Bubbles that Won't Break the Bank 

Typically on New Year's Eve I bust out bottles I've been saving all year, but since this one past required I drink them prior to the ringing in of 2012 I had to head to the wine shop along with the zillions of you seeking sprtiz for your special occasion.  Never seeing myself as a wine snob I usually look for affordable and delicious sips to serve.  I know Champagne, from Champagne France, is always a fave in my house but I wasn't looking to spend more than $20 a bottle. When it comes to bubbles this can be a risky venture. I didn't want something flat, or sweet or lacking finesse.  In order to find this diamond in the rough I had to start taste testing and after a few sad little sips I found my shining star.  Trapiche Sparkling Wine NV (non- vintage) ringing in at $15.99 a bottle is a stellar bottle of bubbly from of all places Argentina. Argentina has been pumping out delicious still wines at awesome prices and now I can say they are kicking it on the bubbly side too.  This pour is full of vibrant bubbles that taste fresh and will make your mouth happy this New Year's.  It's versatile enough to go with lots of different dishes or you can simply sip it all by itself.

‘Tis the season for tasty accessible sparkling wines! You need not be a purist and only settle for Champagne to celebrate with the bubbly. Cavas and Proseccos are a great start for party wines to toast a grand occasion with hors d’oeuvres, or to finish off an opulent meal with dessert.

But there are many other low to mid-priced sparkling wines that are just begging to be enjoyed. One great example is Trapiche’s Extra Brut made from a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Semillon, and 10% Malbec. These grapes are vinified (fermented) at cool temperatures for 10-15 days to extract color, aroma and ripe fruit flavors. The resulting wine is then aged for a short time entirely in stainless steel tanks before before a light filtration. Next comes a second fermentation using the Charmat Lungo method (prolonged contact with residual yeast) for 120 days before bottling. Here are the results I discerned in my tasting:

The bouquet of this vintage from the first waft is full ahead fruity. The mouth feel has an easy-going minerality with faint limestone blossoming into light pear and melon on the palate, then punching straight to the back of the throat. A sweeter edge pokes through on the swallow. Nothing dry or rigid all the way to a smooth finish. Great with cheeses producing a nuttier flavor experience while cleansing the palate for the next bite or an entirely different cheese. Be aware that when imbibing with entrees, this wine will take on the character of the ingredients contained therein.

The old standby Folonari produced my next two favorites. Both were easy to drink with an excellent quality-to-price ration. They are both available at Varmax Liquor Pantry for $20 (equivalent to $5 per bottle), 16 Putnam Avenue, Port Chester, NY 10573; 914.937.4930.

Folonari Pinot Grigio 2010 offers everything you expect from well-priced Pinot Grigio. It’s pale yellow with fragrant notes of fresh green apple; it’s dry, crisp with a good clean finish. A wine to pair with a wide variety of lighter fare. It’s also available in the box at Pops Wine for $17.50 (equivalent to $4.50 per bottle), 256 Long Beach Road, Island Park NY 11558; 516.431.0025.

Folonari Pinot Nero 2009 is a lighter-bodied Pinot Noir, which is exactly what you would expect from a wine made from this grape that hails from northern Italy. If you’re looking for Russian River Pinot, look elsewhere. If you want a light wine with lovely berry flavors and a mid-palate lift that easily pairs with most foods, look here. It’s also available for $17 per box at Shop-Rite Liquors Pearl River Wines, 46 North Middletown Road, Pearl River, NY 10965; 845.735.2023 .

Next in line are from the Argentine-wine powerhouse Trapiche. Both the Falling Star Malbec and Chardonnay are available from Exit 9 Wine and Liquor Warehouse, 9 Halfmoon Crossing Boulevard, Clifton Park, NY 12065; 518.688.0153.

Falling Star Malbec 2009 is a lovely example of a lighter-bodied Malbec. It offers concentrated flavors of berries, plums and cherries; those aromas blend with violets on the nose. This is one of the cleanest, freshest Malbecs I’ve hasted. The box is $17 at Exit 9 Wine and Liquor Warehouse ($4.25 per bottle)

Falling Star Chardonnay 2010 is an easy-to-drink South American Chardonnay. It’s medium bodied, with classic Chardonnay flavors and some oak influence. It’s a wine that will appeal to most New World wine drinkers. It’s $16 for the box (equivalent to $4 per bottle) at Exit 9 Wine and Liquor Warehouse.

This red is liberally toasty, offering up-front cocoa powder and coffee flavors leading the way for melted fig and crushed blackberry fruit notes. Drink now.

The Trapiche 2008 Oak Cask Malbec was produced using fruit from the Mendoza region of Argentina. Some of the fruit is from estate vineyards and some from other Mendoza vineyards. This wine is 100% Malbec. Fruit was hand picked and fermented in temperature controlled vats. Each lot of wine was separately aged in a combination of French and American oak over a period of twelve months. Prior to bottling the lots are blended and undergo a light filtration. This wine sells for right around $10.

Aromas of toasty oak, vanilla bean and black cherry explode from the nose. Dark berries dominate the plate; blackberries, raspberries and black cherries all play a role. Ribbons of red fruit pass through as well and provide a nice counterpoint in flavor. Vanilla, minerals, graphite and fresh roasted espresso flavors are all part of the finish which has good length for the price point.

This Malbec from Trapiche is a terrific value in its category. It offers a bit more complexity, length and elegance than many other examples in the under $12 category. It has plenty of up front fruit but it also has balance which many examples of Malbec in this price range lack. You can certainly drink this wine on its own, but it’s particularly well suited to pair with grilled meats. Sliders, kabobs or chops would be perfect. Mushroom based dished and hard, flavorful cheeses are safe bets as well. In any case if you drink Malbec, the Oak Cask from Trapiche is one to look out for in the under $12 category.

Video: Five great summer white wines

Last night I joined Chuck Scarborough on his NY Nightly News program on WNBC’s New York Nonstop Channel to talk about five exciting white wines for summer. For detailed information about the wines, see the post just below this one.

View more videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/

Technorati Tags: Domaine Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet,Picpo

Let’s try a little word association game. I say Malbec you say <fill in the blank>. Let’s continue, I say value $10 and under wine, you say <insert thoughts here>. I would venture to guess that the same words might apply to both for a good majority of wine drinkers. Argentinian Malbec has crushed the “value to quality” category over the last few years becoming the fastest growing wine category.

For years Argentinians consumed 90% of the wine they produced (which was a lot at the tune of 60 bottles per capita). This decade has seen a massive shift in the amount of wine exported. Chances are, if you’ve had Malbec, you’ve had wine from Argentina (to the chagrin of the French folks from Cahors).

When I received a box of eight Malbec under the guise of Malbec Madness, I couldn’t help but pair the wine with the exciting college basketball happening in March and early April. I recognized a few of the labels from purchases at a local market and was excited to put the wines to the test with my own Malbec Madness bracket. At first the wines were tasted without looking at the notes. I didn’t want the price points to sway my initial judgment, so I tasted them semi-blind (maybe blurry is a better term – especially after tasting through all 8). There were a few immediate stand outs, but I set aside my notes, re-corked the wines and decided to re-visit them later…over the Elite 8 games.

I decided to pair the wines in an Elite 8 format with the 1-8 seeds based on price point.

Round 1

07 Trapiche Icons ($55) vs. 09 Falling Star ($6)

The 1/8 seed match up was a disjointed sloppy mess of a game. The Icons came out ready to dominate. With a bottle twice the weight of the Falling Star it seemed as if the wine didn’t even matter. Once the game began the 07 Trapiche showed its power with 18 months of aging in new French Oak and amazing aromas of perfume, espresso, and spice. The wine was thick in the mouth without being overbearing. “Oh my god, this is good,” was the play of the night. The Falling Star committed too many turnovers to compete but showed a hint of flare with a bright juicy candy and banana aroma followed with a soft and elegant mouth feel. In the end the sharp off putting finish and lack of multi-dimensional game plan kept this wine from making a game of it.

07 Trapiche Icons Malbec (Mendoza) 4/5

09 Falling Star Malbec (Mendoza) 3/5

10 Michael Torino ($13) vs. 08 Trapiche Oak Cask ($10)

On paper this was a pretty even match up (4 seed vs. 5 seed). The high elevation M. Torino was is a young team with very little experience playing well against the extended maceration 08 Trapiche which spent 12 months in French and American oak. In the end the intensity of the Trapiche and its bold blackberry and vanilla smooth texture won out over the shallow and tart play of the M. Tornio (lacked any layers of fruit or flavor).

08 Trapiche Oak Cask (Mendoza) 3+/5

10 Michel Torino Malbec (Cafayate Valley) 3/5

08 M. Torino Don David ($16) vs. 10 Astica ($6)

This 2/7 seed match up was close until half time. At that point the experience and varied flavor of the Michel Torino Don David came through. With a super thick black core producing aromas of plum, raisin, and almonds the depth of flavor was superior to the restrained nose under-ripe fruit and semi-sweet profile of the Astica. Both wines are very fruit forward but lacked the depth of game to compete at the next level. It will be an interesting round two match up for the M. Torino.

08 Michel Torino Don David Malbec (Cafayate Valley) 3/5

10 Astica Malbec (Cuyo) 3-/5

08 Trapiche Broquel ($15) vs. 09 Trapiche Varietals ($7.50)

The 3/6 seed match up was a very well played game. Both wines showcased their Mendoza fruit forward heritage. For over 125 years Trapiche has been making fine Argentinean wine. With a little sibling rivalry the Trapiche Broquel shows more age spending 25 days of extended maceration in concrete and 15 months in French and American oak. The youthful Trapiche Varietals comes out strong with elegant fruit and hints of rosemary, vanilla and evergreen tree. The soft fruit feel is accented by pencil lead, medium tannin and a good finish. The Broquel also scores with chalk and pencil lead but in the end shows its strength by displaying strong characteristics of blueberry, vanilla smoke and a long finish. At $15 this is a very good bargain.

08 Trapiche Broquel Malbec (Mendoza) 3+/5

09 Trapiche Varietals Malbec (Mendoza) 3/5

Round 2

Round two sees the dominant #1 seed Trapiche Icons advance to play the under $10 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec. The #2 and #3 seed wines advanced with solid play making for a solid second round match up between 08 Michel Torino Don David and the 08 Trapiche Broquel.

The 1/5 match up between the two Trapiche wines was a well played game sure to go down as a classic. Far outmatched the 08 Oak Cask kept pace for most of the game with the 07 Icons. In the end the depth of flavor and aroma of the Icons proved to be too overwhelming. At just $9.99, the Trapiche Oak Cask is a solid wine worthy of many evening sips. Great work keeping pace with a wine 5x its price.

The 2/3 Match up pitted two well matched teams from different areas but of similar price points ($15). Michel Torino Don David (the favorite) started strong but in the end the subtle tannin and long finish of the Trapiche Broquel won out.

The Final

This 1/3 match up was extremely mis-matched in price points ($55 to $15) but very well matched in overall flavor, structure and intensity. While the Broquel fits in to the standard price point for a daily drinker, the Trapiche Icons dominated the boards with a consistent flavor, structure, balance, and finish that showed why it is deserving of the price point.

Overall Winner –07 Trapiche Icons Malbec (4/5)

Best Value – 09 Trapiche Varietals (3/5)

Solid – 08 Trapiche Broquel (3+/5)

Malbec becomes Argentina’s flagship red wine

 

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By Fred Tasker

ftasker@MiamiHerald.com

I wish to report, modestly, that I wrote a wine column in May 1997 that started like this:

“You read it here first: Malbec, given time, will be the finest wine to come from Argentina. It will put that country’s arid, isolated wine country on the world map.”

Today I submit that it has happened, in spades.

Malbec came to Miami first because of our cultural connections to South America. Today it’s all over the wine world, by far Argentina’s most popular export wine. And amazingly, you will find tasting notes here for two malbecs that still cost only $6 each.

What we’ve learned since 1997 is that malbec is malleable. It can be turned into a pretty good $6 wine – nothing you’d cellar for decades, but a rich, fruity, user-friendly everyday wine. And it can be turned into a $55 stunner that’s little short of majestic.

Centuries ago, malbec was a minor grape used along with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and cabernet in the blending of France’s vaunted Bordeaux reds. It was inky black and hard as nails in France’s maritime climate, and was used to add color and structure to the wines.

In Argentina, on the sunny eastern slopes of the Andes around Mendoza with their hot days and cold nights, high altitudes, near total lack of rainfall and poor soils, malbec was transformed. In a blind tasting, I would identify it as tasting just like those Brach’s candies: black cherries and dark chocolate, sweet, rich and creamy.

At Trapiche, Argentina’s biggest winery with 2,500 acres divided into dozens of vineyards under dozens of growers, all malbec winemaking is concentrated under a single winemaker, Daniel Pi.

Each year Trapiche chooses three of its top growers and bottles their wines exclusively for distribution. One of them this year is the “Icons” single-vineyard malbec by grower Adolfo Ahumada, from 3,000 feet up the Andes at Valle de Uco.

Another top winery, Michel Torino Estate, makes malbec with organic grapes, fertilizing with sheep manure (Aren’t you glad to know?), cutting weeds with machetes, adding less sulfur as a preservative in the final produce.

So enjoy. Just don’t tell the Argentines how good their wines are. I’m afraid they’ll jack up their prices.

Highly recommended

•  2010 Michel Torino Malbec, Cafayate Valley, Argentina: black cherry and dark chocolate flavors, full-bodied, big, ripe tannins; $13.

•  2007 Trapiche “Icons” Malbec Single Vineyard Vina Adolfo Ahumada, Mendoza, Argentina: aromas of cedar and smoke, concentrated mulberry and mocha flavors, big, ripe tannins, smooth, long finish; $55.

Recommended

•  2008 Trapiche Broquel Malbec, Mendoza: soft and rich, with flavors of black plums and mocha, ripe tannins, very smooth; $15.

•  2009 Falling Star Malbec, Cuyo, Argentina: soft, sweet and ripe, with black plum and cinnamon flavors; $6.

•  2010 Astica Malbec, Cuyo, Argentina: soft and sweet, with black cherry and milk chocolate flavors; $6.

•  2009 Trapiche Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina: black cherry and coffee flavors, big, ripe tannins, very smooth; $7.

•  2008 Michel Toreno Malbec “Don David” Malbec, Cafayate Valley, Argentina: hint of oak, flavors of black currants and coffee, with firm tannins; $16.

•  2010 Michel Torino Estate “Cuma” Malbec, Cafayate Valley, Argentina: flavors of black plums and prunes and cinnamon, rich and soft; $13.

•  2008 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina: hint of vanilla from oak aging, flavors of black cherries and black pepper, concentrated; $10.