Tom and Melody's wine blog » Argentine wines

Conquista Malbec

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 01:10:33 +0000

Happy thanksgiving! We are having a wonderful time with our family! Bill and Linda from Wisconsin brought several bottles of wine including this Malbec from Argentina. Smoky chocolate taste with a silky finish. I thought it was the perfect complement to our traditional thanksgiving dinner.

Alambrado Gran Seleccion Cabernet Sauvignon (2010)

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:32:38 +0000

It is Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I took the day off from work to do some pre-Thanksgiving cooking. It was a fun day for me. I also went for a run but waited too long to go, so when I finally got out there is was pouring rain and about 40- degrees and windy. The hot shower when I was done was my reward.

For dinner, I needed to use some fresh mushrooms from my food co-op . . .and, some beef that had been in the freezer for awhile, so I put together a beef stroganoff. Rich and delicious flavor. The wine I chose for our dinner is excellent. This Argentinian red is bursting with fruit, chocolate and oak with very smooth tannins. Luscious. We love it. Cheers!

Alambrado Gran Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (2010)

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:55:46 +0000

It is great to be home after a demanding work trip. I arrived home too late to figure out dinner so we ordered pizza.

This Alambrado Gran Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, an Argentine Cab. tastes really good. Very subtle nose with a dark fruit, tannic, and dark chocolate taste.

Opi aka Rodolfo Sadler Malbec 2010

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:55:50 +0000

We had this very nice Opi aka Rodolfo Sadler Malbec 2010 with pork chops, rice, and broccoli.

(We were going to grill outside but the mosquitoes here are ferocious thanks to recent heavy rains. Melody cooked them inside on a skillet.)

The Opi was nice and big, extremely fruity but dry, and stood up well to the spicy pork chops. Very drinkable, a great food wine.

Melody has been traveling, so this great meal together was an extra treat.

Elsa Bianchi Malbec (2010)

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:19:47 +0000

It is a Tuesday night and I wanted to duplicate a delicious meal that my sister- and brother-in-law prepared during our family reunion. We had grilled, marinated salmon with a pasta/tomato/garlic/basil dish. Wow, it was so filling (and yummy)! I could only finish half my salmon so I was able to prepare two separate lunches, which I will enjoy at the office this week.

Although Malbec is not your typical wine to serve with fish, that is what I chose for tonight. (I don’t like white wine. Period.) I am enjoying this Elsa Bianchi 2010 very much. I purchased it on the way home from work tonight, on sale, for $8. I had aimed my grocery cart for the South American wine section because I didn’t want to spend a lot of money and, sure enough, this is a great value. The quality of this low-priced, entry-level Malbec is similar in value to $30 California wines. Very plummy on the nose and palate. A long finish with hints of vanilla and thyme. Here’s to you, Bill and Linda!

Finca el Origen Malbec (2009)

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:07:30 +0000

We had thick, juicy hamburgers on the grill for dinner tonight with dill pickles, spicy mustard, sliced tomatoes and Vidalia onions on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns. Very yummy. I stopped at the Plum Market on the way home from work tonight and picked up 6 bottles of wine, one of which was this Finca el Origen Malbec 2009. One of the traditional Bordeaux varietals, this wine has similarities to a big Cabernet Sauvignon and a smooth Merlot. The color is very deep. The taste is plummy with ample tannins. I bought this wine on sale for $9, which I believe is a very good value. I should have picked up more than one bottle.

Norton Malbec (2010)

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:04:55 +0000

This Norton Malbec 2010 is a delicious Mendoza Malbec that is a very good value. I purchased it on my most recent trip to World Market. This beats some recent wines that we have had for twice the cost. Lush and full of berries. Gentle tannins but a robust finish.

We are having this tonight with my delicious poor-man soup which is my original recipe. (If you want my vague [no measurements] recipe, let me know.)

Cupcake Malbec (2010)

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 03:01:45 +0000

This Cupcake Malbec 2010 is kind of a fun wine: it has a nice dark-fruit flavor, medium tannins, but with a bit of a sugar or caramel taste.

The dark fruit flavor battles with the hints of sugar and saves it and makes it basically a nice New World table wine.

We wouldn’t want to live on this, but it’s a pleasant quaff and the dark fruit and decent tannins went nicely with our beef stroganoff and green beans.

H.J. Fabre Malbec (2009)

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:06:18 +0000

We chose this Argentine H. J. Fabre Malbec 2009 for Thursday evening cocktail hour. I have been so incredibly busy at work that I have been rather brain dead in the evenings and unwilling to blog even though we have had some lovely wines and meals this week. Tonight, however, i am going to blog. I am inspired because we received several lovely comments. Very motivating!

Tonight we have decided on pizza to give me a break. Even though i find preparing meals enjoyable and relaxing, tonight I just needed to sit in my chair and read the newspaper!

This Malbec is hearty and spicy. This is the perfect choice for pizza. The nose is delectable chocolate with hints of vanilla. The taste is rich with plums and oak. This would be a good choice to swerve with beef, too. Yum. Cheers!

Alto Medrano Cabernet Sauvignon (2006)

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:53:45 +0000

It is an unseasonably warm September evening in Michigan. We are in shorts and t-shirts with the windows open. We have to enjoy this because we know it won’t last. I had a hectic but productive day. Now we are unwinding. I chose this wine as a good middle of the week quaff. This was on sale for $7 at A&L Wine Castle.

This Argentinian Alto Medrano Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 is chocolatey and a bit on the sweet side for our tastes. There is a caramely finish that is okay and many would love. I prefer dryer and less sweet but this is perfectly acceptable, especially for the price.

I am reheating leftover chicken-and-rice casserole, plus steamed broccoli and a salad for our dinner.