2007 Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón Malbec Don Miguel Gascón

Grabbed this as it was our last bottle of the night, and at that point the palates wouldn’t appreciate anything fantastic anyway. Over the years, we have burned through case after case of this wine, and it just makes for a good “house wine,” especially at $10! Same dark purple color in the glass, and a light nose with some black cherry and hints of other black and blue fruits. Hints of plum round out the nose, with subtle hints of mocha as well. On the palate, this wine lacked a bit of acidity, and the tannins were smooth. The fruit was all over the palate, with more dark berry and plum dominating, with subtle hints of other dark fruits. Smooth finish and integrated tannins make this wine very easy to drink. Nice QPR for guests, and pairs well with a wide range of food. Drink now or hold for the short term. 85 points! Cheers!

2006 Tobin James Malbec

Popped and poured at Delorenzo's in Robbinsville, NJ tonight. You would never in a million years guess taht this is a Malbec if tasting it blind in the first 15 minutes this wine was in the glass. Nice color in the glass, but wasn't as dark as your typical Malbec. On the nose, nice hints of dark fruits, cinammon, and nutmeg. Great feel on the palate with nice hints of spice and clove, along with some nice dark fruits once again. Nice finish, and a great wine. This is a lot different from South American Malbec in my opinion, but leave it to Tobin James to take it over the top. What a joyous wine to drink! Only wish we had more. More notes to come when I get a chance. 88 points. Cheers!

2005 Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery Secolo

This was a recommendation on one of our friends at Canal's in Lawrenceville. Toni has never given us a bad recommendation, and we always look forward to what she has to offer. When popped an poured, had I been blind folded, I would have sworn that from the nose and by taste that this was a Zinfandel. But as the wine opened up, it became more and more obvious that the blend had some cabernet and merlot. Once you know it's in there, the malbec is also a stand out.

The nose was overwhelmed by black cherry and plum, with a cedar-y hint of cigar box and some plum. Upon getting the bottle home to finish it, I could also smell some gingerbread and maybe a hint of cinnamon/anise. The palate had some blackberry and black cherry, but that is all that really stood out to me, however, I could taste some plum on the short, but pleasant finish.

All in all, a very solid wine, however, I do think tha if I were going for a wine of this style, that I would opt for a Stefania Haut Tubee or a Bogle Phanton. Sure, neither of these wines would be considered identical to this wine, but I think either would be a welcome substitution. Regardless, this paired nice with a tomato pie from Delorenzo's Robbinsville, and is worthy of 86 points. Cheers!

2007 Don Miguel Gascon Malbec

As much as I hate to say it, can a $9 wine really be our official red of summer "on the bistro." It sure looks like it, as there is nothing else that we drank more of in the red category. WOW! Great guest wine and great daily drinker. Cheers

2007 Don Miguel Gascon Malbec

At less than $10, this is a hell of a QPR. Very inky and dark purple in the glass. Absolutely great color for a wine at this price range. Tons of dark fruits on the nose...plum, black cherry, and blackberry, with a weird hint of Goodyear Tire? Goodyear Tire? What the heck? On the palate, a lot of the same minus the rubber...dark plums, black cherry, chocolate, earth, and creamy vanilla...maybe from the barrel, but who knows for sure. This wine would definitely benefit from decanting as it is young, but for the money, this is a hell of a wine, and I look forward to many more. 88 points. Cheers!