Jason’s Wine Blog

Price: $3.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by L. Watson Inc.

What They Said:

Per Daniel Rogov “Dark ruby towards garnet, with soft tannins, hints of spices and a note of chocolate highlighting blackberry and black cherry fruits. Round and appealing, a very good entry-level wine. Drink now.” Score 86. K (Tasted 9 Oct 2008)

What I Think:

I’ve been looking forward to posting this one as it has been a rewarding experience thanks to Shimshon of Welner Wines! From the bottle I was able to track this to Vinas Argentinas which led me to Telteca Winery. From there I emailed the contact us info and Shimshon responded with the wealth of information I am about to share. Didn’t even have to use the other information at my disposal (hand harvested for the Cartellone Family and Jose Pedro Gomez was the winemaker)

The first item of note is that this predominately sells under the Tierra Salvaje label. I’ve had a Carmenere ($4) from them at Trader Joe’s a while back. Tried to track down my tasting notes but not much there. My recollection is that it was good but not great.

As for this one specifically, Terranal (from the label) is a cousin of the term terroir and means earthy. Given I have a Cab from Ruca Malen (btw, if you ever visit Mendoza be sure to have their wine pairing lunch. Fantastic!) I picked up on my trip to Argentina in ’06 I considered this a free preview. On sight, the wine is dark but the nose brings me light raspberry fruit notes with a bit of tannin. It certainly lacks the California Cab characteristics you might expect so prepare yourself. The initial taste is familiar but what…something, can’t place it! A nice tannic backbone and a pleasant mid-palate full of plum and cherry flavors. The only disappointment is that there was little from a finish perspective. All in all, for $4 this is a great introduction to what Cabernet from another región is all about; lighter, fruitier and less tanic. Give it a try. I’m going to grab another bottle. They also have a Malbec in stock which I intend to drink/review soon. Stay tuned…

Rating: 12th Bottle

Price: $9.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Gascon USA

What They Said:

guess it is too early to have anything official here….

What I Think:

This all started when Melody asked me to give the La Boca Malbec another try after a lackluster first experience. While out to grab another bottle I came across this one. Though a bit pricey at $10 I decided to try and give it a go. Once home I did a quick search and found that this is part of the famed Nicholas Catena family (thought no mention of it on their site) who has been at the forefront of bringing quality Argentinean wines to the world. That raised my expectations a bit…. Parker gave the ’06 a 90. Expectations still growing…

Then I realized this was a ’07, seems soon for a ’07 doesn’t it? Expectations shrinking…It showed its age with a bit of green on the nose. The palate is that of a typical but forgettable Malbec. This wine isn’t bad by any means and may shine if I haven’t had the wines I have had. But I have and thus there is now way I can recommend this or any other Malbec at Trader Joe’s. As much as I love TJ’s go elsewhere for low cost Malbec. Especially with so many winners easily and widely available. Grab one of these (rank ordered) and you will be much happier!

- 2006 Pascual Toso Maipu Valley Malbec ($9)
- 2006 Terrazas de los Andes Malbec ($9)
- 2006 Alamos Malbec ($8)

Rating: Skip It

Price: $2.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Classic Wines of California

What They Said:

Per Tom & Melody “This Barrio La Boca Malbec 2006 is a pearly, opalescent purple in the glass and a fresh and spicy nose reminiscent of cherries and cured meats. It is a dry and tannic, yet quite fruity. The wine has a sharp mouth feel with a smooth finish on the palate. The taste is plums, vanilla, and cherries. The finish is chocolate-covered cherries.”

What I Think:

Enjoying the Pascual Toso a little too much I decided to save the rest for another day and pop this one. Expectations were low as I grabbed the Cabernet Sauvignon from the same label a few weeks back.  I grabbed this one just to ensure I was doing my due diligence for my readers.  After all Argentina is known for value Malbec’s.  Maybe this could be the super value.

And survey says….No! Not much to like here. Nothing but acid on the nose and the same follows on the palate. The next night I tried it with some food and it was a bit better. Oddly on night three it started to show something, not much…but something. Certainly not enough to buy another bottle but just enough to miss the dreaded “Avoid It” label.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $8.99 @ K&L Wines imported by TGIC Importers

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines ”91 points and the #1 wine on the “Top 100 Best Buys of 2007″ from Wine Enthusiast: “A year or two ago when Paul Hobbs began consulting for Toso things changed for the better. This is the rare Best Buy that can swim with the big fish and give them a run for the money. Pop the cork and enjoy lusty dark aromas of Turkish tobacco and berry compote. In the mouth, there’s a riot of fruit flavors to ponder followed by a smooth, lusty finish.” (12/1/2007) 90 points and a “Best Buy” in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. (no tasting note given, Dec. 2007) That’s right we can actually offer you a #1 wine from someone’s list. Those end of the year best lists are so frustrating for us. We usually have our stock answer, “Sorry, it sold out months ago.” But not this time, this time we can say, “How much would you like?” And I couldn’t think of a better wine to give to any customer looking for sheer value. This Malbec is attached to Paul Hobbs and it shows. His trademark velvety texture and boisterous fruit flavors are all on display here. The solid tannins keep everything held together while the sappy boysenberry fruit, clove spice and vanilla laced finish are sure to please. (Bryan Brick, K&L)”

What I Think:

I had been meaning to grab this one for a while. Ever since K&L sent out an email proclaiming this the “Best Red Available under $10” it has been hard to come by. Couple that with being ranked the “#1 wine on the “Top 100 Best Buys of 2007″ from Wine Enthusiast and you can imagine it is getting difficult. The third feather in the cap was Paul Hobbs involvement who made this “Cocodrilo” that I just had to grab a case of. And I still haven’t mentioned a price tag of single digits ($9). And uh, oh yah, it is a single vineyard offering. It’s been a struggle but recently a friend of mine scored me a bottle and it was worth the wait!

Loads of dark fruit and smoke on the nose, on the palate the fruit delivers with hints of vanilla and barrel spice making the finish as velvety as can be. The combination makes this a hands down winner. To be fair, value wines are plentiful coming out of Argentina. I’ve had offerings from Alamos and Terrazas de los Andes that blow the quality to price ratio straight out of the water. That said those two were enjoyable based on the forwardness of their fruit and didn’t display near the complexity of this one. Wonder if I can find anymore! I’ll sure be looking…

Rating: Bulk Buy

Price: $15.99 @ K&L Wines imported by Paul Hobbs Imports

What They Said:

Per K&L Wines “The big pull for this wine has always been that it is made by the seemingly infallible Paul Hobbs, and that surely hasn’t changed. The other big pull is that it has always been the tastiest of Cabs from Mendoza. Full of the polish and sweet ripeness that Hobbs is know for this is packed with slick, creamy currant puree, unsweetened black chocolate, and loveable mouth-filling texture. Compare this to his cabs out of Napa for $60+ and you have yourself a bargain.” (Bryan Brick, K&L)

What I Think:

As easy sale for me, everything Hobbs touches goes for a mint. To get my hands on this one even at the upper end of my personal price range was a no brainer. The first bottle knocked my socks off. Robust and smooth at the same time if that even makes sense. Loads of dark fruit on a chocolate back bone that last forever. The finish could not be smoother or longer. I put another case in the cellar. This could compete with the Ridge for the best bottle I’ve had since starting this blog!

Rating: Cellar It

Price: $2.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Classic Wines of California

What They Said:

Not a word, guess I’ll be the authority on this one…

What I Think:

The first 2007 of the year! I couldn’t help but take a flier. Before everyone gets to excited yes I know Beaujolais was out last November, not a fan, sorry! Named after the home of the Tango you may think this is from Buenos Aries but it is indeed from Mendoza. After my favorable experience with the Bonarda I was open to trying another little known bottle from Mendoza. Unfortunately, this one disappointed. I could taste them trying to get the stems and greenness out of the bottle. Alas, it didn’t help. I know it was only $3 and perhaps the Malbec was better but at this price point I’ll spend the extra $2 for this Chalk Creek. If you want to stay at the same price point perhaps this JW Morris makes sense. I enjoyed their Gewurzt.

Rating: Skip It

Price: $1.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Goldschmidt Vineyards

What They Said:

Per quaffability “This is an odd wine that I found while searching in vain for an Argentinean Malbec suggested by a reader. I confess that I had never heard of the Torrontes varietal before tasting this wine, and, having knocked around the web looking for info for a few minutes, I think I know even less now then I did before. It’s either originally from Mavasia or native to Argentina. It might be a common Spanish varietal, or it might be a cross between the native American Mission grape and a variety of Muscat. Hmm… what’s a good synonym for “whatever”?

The nose offers very fruity flowery notes with lemon, lychee and grapefruit. In the mouth it’s also quite fruity, but with a suprising element of petroleum, turning quite dry on the lean finish.

This wine reminds me that tasting impressions can really vary by circumstance. Sampled before dinner one night, my wife and I both said “okay… interesting” but moved on to other things without any thought of grabbing the bottle for a refill. Too fruity, not quite appealing, and a little odd tasting. But a few nights later, after my wife had made the mistake of telling the guy at the Chinese take-out place that our food wasn’t spicy enough last time, the wine went down awfully good with a blistering order of chicken in garlic sauce.”

What I Think:

As mentioned with my initial Bonarda posting I remember these showing up at TJ’s sometime last year. At the time I grabbed one of each, this and the Bonarda. After having them both I ran to the store to find more of the red to no avail and put this one on my “do not drink” list as I can still recall it tasted almost like nothing.

Redux, once again I find them both but pass on the white. Then being overly impressed with the red I overcome my predisposition to ignoring the white. Sometime later with taco salad on the table this wine finds itself on our table. On the nose you get..nothing; no fruit, just barrel. This wine is very light leading me to think the alcohol percentage must be low. There is hints of citrus but mostly wood with grassy undertones. As there is no fruit there is certainly no sweetness. Makes me think outside the “wine” box. I pomder European type schnapps before settling on Vodka as there is little flavor here.

In my industry we always talk about the “aspirational” you. I can see where this wine is trying to go, it just never gets there. Given that it is $2 though it is worth a try, as long as this isn’t your only impression of Torrontes. Give this Zolo a try. While your at it find some Vinho Verde as well.

Rating: 12th Bottle

Price: $1.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Goldschmidt Vineyards

What They Said:

Per Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer from October of 2006; “Amaicha wines are named after a small village in the northern Argentinean province of Tucuman. “The indigenous people of this town have a special reverence for what they call Pachamama, or Mother Earth, and they celebrate their admiration for the earth’s goodness with both festivals and a way of life that respects the elements around them - Earth, Moon, Sun & Water. That respect extends to the cultivation of the grapes that are used to create Amaicha wines.”

Amaicha Bonarda “is a red wine that originates in Italy, but is actually the most widely grown grape in Argentina. It produces a lush, medium-bodied wine with ripe plum and blackberry flavors. This one’s terrific for cocktails and equally appropriate for serving with pasta or even meatloaf.”

What I Think:

Ah, the perfect use for this Bonarda. This is the wine to choose with pasta on the menu. As that was my intention this evening I did just that. Many people tend to say if you wouldn’t drink it don’t cook with it. While I tend to agree with that my $20 bottle of wine isn’t going in the sauce. With this around it is possible to make purists and my wallet happy. And if you don’t happen to have that $20 bottle around this will serve quite well as the primary wine to accompany the dish…

Rating: Buy It

Price: $1.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Goldschmidt Vineyards

What They Said:

Per Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer from October of 2006; “Amaicha wines are named after a small village in the northern Argentinean province of Tucuman. “The indigenous people of this town have a special reverence for what they call Pachamama, or Mother Earth, and they celebrate their admiration for the earth’s goodness with both festivals and a way of life that respects the elements around them - Earth, Moon, Sun & Water. That respect extends to the cultivation of the grapes that are used to create Amaicha wines.”

Amaicha Bonarda “is a red wine that originates in Italy, but is actually the most widely grown grape in Argentina. It produces a lush, medium-bodied wine with ripe plum and blackberry flavors. This one’s terrific for cocktails and equally appropriate for serving with pasta or even meatloaf.”

What I Think:

We had some friends over some nights ago to baby-sit. These friends are perhaps some of my only regular readers of this blog. My wife made them some dinner and I left them a range of bottles to select from including this, my other TJ’s favorite the 2005 Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Carmenere and another option that I used to make sure I didn’t look like a cheapskate. He chose the Bonarda. I can tell you that he seemed quite happy with his choice that evening and I tried to entice him to provide some guest commentary which I have yet to receive. Should that make it my way I will be sure to update here.

Bottom line, a $2 bottle of wine you can serve to babysitters. What else could the rating be?

Rating: Bulk Buy

Price: $1.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Goldschmidt Vineyards

What They Said:

Per Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer from October of 2006; “Amaicha wines are named after a small village in the northern Argentinean province of Tucuman. “The indigenous people of this town have a special reverence for what they call Pachamama, or Mother Earth, and they celebrate their admiration for the earth’s goodness with both festivals and a way of life that respects the elements around them - Earth, Moon, Sun & Water. That respect extends to the cultivation of the grapes that are used to create Amaicha wines.”

Amaicha Bonarda “is a red wine that originates in Italy, but is actually the most widely grown grape in Argentina. It produces a lush, medium-bodied wine with ripe plum and blackberry flavors. This one’s terrific for cocktails and equally appropriate for serving with pasta or even meatloaf.”

What I Think:

This Bonarda is the current mainstay in our house. So with Mac & Cheese on the stove I grabbed a bottle. I honestly don’t remember all that much about it which at this price point, $1.99, I tend to think of as a good thing…

Rating: Buy It