BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast

as more standard cassis and berry aromas. Borderline
sheer in the mouth, with pointed acidity and raspberry
and plum flavors. Feels slightly abrasive, but on the plus
side it’s fresh and juicy. Vino Del Sol. —M.S.
abv: 13.8% Price: $15
84
Graffigna 2008 Grand Reserve Cabernet
Sauvignon (San Juan). Every kind of pepper,
from green to red to jalapeño, is present on the
nose, along with red plum and spice aromas. Feels tight
and zesty, with Italian-leaning flavors of tomato, oregano
and basil along with cassis and strawberry. Crisp
and agile on the finish, but tastes green. Pernod Ricard.
—M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $20
84
Lexicon 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza).
Opens with an odd whiff of masa or
cornmeal along with herbal berry aromas. Feels angular
and narrowing, with herbal plum and dark berry flavors.
Turns greener with time, ultimately finishing with
brown sugar sweetness and green pepper notes. Good
but herbal. Kysela Père et Fils. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $13
84
Sur de los Andes 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Mendoza). Roasted red berry and
plum aromas carry the bouquet to a tannic, grabby palate
with red fruit flavors and herbal shadings. Feels better
on the finish, with tangy red fruit and nothing offensive.
Winery Direct. —M.S.
abv: 13.9% Price: $12
83
Arge & Tina 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
(San Juan). Tomato and herbal aromas tell
you most of what you need to know about this bargainpriced
Cab. It’s somewhat green and sweet, with a raw
feel and tannic bite. Tastes of tomato and herbal red
plum. Feels light on the finish. IBESC Wine Distributor.
—M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $8
83
Benegas 2008 Luna Benegas Cabernet
Sauvignon (Mendoza). Citric smelling, with
clipped aromas of berry fruits. Choppy tannins, heat
and raisiny, sweet, cooked berry flavors and stemmy
notes finish herbal tasting but full in feel. Vias Imports.
—M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $12
83
Familia Marguery 2010 Casa Marguery
Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza). Murky
smelling, with nondescript berry aromas. Ultratannic
and hard in the mouth, much like chewing nails. Meanwhile,
the flavors run herbal and earthy, with dark fruit
carrying things to a hard, tannic finish. Southern Wine
Group. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $15
83
Michel Torino 2010 Don David Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon (Calchaqui Valley).
Cloudy to the eye, with overly green aromas of tomato
and bell pepper, along with spice and dried cherry.
Feels hot and acidic, with a clipped, cutting palate full
of berry flavors, herbs and green pepper. Fresh but
herbal on the finish. Frederick Wildman & Sons, Ltd.
—M.S.
abv: 13.9% Price: $16
83
Tomero 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza).
Burnt and leafy on the nose, with murky,
earthy aromas. Feels gritty but lively, with sweet, herbal
berry fruit in front of a somewhat dilute and dull finish.
A modest, herbal Cab that does the job. San Francisco
Wine Exchange. —M.S.
abv: 14.8% Price: $15
82
Andeluna 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Tupungato).
Green smelling. Feels thick, grabby
and stewed, with herbal, saucy flavors of tomato and red
berry. That same sauciness defines the herbal finish. San
Francisco Wine Exchange. —M.S.
abv: 15% Price: $11
82
Mil Piedras 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
(Mendoza). Smells like wet clay with an accent
of floral black fruit. In the mouth, it’s edgy and
sharp, with rock-hard tannins that clamp down. Tastes
lactic but not creamy, with sharp red-fruit flavors and a
hard finish. Cannon Wines Limited. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $11
MALBEC
92
Viña Cobos 2009 Cobos Marchiori Vineyard
Malbec (Perdriel). Hot and fiery at first,
but then it tames itself while revealing jammy blackberry
and roasted plum aromas. Feels extracted and full,
with a mix of baked berry, herb and peppery flavors that
run deep and delicious. Spicy and chocolaty on the oaky
finish, with smooth tannins, sweetness and oaky length.
Drink now through 2014. Paul Hobbs Wines. —M.S.
abv: 14.8% Price: $175
91
Viña Cobos 2009 Bramare Marchiori
Vineyard Malbec (Perdriel). Similar in style
to the higher-priced Cobos wine from the same vineyard.
Bramare delivers cassis, plum and berry aromas
rolled into a pleasant and familiar whole. Feels rich but
refined, with meaty flavors that hit on leather, berry,
black plum and chocolate. Spicy and chocolaty on the
finish. Drink now through 2014. Paul Hobbs Wines.
—M.S.
abv: 14.7% Price: $80
90
Finca Flichman 2008 Parcela 26 Limited
Edition Malbec (Mendoza). After picking
yourself up off the floor having digested the price,
the wine is excellent but not otherwordly. Sweet, dense
and calm on the nose, with alluring black fruit and raisin
aromas. Feels hefty and gritty, with rooty, sweet flavors
of brown sugar and baked blackberry. Finishes round,
big and smooth, with generally good balance. 120 cases
made; drink now through 2014. Evaton, Inc. —M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $167
90
Salentein 2010 Reserve Malbec (Uco Valley).
For full review see page 8.
abv: 14.5% Price: $19
90
Tapiz 2010 Malbec (Mendoza). For full review
see page 10. Best Buy.
abv: 13.8% Price: $15
89
Angulo Innocenti 2010 Malbec (Mendoza).
Deep purple in color, with a dense, compact
bouquet showing ripe blackberry, density and heat.
Full-force on the palate, with drying tannins along with
prune, blackberry, licorice and peppery flavors. Serious
and tannic, with richness, extract and power. Vineyard
Brands. —M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $20
89
Maipe 2010 Reserve Malbec (Mendoza).
Dense and dark, with plum, prune, blackberry
and earth aromas. Feels thick, meaty and composed,
with blackberry and dark plum flavors leading the
charge. Density and balance are the wine’s attributes;
it’s full, mildly tannic and generous but not overdone or
overoaked. Kysela Père et Fils. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $16
89
Viña Cobos 2009 Bramare Rebon Vineyard
Malbec (Perdriel). Packed and concentrated,
with blueberry, blackberry, bramble and pastry
aromas. Initially, it’s jumbled and out of joint, with
jumpy acids and heavy flavors of blackberry, grilled
meat and herbs, while on the finish, the fruit fades
quickly, leaving weight, resin and vanilla. Paul Hobbs
Wines. —M.S.
abv: 14.8% Price: $55
89
Zuccardi 2010 Q Malbec (Mendoza).
Opens with cassis, black cherry, blackberry and
dusty aromas that suggest leather. Feels healthy, with
blazing acidity propelling dark fruit, toast and vanilla
flavors. Juicy on the finish due to semisharp acids, with
length and liveliness. Winesellers Ltd. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $22
88
Altocedro 2010 Reserva Malbec (La Consulta).
Oak is front and center on the bouquet,
and with that come accents of dried cheese and sawdust.
Feels saturated, layered and tannic in the mouth, with
roasted berry, black plum, herb and spice flavors. Feels
and tastes a touch resiny on the finish, more evidence of
the wine’s barrel influence. Vino Del Sol. —M.S.
abv: 15.5% Price: $29
88
Altocedro 2009 Gran Reserva Malbec (La
Consulta). A very oaky style of Malbec. The
bouquet is full of cough drop, milk chocolate and mint,
while the palate feels solid and beefy, but resiny. Flavors
of berry fruits are softened and sweetened by oak and
chocolate, while the finish is woody and tannic. Vino
Del Sol. —M.S.
abv: 15% Price: $50
88
Lamadrid 2009 Single Vineyard Reserva
Malbec (Agrelo). Opens with hard-baked
berry aromas that turn briary and herbal with airing.
Smooth tannins and meaty blackberry flavors are
matched by barrel-driven vanilla and spice. Oaky and
minty on the finish, with spunk and length. Vino Del
Sol. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $19
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