2021 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec, Mendoza, Paraje Altamira, Jardin Altamira Vineyard, “Jardin de Hormigas.” Generously glowing purple core, short of opaque, thick and broad magenta rims, vibrant. Smoky nose with an allusion towards minerality, moves onto leather, coffee, floral notes, solid amount of currant, cherry, blackberry scents, overall has a compactness which actually adds energy. Medium-bodied, not all that smooth nor gritty, maybe a velvety grip. But pacing is good and tannin seems managed, albeit that has a pejorative connotation. Black to blue fruits cruise steadily enough. Neutral earthiness, leatheriness. Maybe some spiciness at the end. Working through it it’s clear that this was thoughtfully constructed and well-made, better than the average entry level Malbec. Worth $32? That’s in the eye of the beholder. (Composite Cork: Diam10)
2018 Zorzal Malbec, Mendoza, Gualtallary, “Gran Terroir.” Easily opaque black purple core, thin scarlet rims, looks all medieval and shit. Unfortunately alcohol fumes and peanut shells slap you first in the nose, thick and close to pruney black fruits, sweet oak if any, the lowest common denominator stony earth you find ubiquitously, to its credit it has spine and doesn’t just treat your nostrils like a beanbag. Medium to full-bodied, round but not soft, expands well towards the cheeks. Tannin has some brawn and feels at least 50% natural rather than oak derived. Big time fruit along with the toasted cocoa and coffee bean. So, I gots this for a meager $12 USD at the highly esteemed Bottle King. In its weight class it performs quite well. But that’s about the final verdict. Soon I will share this with the zee wife and I am confident her reaction will be a middling happy to drink it but nothing special. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
2021 Familia Zuccardi Malbec, Mendoza, Paraje Altamira, “Concreto.” Vibrant purple to ruby-magenta hues, sleek surface, looks like it could stain coal. Plainly spoken nose of black currant, plum fruit, a floral mist, and cocoa and spices, the latter curious as the wine was aged in concrete egg vats. Medium-bodied, pronounced tanginess with forward citrus tones and more perceptible acidity than tannin. The fruit is not lacking yet still gets subsumed in the structure. More stony than earthy, certainly dry either way. Shuts down hard through the finish. This is about as unvarnished of an Argentinean Malbec I can ever recall having. Which might be a good thing or might not. Imbibers would have to decide for themselves as it’s a stylistic experience for sure. (Composite Cork: Diam30)
2022 Bodega Garzon Tannat, Uruguay, Regional Blend, “Reserva.” Very dark purple yet still not opaque, thin crimson red rims, has the “brooding” look this grape variety can often achieve. The nose first discovers hard coffee candy, toffee and mocha notes, the tank is filled with plum to cherry scents, on the heavy side and a floral mist does minimal to help, kind of goes beyond primary to primal. Full-bodied, plush and expansive, a real palate stainer. Gushers of black to lesser blue fruit, sweetness enhanced by caramel and toffee notes. But this isn’t so sweet you’d pour it in the potted palm. Again, perfumed. This is a simple, get right to the point kind of wine that carries an air of exotica being a Tannat from Uruguay. But if the label said “Apothic Nature” you’d probably believe it too. The bottle to chug when you and your friend really want to open that fourth bottle.
2023 Weingut Tement Sauvignon Blanc, Austria, Südsteiermark, “Kalk & Kreide.” Pale white to yellow straw color but so shiny it has very good glass presence, completely transparent. Extremely pungent nose of white grapefruit, tangerine citrus, kiwi, papaya to pineapple fruit, smoky minerality, hyperactive and penetrating. Medium-bodied, steely muscularity even as it doesn’t come across as possessing “over the top” acidity. The fruit is very tropical and the mixed citrus adds a lasting sourness. Somewhat floral, at times seem to find licorice. Reticent just out of the fridge, pretty much demands to get close to room temperature to show best. Very much in keeping with the producer’s style. (Glass Stopper)
2015 Sandlands Carignan, California [regional blend]. There’s a good bit of violet left to the core, the general color has moved on from ruby to a sort of rose pink-red, not faded but looks matured, liquid clean. There’s more forest floor than barnyard to the nose, menthol and lavender, bright cherry and red berry fruit, manages to both cling to your nose pores while also feeling a lift. Medium-bodied, plus, the sourness belies the richness of all that fruit, here mixing in blueberry. Wood smoke, leather and white citrus edge in front of the florality. Very sappy without coming off as unstructured. I’d say the secondary elements have deepened more than there’s tertiary development. In any event it’s as stupendous as it was on release. Much more intriguing than the 2014 Sandlands Carignan Contra Costa County recently tasted. Grapes sourced 50% Lodi, 50% Contra Costa County.
2015 Harrington Aglianico, Tuolumne County, Gianelli Vineyard. The the hue in the core is blackish purple there’s fine clarity and not fully opaque, rims a thick crimson cast. The nose betrays some oak spice intertwined with violets and lavender, dried orange peels, and sage, the plum to currant scents dense and dewy, smells “big”. Full-bodied and get ready for this, still tannic. Not as gritty as in its youth, a thick coat of primer. Loaded with mixed red, blue fruit and a whipping white grapefruit bite. Florality has receded and it’s not as “pretty” as it once was. However, it has coalesced into a more singular message. Air time didn’t budge it much. In March 2018 I noted it needed 4-6 more years for integration and that was about right, maybe some more time could have added smoothness. For my palate, this is firing on all cylinders.
2014 Harrington Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, Coast Grade Vineyard. No purple albeit it didn’t have much to begin with, rust red core fading to yellowed rims, light filminess to it suggests no filtering. The nose expresses fallen forest wood, mushroom, shoe polish and strawberry to cherry hard candy, again not all that different than from its youth but the “sous bois” and volatility seems accentuated. Light to medium-bodied, smooth mouth feel in terms of glide and softly coating yet the acidity does add turbulence. The red fruit sweet and persists through the mid-palate before tapering off. Spicy, a mutter of white citrus. The wine is hard to judge in terms of tertiary development, has shed a good bit of oak. In hindsight should not have pushed the bottle this far but I figured ten years seemed about right.
2014 Domaine de la Chevalerie Cabernet Franc, Loire, Bourgueil, “Bretêche.” The purple core seems to be dulling but still visibly purple, in turn any ruby now shading plum flesh red to youthful bricking. The nose is nicely maturing with tobacco, cedar notes, more celery than bell pepper, light incense, the mixed red to black fruit scents relaxed, unobtrusively there. Light-bodied, feels lean from age, pounded veal. As a result, the linearity gets ratcheted up and it pushes across the palate with alacrity. Fruit level good, similar to the nose. Same basic array of secondary to tertiary elements, more bell pepper though. Leaves an impression that it was sweeter in its youth as it approaches savory now. Demure finish yet not short. The word of summation here is “graceful.” The nose is just magnificent.
2023 La Pépière Melon de Bourgogne, Loire, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie, Briords, “Cuvée Vieilles Vignes.” Greenish-white cast with plenty of visual pop, shine and glow both. Lemon custard and whipped cream register first in the nose then it’s smoky chalk and crushed seashells, not very saline, likewise for citrus, the peach, apricot, pear scents get fatter as it warms. Medium-bodied with sufficient density to feel heavier. The acidity is good but not great and pushes more than slices. The mouthfeel is initially soft and creamy but does tighten up through the mid-palate. Here you get a pinch of saline and herbaceousness to complement the chalkiness. The orchard fruit continues the richness, almost sweet which is an odd place to be. In this sampling the wine seems to play with you, shifting between leaner bite and opulence. Extremely pleasurable to drink but there’s some wines where that actually isn’t enough. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
2016 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Hatzenporter Kirchberg, Grosses Gewächs AP #7. Day-glo yellow color, hums in the glass, would expect it to glow under a black light, otherwise it’s a bit dull and lacking in shine. Whipped cream and lemon sherbet percolate up first in the nose, strong rubber component as well, can’t seem to make up uts mind between apricot/peach and pineapple/guava, pressed flowers, stream pebbles, there’s a bluntness to it which prevents any deeper soaking into it. Close to full-bodied, no fat just heavy, heavy, heavy on the tongue. Acidity is substantial but here too the word “blunt” pops up first. Kumquat, pineapple, star fruit flavors decisively take first place. Rubber, no diesel. Thankfully softens some as it warms yet it remains in the camp of more power than finesse. (Screwcap)
2022 Istine Sangiovese (100%), Tuscany, Chianti Classico. Plush, semi-glowing purple core, dark garnet rims, clarity is perfectly fine, youthful prettiness. An initial whiff of dusty earthiness overcome by ripe cherry, raspberry scents but there’s no extra sweetness involved, leather, orange peel, straw, overall it has a sort of “rugged” profile but it’s not backward or off-putting or such. Medium-bodied, the initial impression is smooth then waves of tannin get layered on the tongue and it turns quite dry. Wow. Plenty of fruit to go the distance. Which it needs. Not without a floral or citrus insinuation. In spite of the tannin stretches well into the finish. I’m digging it and expect to like it more in 4-5 years.
2022 Stefanino Costa (Nino Costa) Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Langhe, “Cabora.” Super clean and transparent ruby with mild washing out at the rims, sparkly. Bright red fruit in the nose, candied edge, licorice, cleansing spiciness, as it opens becomes smokier than expected. Light-bodied, acidic enough that it throws it off balance requiring time to adjust to it. The fruit isn’t negligible yet moves steadily into the background. What’s left is mainly leather, twigs, tree bark and stony dirt. Over time white grapefruit accelerates close to the lead. Arguably has more grip than the body weight can support. Puckering finish. Still, it clocks in at 13.5% which is getting pretty unusually low and should be noted. Under twenty bucks, no real complaints. (Composite Cork: Diam3)