“Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the
storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and
the gate of pleasant folly.” …. W.E.P.
French
(From the wine list of Commander's Palace in New Orleans, LA
(From the wine list of Commander's Palace in New Orleans, LA
I just enjoyed tasting Rutini’s “Encuentro” 2011
Malbec when a friend announced herself and I subsequently opened Rutini’s 2012
Trumpeter Malbec. (For more on Rutini’s history and their “Encuentro” wine, see
previous post:
In
the glass, Trumpetor is dark purple and offers a nose of sour cherry jam with
allspice. With air and a little time, this evolved to blackberry and cherry
salsa without the heat. Taste was
certainly not peppery or presented with any alcohol burn on the back palate. In fact, the wine was fruit forward with
blackberry, plum and hints of pencil shavings and bacon fat. As its higher
priced (but still bargain respecting cousin “Encuentro”), Trumpetor is silky
and lush in the mouth due to 100% malolactic fermentation. Grapes are 100% estate grown and
hand-harvested from Rutini’s Tupungato vineyard in the Uco Valley in Mendoza
(Argentina). The wine is 100% Malbec.
With
each wine I taste and write about, I’m reminded of Pliny the Elder’s quote:
“The best wine is that which tastes good to thine own palate.” If “chewy” Cabernet Sauvignons or
moisture-sucking Petite Sirahs are your style, you might not be enamored by
this style of Malbec. Rutini’s
“Encuentro” Malbec might be more to your liking, though that too is “new world”
in style albeit less fruity.
And
with each wine I taste and write about, I better appreciate that the
world is
bigger than me. I was reminded of that
again when my friend said she preferred the “Trumpeter.” She enjoyed its softer, fruit-forward profile
and simply that it was easy drinking and enjoyable. Apparently, she has lots of company. Rutini’s
Trumpeter has been Argentina’s “Best Buy” for over 15 years. With a suggested
retail price of under $11, even I can appreciate that.
My instincts tell me that
this is a crowd pleaser in a mixed group getting together for good times.
Salud!
…………….. Jim
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TECH SPECS:
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Vineyard: Tupungato, Mendoza
Malo: 100%
Oak: 30% new American
30% new French
40% 2nd and 3rd
yr American
Aging 7 months as per above
Alc: 13.5%
Wine Maker: Mariano Di Paola
Imported By: Rutini Wines, Bridgeport PA
·
Sample provided
by publicist for review.
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