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Wine of the Week, September 21, 2014

ALTOS LAS HORMIGAS MALBEC 2013
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA


By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"


Another very satisfying Malbec from - where else but - Mendoza, Argentina, where the Malbec grape has found its true home. Located in the eastern foothills of the Andes, the geography there is similar to Columbia Valley in Washington State: a semi-desert climate (very hot daytime, very cool nights), with abundant run-off water from a mountain range: the Cascades in Washington, the Andes in Argentina. I venture to say - although I suspect that I would be vehemently contradicted by the people of Mendozza - that the Malbec grape would do equally well in Columbia Valley. Both settings enable red grapes to grow to their fullest potential, resulting in lush wines. This Altos Las Hormigas Malbec is deeply purple in color, has a concentrated, fruit-forward character, exhibiting aromas and flavors of smoky cherries, raspberry, plum, a touch of spice, with hints of vanilla and chocolate, and with smooth tannins.

Wine of the Week September 14, 2014

KING ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2012
OREGON


By: Ed "The Wine Guy"


A great Pinot Gris! I dare to say that it, along with the Pinot Gris of Alsace, France, is the standard, the benchmark, of this type of wine. Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio is made from the same white wine grape. Both wines are dry; the difference between the two is a difference of style: Pinot Gris has a creamy, oily texture, resulting in a fuller mouth-feel; Pinot Grigio is light-bodied, crisp, and refreshingly acidic. Please confer my Wine of the Week (9/8/2013) for a description of how these qualities are achieved. King Estate Winery is credited with bringing the Pinot Gris varietal into national consciousness in the United States. The 2012 vintage exhibits aromas and flavors of green apple, citrus, honeysuckle, peach, pear, and melon - the more sophisticated and sensitive your wine palate is, the more aromas and flavors it will detect - all ending in a long smooth finish.

Wine of the Week, September 07, 2014

MARTA'S VINEYARD 2011 RESERVE  MALBEC
                       MENDOZZA, ARGENTINA


By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"


The Malbec grape originated in France, as most grape varietals did. For this, we owe France a huge debt of gratitude. In France it was, and still is, a blending grape in the region of Bordeaux. Over the years, other countries have taken the original varietals from France and produced quite a different taste than was possible or even desirable in France: Cabernet Sauvignon in California; Merlot in Columbia Valley, Washington State; Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand; Malbec in Argentina, to name just a few. The difference of taste is due to terroir: the environmental conditions, especially soil and climate, in which grapes are grown and that give a wine its unique flavor and aroma. Malbec found a home in the Mendoza region of Argentina (the USA cultivates 3, 400 acres of Malbec; Argentina 76, 700). It is in Argentina that it reaches its full potential. As all good Malbecs have, Marta's Vineyard Reserve 2011 has bold flavors and richness, exhibiting aromas and flavors of blackberry, plum, and black cherry, with hints of chocolate, leather, spice, and smoke.