2007 Bodega Flechas de los Andes Gran Malbec, Argentina

Color - Purple

Nose - Blueberry, spice, chocolate

Taste - This is quite dry and nicely fruity and very dense. I would suggest decanting this or letting it sit in your glass for at least 30 minutes before drinking. I like it without decanting, but it is very rich and dense without it. It's not bad. Some people will deride it for being as intense as it is and I think it's closer to a Cabernet Sauvignon or close to the Munoz de Toro Argie Bonarda I've previously reviewed. It's medium-to-full bodied with a long finish. There's a slight bite from the alcohol and a decent level of astringency though it's just on the brink of being too much. It has a rich, full mouthfeel and a lot of the alcohol hits on the end of the palate right before the finish. The aftertaste is clean and grassy. There's a hint of vanilla on the finish but it's very subtle. I missed it on the first few sips. This is a great wine to pair with spicy Mexican dishes. The fruit really jumps to the surface and the wine is big and robust alongside the heat of the chili peppers.

Overall, this is the type of wine that I absolutely love to drink. Big, bold maybe just a little overbearing and rich, but full of flavor. For 11 dollars this is a great example of really good QPR (Quality to Price Ratio). The Wine Advocate gave this particular wine 92 points. I'd agree with those numbers, buy it now!

A Tale of Two Cabs

A little change of pace, I figure I'll review two Cabernet Sauvignon's and we'll see how things pan out. Without further ado, on to the wines.

1. 2008 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

Color - Dark Red

Nose - Blackberries, Black Cherry, Currant, Vanilla

Taste - I get a healthy does of blackberries minus the tartness, and a lovely quick drying of my mouth and gums. This is a very young, tannic, astringent wine. Not particularly dry and it isn't very complex either. I wouldn't call this a "simple" wine just rather young. It has a TON of potential, and is my current Cabernet from Trader Joe's. There aren't many layers to this wine right now, but I bet if you cellar a few bottles for a few years you'd find that changes rather quickly. Though the wine has heat and tannic acid, neither overpower the wine. Mostly this is an early wine that's rather plain and subdued but is packed with the potential to be amazing.

Overall, the wine has a decent texture and mouthfeel, though it's only medium-bodied for a Cab. It has a medium-to-long finish and astringency that is more compelling than it's flavors. I'd say this is very nice for the price and for as young as this is it has a lot of character and a flavor that won't disappoint. Pick it up as a stand by when you run low on the good stuff or if you need a cheaper wine for a big shindig.

Santa Rita Wines

2. 2008 Montes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

Color - Garnet Red

Nose - Cherry, wood smoke

Taste - This wine is pretty dry, and fairly fruity when paired with strong flavored food. There is aquie a lot of bite from the alcohol, it's not overwhelming just a lot of bite. By itself it just really loses its complexity and ends up rather boring for a Cabernet Sauvignon. It's an ok wine at the sub 10 dollar ranger. It lacks a lot of depth but it finishes well with a clean feeling. The tannins are a little elusive, one sip they are very present and the next they are invisible. I think the wine is good for the price, but to be honest there are others that are just as good for a similar price(Redwood Creek for a few bucks less, Santa Rita 120 for about the same price, and Crios for just a few dollars more). It's hard t pin down this wine mostly because the alcohol bite takes a lot from the wine.

Overall, there is the potential for this wine to be spectacular. There's a lot going on under the surface, the heat masks a lot of the flavors. There is a little bitter hint towards the end of the finish that I find slightly off-putting but not enough to discount this wine. It' would benefit from a decent aeration and decanting to lessen the alcohol and bring out the flavors. Good, not great, enough to give it a try at this price point.

Montes Wines

2008 Santa Alicia Carmenere Reserve, Chile

Color - Garnet Red

Nose - Blackberry, green bell pepper, leaves, coffee

Taste - This wine is dry with a nice burst of blackberry that fades to something herbaceous, I just can't pin down the particulars. Given the right food the very subtle tannins come to life coating my mouth in somewhat warm, creamed coffee feeling and slight taste. I went out on a limb and had this with three different dishes.

1. Six-Cheese Pizza - The wine is fruity with a nice bite. The herbaceous notes in the nose don't come through. There are definite spice hints almost like black pepper and maybe very minimal clove touches.

2. Sushi - I know wine and sushi don't mix, especially red win, but it wasn't bad. It fared best when the sushi had been given a dip in wasabi, then the heat and spice of the wine complemented the wasabi but the fruits also pull forward making this wine almost seem sweet.

3. Pesto-Alfredo Cheese Ravioli with Shrimp - There are wondrous creamy tannins and lovely herbaceous flavors of grass and green bell pepper. The wine has adopted a decent mouthfeel, still medium-bodied and somewhat tart, it still warms the tongue. It reminds me of a few rather spicy Cabernet Sauvignon's I've had, but not as full-bodied.

Overall, this is medium-bodied with a long finish. it's also quite good without food, which I didn't expect. Hands down, this is the best Carmenere I've tasted so far. It's complex and inviting. I would reach for this when I wanted something lighter than a Cab and not as sweet as a Malbec. It has an exceptional QPR right now since it's on sale at Cost Plus World Market for 7.99. On a side note, The Wine Advocate rates this wine 90 points, and I would highly agree if I used a point system, since I don't I will rate it like this...Go buy some now, and if you have the money buy a whole case, you won't be disappointed.

Santa Alicia Winery

Wine, the Journey So Far pt. 1

Nearly a month into writing this blog and several bottles of wine down. The verdict is mostly mixed on my choices amongst those bottles, a few really good ones, a few terrible ones and most of the other fall right in the middle as being average for their price. More than rating the bottles I have consumed, I have learned a few things too. This post will endeavor to explain one of those lessons I've learned.

This newest revelation in my wine journey came the other day when I was struggling to describe the aroma and corresponding flavor of a Cabernet Sauvignon. I know I'd smelled it before, and tasted it as well. It's often present in the wines that I truly find captivating, but I don't have a lot of reference points on actual scent categories. I've smelled and tasted raspberries, blackberries, black cherries, cherries, plums, raisins, vanilla, licorice, tobacco, leather and strawberries, but I have never tasted or smelled black or red currants, I don't remember what cedar smells like, the last time I tasted pencil shavings was in grade school and I've never had the pleasure of tasting truffles. All of those are ways to describe aroma and taste combinations of the wines that I like. So in searching for the particular reference point for what I was tasting and smelling in this particularly good glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, I sought out my smart, beautiful wife and opined my lack of descriptive knowledge. She smiled at me and asked a couple questions, then reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a container of black currant preserves. And I suddenly had the description I was looking for. I’d used this same bottle of preserves as a reference for an aroma before, but I hadn’t really let my nose REALLY sample the scent. Sure enough when I compared the wine and the preserves they were very close, nearly exact, but of course no exactly the same.
So now I know one of the flavors/scents that I’ve found in wines that I really love. Black Currants. I am also a big fan of vanilla and licorice smells in my wine bouquet. And frequently seek out wines with either of those listed on the wine’s tasting notes. I like the mouthfeel of my wine to be full-bodied, warm and smooth, with a decent amount of tannins with a slight buttery taste and texture. There aren’t a lot of wines out there that have these characteristics; I haven’t found any below 10 dollars. But I will say this list is what I like in a Cabernet Sauvignon which doesn’t/can’t apply to a Carmenere, Malbec or Bonarda. I am still developing my profile for those varietals. Hopefully, it won’t take too long to gather the information on those wines so I can share it with you.
I can officially say that finding out this information has made me more perceptive but also more picky. I tried a few “cheaper” (under 10 dollars) wines this past week. Only one of them piqued my interest, and it was a decidedly cheap 90 point Carmenere. For the most part I have found that wines under 10 dollars don’t have the depth or complexity to really keep me interested. That’s not to say I won’t drink them, I will, I just don’t enjoy them as much. But I will go more in depth on the difference between a 7 dollar bottle of wine and a 15 dollar bottle of wine. Double the price, is it double the pleasure? That’s what’s coming in the next installment of, Wine, the Journey So Far.
Hopefully the explanation of my “palate profile” for Cabernet Sauvignon helped you understand my reviewing of that varietal. I also hope that it helped you to think about your own “palate profile” for any wine you might be drinking. Getting to know what your mouth and nose like where wine is concerned is a more time consuming and arduous task than getting to know what your mouth and nose like where food is concerned. Take your time. Sample as many wines as you can afford to. Go to your local wine shops or the closest Cost Plus World Market and try one of their free wine tastings. Talk to one of the wine experts at the aforementioned retailers. Any and all of these activities will increase your awareness. But most of all you need to trust your own instincts, tastes and preferences. If you don’t like red, don’t try to force yourself into liking red wines. The same goes for white or a particular varietal or flavor. Ultimately wine should be consumed for your pleasure and forcing yourself to drink something you don’t like isn’t my definition of pleasure. So find wines that give you those wonderful feelings. The same ones you get when you eat a great meal, take a nice vacation, or experience your favorite dessert. Wine is decadence. Wine is experiencing life to its fullest. To quote Hemingway, “Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.” Go and drink to the perfection of wine.

Two wines you should go out and buy right now.

It's late and I don't have a review ready to share with you tonight. So in lieu of that I will share two wines that I tasted this week and both of them are quite good. I spent some time at my local Costco this past Sunday and perused the wine section. Yes I spent a little time peaking in their wood crates of "snobby" wine, but opted on two bottles that were stacked amongst the "cheap" stuff. Here they are in no particular order.

1. 2009 Crios de Susana Balbo Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina

This is not strictly a Cabernet Sauvignon. It is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon/5% Malbec and the blend is utter perfection. My mouth was intensely satisfied with this rich, warm Cabernet. It was full of lush fruits and warm spices. It coated my mouth like silk and left a long satisfying finish with hints of vanilla, licorice, tobacco and leather as the wine faded with time. The full-bodied wine that has a smooth, buttery mouthfeel was so pleasing I didn't want to swallow after I took a sip, and I am having a hard time as I near the end of the bottle because I'm already going into withdrawals. I will have to buy more of this soon, and you need to pick some up too.

2. 2007 Flechas de los Andes Gran Malbec, Argentina

This is not nearly the same as the above wine even though the Crios has a little Malbec in it, it exudes perfect Cabernet tendencies while this wine shows off what makes Malbec truly wonderful. It's fruity, but not a fruit bomb. It's subtle with the hints of plum, cherry, and raspberry. It transitions well in my mouth from fruit to complex flavors of pepper and chocolate. This wine went perfect with some spicy Mexican food I paired it with, and my last two glasses went perfect with nothing at all, a true testament of the wine's fantastic depth and character.


Both of these great wines can be picked up at Costco right now for under 15 dollars per bottle. The Crios was rated 90 points by the Wine Advocate, and the Flecha de los Andes was rated 92 points by the Wine Advocate. If I used 100 point systems I'd say that's about right, though I like the Crios better. Either way the QPR(Quality to Price Ratio) is off the charts here. Amazing quality for such a low price. Get them before they sell out!

2008 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Color - Purple (nearly black) with a ruby rim

Nose - Black Currant, blackberry, black cherry, perhaps leather

Taste - My first impression is how well balanced this wine is, as well as the remarkable depth of this wine. There is a nice rich dark fruit wash over the tongue with some creamy spice (vanilla in my opinion). The tannins are round and warm, just the perfect match for my preference. There is the presence of heat from the alcohol with a mild bite, but nothing overpowering just subtle reminders that this is wine and not juice. When consumed without food the wine has a tendency to seem too fruit forward to me. Without food I couldn't drink more than one glass of this wine in one sitting. It is good, but it is very rich and full-bodied. For all of that it isn't too overwhelming in the flavor department, it is complex to a certain degree, especially for the price. But it doesn't make your head spin trying to decipher the flavor profiles. It has enough depth and complexity to keep me interested. It is rather dry with a wonderful herbaceous finish that is rather long. On a side note, I am detecting coconut hints starting in the mid-palate and running into the aftertaste.

Overall, quite good all around wine. It's good by itself (though it's rich) better with a meal to match the wine's richness. I wouldn't drink lots of it, though I could drink a glass every night and be happy. Regardless I'd be happy and my taste buds would be satisfied when I did drink it. It's good, no great, even though it's rich and fruity and sometimes too big for it's britches. You can find Cab's cheaper but I challenge you to find one at a lower price that is this balanced, complex and has such a great depth of flavor and character. Pick up several bottles and keep them cellared for special occasions or just days when you want a really good wine but don't want to break the bank, this one's worth every penny.

Courtney Benham Wines

2008 Notro Sangiovese/Bonarda, Argentina

Color - Plum color with a reddish-pink rim

Nose - Raspberry, strawberry

Taste - This is a fruit forward wine, but not a fruit bomb of a wine. The fruits seem to be lurking under the surface of very smooth flavors hints of leather and tobacco that most likely come from the Bonarda. I expected sweetness in this wine due to the Sangiovese, and it's there just not in the overwhelming way I imagined. It lacks the creamy complexity I've found in other Bonardas, but it does have hints of the tannins, acidity and flavor complexity of Bonardas to offset the sweet fruit of the Sangiovese. This wine is light-to-medium bodied with a medium finish. Others might complain about the acidity and sweetness of this wine, but it makes a perfect compliment to pizza or spaghetti. In fact this is the most well rounded example of a Chianti alternative I've found. Nothing about this wine is complex or amazing, but nothing about this wine is offensive or particularly disappointing. This is a solid wine, put it on the table as your "house" red wine.

Overall, this is my new favorite red blend/table wine. It's not what I'd expect from a Sangiovese (not sweet enough) or a Bonarda (not complex enough), but it's still good in and of itself. Great with pizza, sausage, burgers or just about any pasta. At 4.99 a bottle at Cost Plus World Market but a case or two and make it your everyday wine. It won't disappoint.