2009 Tikal Patriota (60% Bonarda/40% Malbec), Argentina

My Crystal Balls Shows…Rich, dark purple that barely fades to violet at the rim

After a Sniff or Three…Blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, vanilla

The Taste Forecast is…I just about jumped up and down with glee when I saw this at my local Costco for 17 dollars this past week. Previously I’ve only been able to find this wine at Total Wine and at a price range that was a little above that at 20 dollars.  Needless to say I didn’t hesitate to place this in my cart; the resulting shopping trip was a nightmare because I was so impatient to get home and crack open this wine. We finally reached the house; I quickly unloaded the groceries, helped my wife put them away and then uncorked this bottle. Let me first say that this bottle could double as a deadly weapon. It’s heavy, made of thick glass, with considerable width at the base. I have read many articles that also comment on the cost of bottle and labels that wineries choose for their wines; this one is seems to be in a bottle that is of a higher quality than most other red wines I’ve tried. After this had decanted for a good 30 minutes I couldn’t help myself and finally swirled, sniffed and sipped. The aromas coming off this wine are complex but they are also very fleeting, you have to search to untangle the scents because they blend together so well. On the first sip my palate was absolutely overwhelmed with massive flavors of black fruit, dark berries and savory herbs and spices. I sipped down the rest of my glass and let the bottle get some air overnight before I returned to see if it had mellowed any. My second glass went nearly as my first did; the wine had mellowed slightly but not much. So this wine is just going to be a HUGE, DEEP red wine. The attack is complex, with bold strawberry and blackberry flavors that fold into creamy vanilla which melts into what I can only describe as peppery, oaky leather. These flavors dissipate like smoke leaving a slightly cracked window into a mid-palate of pitch perfect alcohol heat and tannic astringency. The mid-palate is so smooth on this wine that is almost makes me want to say bad things about the attack and the finish; while those are both complex and pleasant the mid-palate is so extremely balanced and smooth that it almost seems to be invisible. Yet when you spend a few sips experiencing just the mid-palate; you find it isn’t invisible it is merely so evenhanded and silky that it doesn’t seem to exist amongst the massive flavors of the attack and the finish. Speaking of the finish, it’s long and luxurious. It brings back the blackberry, oak and vanilla flavors; then adds to them grape skins, bittersweet chocolate, coffee and anise. There is no doubt in my mind or palate this wine is a full bodied wine. It pours dark and thick in the glass, evinces aromas that are blended but very dark and tastes just as warm, dark and heavy as you would expect from any full bodied red wine.

Overall, this wine is right up my alley; a big, bold red wine. Actually describing this is a big and bold is doing it an injustice. This wine is enormous in flavor, amazing in complexity, varied in texture and superbly priced. Had I paid 25 dollars for this bottle I would rate it a Good-to-Great QPR, at 17 dollars it’s as if I committed highway robbery and got away with it. Don’t misunderstand me; this wine will only satisfy a small portion of the population, those of you that like really LARGE tasting/feeling wines. If you fall into that category, as do I, you will love this wine and hopefully agree with my descriptions. As it stands I plan to return to this wine soon and frequently while Costco still carries it. I also plan to cellar at least 2 bottles of this wine; I think it will hold up well to cellaring for quite some time. I highly recommend this wine; buy this now!

Tikal Wines

2008 Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills H3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington

Harmonious hues…Very dark red (nearly black) with a ruby red rim

Sensationally scented…Black currant, blackberry, molasses, cedar

Quintessentially quaffs…Quite some time ago I went on a Columbia Crest kick and picked up just about every red wine with their label on it. At the time I could only find the H3 Merlot at my local Costco which was a wonderful wine and opened my eyes to what a decent 10 dollar Merlot should taste like. This recently showed up at my local supermarket and I just had to give it a taste. I will be honest and admit that I didn’t have a lot of preconceptions about this wine. I knew going in that this is a relatively inexpensive wine (though it is at the mid-to-high range as far as Columbia Crest is concerned). That it might not rate that high against other wines at the 10-12 dollar price range. But most of all I expected this to be a rather straightforward but big, oaky Cabernet Sauvignon that would be pleasantly drinkable with just about any hearty foods. I was right on that last point though I would rate this a little higher than wines in the same price range. That being said; the review…The attack is interesting, layered and more complex than I would expect from a wine that only cost me 10 dollars. There are the obligatory blackberry and currant flavors, “sweeter” than I had expected but they are mixed with warm oak and minimal licorice flavors. Normally this mix would be a little cloying but the mid-palate comes on with a healthy dose of alcohol warmth and rather robust tannins that tone down the fruit and wood flavors of the attack. The mid-palate doesn’t last long; it soon fades into a medium length finish that again brings to mind blackberry and oak, and then adds raisin, plum, vanilla, tobacco and brown sugar. This makes for a pleasantly warm, full bodied wine with a medium finish and an aftertaste of grape skins, vanilla and tobacco. Honestly this wine has more going for it than I had given it credit for.

Overall, this is a good QPR. I want to rate this higher than good, but it’s not great it just doesn’t show the depth that a wine should show for it to be rated that high even when considering Quality-to-Price ratio. It is certainly a more complex red wine for the price; you won’t find many wines that are this layered for less than 15 dollars. But it’s also a pretty big, robust red; so you also won’t find a lot of people seeking out this wine. Those of you that enjoy these types of reds already have your favorites (though this should be considered if you are still looking or just want to try something new). I’d be interested to see how “wine snobs” would rate this if they came over for dinner and you served them the wine without telling them what it was. I would hazard a guess they would guess this was a 15 dollar Argentinean Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec or a 20 dollar California Zinfandel. But they’d probably enjoy the wine in and of itself. I recommend at least giving this a try if not keeping it in your cellar at all times.

Columbia Crest Winery