Catena Malbec

100% Malbec
$17-$25 for the 2006 on Wine-searcher. $15-$20 for the 2007.
Good Value

I tasted this wine at a restaurant that did not label the year, so I don’t know it exactly, but it should be either the 2006 or 2007.

Nice, dark, ruby color. Apparently on the older side, since it has so many purplish reflections.

Strong floral and especially oaky aroma.

Goes down very smoothly. Bitterness doesn’t hit at once, but rather is picked up by the palate as you savor the wine. The tannins are rather soft, giving a soft, smooth oakiness to the wine, especially in the finish. The wine causes a nice puckering feel. It is a bit too intense and somewhat one-dimensional, but it is good nonetheless, especially at this price.

8.8/10. 9/10 for value. Good price for a good Malbec.
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DV Catena Syrah
100% Syrah
Not available on Wine-searcher.

I wasn’t able to get the year for this wine, but it should be relatively new, i.e. a 2007 or 2008.

Nice color for a relatively cheap wine. Almost completely black.

Great aroma of black fruits and pepper.

Taste is a little one-dimensional. Nice, strong, cherry, bittersweet tannin taste. Pleasant, though not the best. Has a light finish. Light body too. Great aftertaste. A bit spicy at end, adding some complexity. Overall though, a bit too bitter and too unstructured.

8.5/10. Not bad for a cheap, ordinary drink.
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Ángelica Zapata Chardonnay 2004
100% Chardonnay
Not available on Wine-searcher.

Beautiful color, with golden tints. Nice, greenish tints.

What an aroma! Sweet plums and cherries, very deceptively fruity. It has the typical Chardonnay freshness and fruitiness to it.

The taste is very soft and smooth. It has just a tad of spiciness. It’s so easy to drink that it’s like water, but with a bit of citrus and tang to it. Very light as well. The fruitiness complements the lightness of the wine very well. There are also some hints of fresh plums, cherries, and lemons, giving the wine a lot of complexity, which is something I haven’t seen too much in Argentine whites.

9.0/10, though its value isn’t too great by Argentine standards.