Malbec – THE DUDE OF FOOD

MALBEC Review – Espuela del Gaucho Reserve 2012

This tasty limited edition Malbec was also grown and bottled in the Mendoza region of Argentina and is imported by WX Imports, Novato, CA

Do Not Confuse with the 2011 which wasn’t good.

www.espueladelgaucho.com

This is another fine Malbec that is now on my Top 5 Malbec list. Not as good as my favorite, Bodega de ELENA, but gets close. This winning wine is a 2012, so maybe could use a year to age, but is a very good selection.

The Espuela del Gaucho has unique, slow running, heavy legs. It carries a lighter body, that lands gently on the tongue, joyfully leaving hints of mixed berries grown in the fresh Andes air and then drifts away.

This is another quality Malbec from Argentina, that any California cab or Merlot drinker will enjoy for under $12.

Malbec – TERRAZAS de los Andes 2010

Another fine wine from the Mendoza region nestled in Argentina.

TERRAZAS de los Andes Reserva Malbec 2010

Produced and bottled by Terrazas de los Andes, Argentina.

Selected grapes of the Mendoza region terraces, found a little more than 1,000 meters above sea level, make their way into this wine. The selectivity of this wine is probably why it is imported by the Moet Hennessy company.

Personally, this wine is almost as good as my still favorite Malbec, Bodega de ELENA. The Terrazas is kind of similar to the Elena, but I found it to be a touch lighter in body and flavor when landing on the tongue. The Terrazas is flowery and fruity. Perhaps the Terrazas could be imagined as a Merlot version of the Elena if it were imagined as a Cabernet style of the same producer.

The Terrazas is a good wine, reasonably priced and will be gone before the other bottles that folks brought to the party.

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Red Rock Malbec Reserve 2010

Grown and bottled by Red Rock winery Healdsburg, CA

This Malbec is grown here in California, not Argentina.

The flavor of this reserve wine lacks the depth of the Bodega de ELENA Malbec, which is my current favorite. It is not a bad wine, but if looking for a reasonably priced California red, I’d go Murphy-Goode Cabernet.

Malbec – Espuela Del Gaucho 2011

Product of Argentina.

The Dude of Food Wine Review — Espuela Del Guacho

Imported by WX Imports, Novato , CA

www.espueladelguacho.com

This low priced gaucho Malbec tastes more like the boot sweat of a gaucho.

I may have gotten a bad bottle, but this was my least favorite of all the bottles tasted by the Dude of Food.

The 2012 was much, much better.

Malbec – Bodega ELENA de Mendoza 2011

Bodega ELENA de Mendoza 2011

Vinted and bottled by B.E.D.M. Wines

Imported by Wine Brokers Unlimited, Hayward, CA

Product of Argentina

This is the Dudes favorite Malbec yet! This is the first of the bottles that I have opened that came with a real cork. Good 1st impression. Upon tasting this wine, I was immediately aware that the taste game had changed.

The bar had been raised. This is serious wine. This full bodied wine smoothly drifts over your taste buds, dangling flavors of blackberries and plums, leaving a rejoicing smile and desire for more.

There was no crazy tinny aftertaste. This was immediately my new favorite Malbec.

If it is a dollar more than the other Malbec’s in this price range, pay it! Get this Malbec!

(Note) April 2013 issue of Bon Appetite magazine includes McCormick gourmet selection recommending this wine also.

Malbec – Cupcake 2011

Grown in Mendoza, Argentina.

Imported by Cupcake Vineyards, Livermore, CA

Grown at 2,400 feet under the shadow of the snow covered Andes mountains, this Mendoza region wine is more talk than action. The back of the label mentions flavors of plums, raspberries and a dark chocolate flour less cupcake. Really?

This wine is priced in the reasonable to cheap category, but you get what you pay for in this case.

Prefer the Sensual or Robert Mondavi over this Cupcake.

Malbec – Redwood Creek 2011

Raised in Mendoza, Argentina

Imported by Redwood Creek Winery, Modesto, CA

www.redwoodcreek.com

I wanted to like this wine but felt it was just not quite as good as the Robert Mondavi PS ’11 or Sensual ’12. Not sure why. Same grape, same region, same year.

This wine’s taste was much like the Sensual and Mondavi but there was a slight shift that did not work in the Redwood Creek’s favor. The price is about the same so if I had my option, I’d choose the others.

Malbec – Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2011

Mendoza, Malbec Product of Argentina

Imported by CWUS Imports, Acampo, CA

Another reasonably priced, Mendoza raised wine. This tastes very similar to the Sensual 2012 used as my Malbec standard to compare the other wines.

Grapey, but not overly. OK. Not sweet. Kind of flat. Short tongue life. On the heavy side ala a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Malbec – SENSUAL 2012

Produced & bottled by Valentin Bianchi, Mendoza, Argentina

Imported by Quintessential LLC, Napa

www.quintessentialwines.com

Reasonably priced, nicely painted and cheesily named, this Mendoza raised wine is the Malbec the Dude of Food used as my standard to compare the other wines.

Grapey, but not overly. OK. Not sweet. Kind of flat. Short tongue life. On the heavy side ala a Cabernet Sauvignon.