Trapiche (Oak Cask) Malbec 2009

Wine Facts for Trapiche Malbec
Grape Varietal: Malbec
Vintage: 2009
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
Producer: Bodegas Trapiche
Price: $11.99
Place of Purchase: Martin's Food Store, Harrisonburg, VA

Additional facts: Malbecs are one of our favorite varietals, so I was happy when Adam picked this wine up as a surprise. The grape varietal was originally known as one of the six grapes used to blend French Bordeaux wines (the others are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Carménère), but it has recently become heavily (and well!) produced in Argentina. As a result, Malbec wines are becoming valued for their grape varietal rather than just for their ability to mix and blend well. Malbecs can also be fairly cost efficient, so pick one up!

Characteristics of Trapiche Malbec
Appearance: deep plum with a reddish rim when the glass becomes more shallow
Bouquet: outstanding; blackberry/plum-type of deep ripeness with a hint of darker, more deliciously hidden intrigue

Adam's Overall Thoughts:
A very, very smooth offering from Argentina. We had this with pizza, but I think any tomato-based meal would pair excellently with it. Beyond that, it's an incredibly great wine to sip on. There's a touch of sweetness in the tannins of the wine, but they're not overpowering. The bouquet is a perfect introduction to the wine and the taste is even better. This makes me want to book a trip to Mendoza as soon as possible.

Cathy's Overall Thoughts:
I loved the bouquet of this wine. Although I couldn't describe it exactly (see above), it does draw the sniffer in with a dark, exotic mystery. You can smell the fruit but you want the wine. Does that make sense? As for the taste, some dark reds (and even Malbecs), can have a slight bitterness to it. I'm not sure that it was the oak cask, but this Malbec didn't have any bitter flavor, even at the end.  :)  Instead, I tasted sharp fruits (cherry) and deep fruits (plum, blackberry) immediately; the wine then melded into a softer version of these fruits before leaving a very slight dryness in the mouth. So, fruity loveliness evolving into a ravishing desire for more even wine. Sounds hard to beat, right? Enjoy!
On my scale, it's a 9.89.

We paired with: pizza, wings, and just sipping
We recommend this with: just about anything; sipping during a rainstorm while watching tv/reading would be pretty grand!

Cheers!