Red fruits and green peppers show on the nose. On the palate, the small percentage of Pinotage shows in the mix, with green pepper and rubber cutting through red and black fruits. Tobacco and cranberry come through on the mid-palate. This is an interesting wine for somebody curious about South
Rick black fruit flavors, plus fig paste and chocolate, waft up from the glass. Blackberries, dried fig, and chocolate lay in a bed of soft tannins. Balance is marvelous, with enough acid to keep the fruit from getting cloying. The blackberry and fig linger forever. This is a marvelous glass
Aromas of dark chocolate covered cherries and freshly-ground espresso explode from the glass. Black fruit leads on the palate, blackberry and black raspberry, with sweeter cherry making an appearance on the mid-palate. Leafy herbs, coffee, and unsweetened chocolate run through the fruit. Tannins are rigid in this still-young wine. This
The color is absolutely lovely, a true pink, with amazing clarity. The nose is soft, with fresh strawberries and florals. On the palate, it is full-bodied and fruity, ripe with sweet strawberries and tart cranberry. The finish adds a zing of citrus. This is a terrific value and a very
The nose is lovely, sending up aromas of blueberry pie and coffee. On the palate, the wine takes a minute, starting flat and then showing more subtle dark fruit flavors, blueberry and boysenberry, with some cherry on the mid-palate. Coffee follows from the nose, with some milk chocolate, too. This
Trigger warning: This story will praise Merlot. Is Malbec actually the grape Argentina does best? And what are the best wines to drink from Argentina? The answer to the first question, for those buying $10 or $15 wines, is probably "yes." Malbec seems to be more forgiving of industrial-scale production
The color is a very deep garnet, almost black in the center. The nose smells like black fruit and blueberry baked in a pie. Black currant, blueberries, and tart raspberry pair with pastry and plenty of vanilla on the palate. The wood comes through strong. A bit of tobacco leaf
Huge but surprisingly sophisticated and light on its feet, this Sonoma County Malbec opens with a fist but finishes with a caress. The color is intensely dark, almost black. The nose is huge, with plum, black currant, toast, vanilla, and spices. Every day of the 18 months in French oak,