Price:  ~$10

Region:

Mendoza, Argentina

Nose:

Jammy red fruits, violets and vanilla.

Palate:

Full bodied, moderate acid and round, ripe tannin.  Big, plush fruit of plum skin, cherry and fresh herbs.  Long finish with a mild dry kick.

Synopsis:

For me, this is what $10 Malbec is – - – simple, plush and bright fruit.  Cheap Pinot Noir meets Merlot.

The Som Rating: 6/10 Scarlett Johansson Heads

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Wines featured in today’s show:

• Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes 2009  (~$17)
• Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2008  (~$17)
• Sur de Los Andes Bonarda  2007  (~$15)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

I mentioned in the show that those Argentineans love their beef and their red wines reflect it, so I’m sure I don’t need to insult your intelligence and give you a recipe.  Steak, roast, prime rib…whatever;  it will go well.    The Torrontes, however, has such unique and interesting qualities that perhaps we should break it down a bit and see if we can come up with a perfect partnership.

It’s on the fuller bodied side of medium for sure and definitely has some weight to it.  The acidity is there but not the first thing you notice (like you would with a Sauvignon Blanc).  The nose has a decided Gewürztraminer note to it (rose soap, oily, perfumed) but there seems to be a bit more honeydew melon involved as well.  The word “richness” comes to mind.  I would use this wine with fish, and one of my favorites is Halibut.  It’s dense, meaty and takes to the flavors it’s cooked with very well.  Here’s a great grilled halibut recipie that should go nicely.  In fact, the recipe calls for Gewürztraminer…which you could easily substitute with a Torrontes.  (Remember: cook with the wine you intend to drink.)  This recipe has sweetness from the sautéed peppers and a touch of heat from the black pepper.  The weight of the dish is a nice match with the weight of the wine.

One other thing:  Torrontes would be a very good Thanksgiving wine!

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Wines featured in today’s show:

• Solemne Cabernet Sauvignon 2005  (~$8)
• Ste Chapelle Chateau Series Soft Red 2008  (~$9)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

I understand I’m opening a can of worms that, honestly, I really have no desire to get into.  But almost everyday someone wanders into the store and asks for a specific wine style.  If I happen to utter the word “fruit” in my description of the wine, many snap their heads up and asks, “Is it sweet?”  NO!  Walk into any liquor store or wine shop in the U.S. and 95% of the wines there will be considered “dry”…meaning that almost all the grape sugars have been converted into alcohol.

By the way, I don’t want to sell the St Chapelle Soft Red short.  It is not my cup of tea but it is well balanced and well made and deserves a taste.  It would probably go great with anything you find at a Mexican deli.  And oddly enough…it’s from Idaho.  The wine world is a strange one.

The Solemne Cabernet from Argentina is something a little easier to work with.  The nice thing to remember about this particular Cab is the juicy fruit factor.  I’m sure it would be quite delightful with a burger that has some smokiness to it.  The sweet smoke notes combined with the  FRUITY (as in ripe NOT sugary sweet) notes should be pretty nice together.

Mendoza, Argentina

Blend:

• 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 50% Cab Franc
• 15% Merlot
• 5% Petit Verdot.

Nose:

There is nothing particularly interesting about the nose…it was kind of shy.

Palette:

This wine is huge in the mouth.  Tannins are present but very round and soft.  Plummy rich fruit, vanilla, and a velvety soft mid-palette.  The finish is surprisingly short for what I was expecting in a wine of this pedigree.  There is not exactly any “waves of flavor.”

Synopsis:

I opened this wine and poured it into a glass at 9:00AM and let it sit until 12:30PM per the wine rep’s instructions.   It really didn’t do much for me.   I then left some for the next evening.  It seemed to have a dryer texture, the spice started to show a little, and the complexity improved…but nothing mind-blowing.  In truth, it turned out to be a huge disappointment.  This wine retails for about $35 and I expected a lot more “value” from a wine from Argentina.

I think the wine rep was anticipating a great review, and I was expecting something pretty impressive.  But  frankly, I’m shocked by the price of this good, but far from great wine.

One positive comment:  the empty bottle weighs about 3lbs….really good glass!

The Som Rating: 5/10 Scarlett Johansson Heads

Featured in today’s show:

• Renacer Punto Final Malbec 2007 from Argentina (~$13)
• Clos La Coutale Cahors (Malbec) 2006 from France (~$17)

Recommended food pairings from The Som:

• OK kids, I’m not going to pretend this is something I make everyday, but I can guarantee you that come spring this is on my short list of things to try.  One of the things I really enjoy doing is coming up with recipes that I think will work really well with some of the wines Bovee and I discuss.  This is recipe for duck is not for the beginner, but the only part of the preparation I really was concerned about was the walnut oil.  I’ve never went looking for walnut oil, but I have to believe that any international market or upscale grocery store should carry it.   Anyway, if you’re going to try to make this, the walnut oil may be the least of your worries.  Though the Punto Final would work, this recipe is geared towards the Clos La Coutale.  In the business we refer to this a “regional pairing.”  Drink the wine of the region with a classic dish of the region.  Here in Minnesota, we might enjoy a walleye sandwich with a Summit EPA, and frankly I’m not sure if anything sounds better.  In southwest France, you have a garlic and walnut duck breast paired with a rich and smooth wine of the same region.  Bon appetite!