanish merlot was mysterious and it seemed to show a maturity and complexity I rarely taste in a straight merlot. All three of these wines were a bargain. There were several other bottles that caught my eye there at the Costco infected wine store including some Italian reds and a few Oregon Pinot Noirs.

Wines for Winos

When you're walking the streets of New York with $5 burning a hole in your pocket, there are only a few places you can go to get a buzz. The frappuccino at Starbucks is a refreshing buzz. You can buy a couple Pabst Blue Ribbons for a five spot. I suppose if you're really desperate you can buy two cans of Ready Whip and inhale the nitrous, but that's not for everyone.

Last week Trader Joe's opened up its wine shop on 14th Street in Manhattan. There are dozens and dozens of bottles under $5. With all the buzz surrounding Two-Buck Chuck, I had to indulge in a bottle or two of the Cab Sav. I've tried the Shiraz before but it really had a barnyard scent to it and tasted totally flat. For two bucks though, you can't complain. I also found a Malbec for $4 there that seemed worth a try. So after I schlepped them back to Queens, I decided to open one bottle right away.

Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
California, Napa ($3)

I opted for the infamous Three-Buck Chuck (it is New York after all). This Cab Sav is not all that bad. Very juicy with a tannic quality of a rose. There seemed to be nothing inherently bad about the taste. It just tasted like really good box wine. I had a bottle with a pizza and had no complaints. My girlfriend kept mentioning that she didn't feel any of the alcohol after polishing off a bottle in record time. It's as if I just downed a bottle of grape juice. Since it's actually cheaper than the Welch's stuff, I can't complain. My grade: C+

La Boca Malbec 2004
Argentina, Mendoza ($4)

The second bottle was a totally girly bottle of Malbec. The label has too many bright colors for me. This watered down Malbec had thin tannins and lacked any complexity. It tasted very flat and the finish brought some heat. On the bright side the alcohol was buzz inducing, but Malbec in general is usually a bargain buy, so I should have spent the extra $3 on the Septima Malbec they offered. The Charles Shaw was my favorite of the two, hands down. My grade: C-

Two more Malbecs for now

Winter finally b*tch slapped the New York area this past week. Two feet of snow in 24 hours is enough to make you forget about global warming for a few days. To combat Ol' man winter we prepared ourselves some beef stews. On one occasion we had a latin style beef stew with tostones and yuca. The second meal was an Italian/Austrian style stew taken from Mario Batali.

I went with affordable Argentine Malbecs for both meals. Each was under $10 and can easily be found from what I've read. Since the second stew demanded 2 cups of red wine, which is about a half bottle, I didn't feel I needed to get fancy with the wine. Both went well with the meals and each had their own characteristics that my novice palate could identify.

Valentin Elsa Bianchi Malbec 2004
Argentina, Mendoza, San Rafael ($9)

Dark red almost purple color. Very juicy and medium bodied. Jammy flavors of red and black raspberries, plum, and slight oak. Refreshing food wine. Finishes short but clean. Not very complex but a good food wine, especially with a slow cooked stew. My grade: B-

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2004
Argentina, Mendoza ($9)

Deep red color. Black cherry and dark fruit flavors with a hint of cocoa. Some spice but not much. Well balanced with smooth tannins and a robust texture. Finish is more stimulating than the previous Malbec due to its length and touch of pepper and vanilla. My grade: B-

Punto Final Malbec 2004

Renacer Punto Final Malbec
Argentina, Mendoza ($10)

For no other reason then to get over the Wednesday night hump, my girlfriend and I picked up a bottle to drink with dinner. She usually defers the choice to me, but this time she saw this modern label and picked it out. It's a Malbec from Mendoza, and the bottle describes it as being from 50 year old vines. I've noticed that some Argentine wines are following the Spanish style of modern designed labels, and these usually grab my eye and sometimes my wallet.

My appreciation of Malbecs is usually limited to knowing that I am getting a drinkable wine for only a few bucks. I don't get excited about a Malbec ahead of time but I damn well don't get pissy like I would with a California Merlot at the same price. A few crappy wines have made it to my dinner table lately so my expectations have been lowered.

Deep violet color. Aromas of chalk, plum, and licorice. Flavors of dark fruit and bitter chocolate. Well balanced easy tannins. Not as chunky as other cheap Malbecs I've had. Finish has a slight spice and perhaps a little pepper. I'd drink this again and maybe bring to a party knowing that the sleek label would create conversation. My grade: B