La Posta Cocina Tinto 2010

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

The name is translated into kitchen red, but there’s some elegance of fine winemaking at work with this wine from Argentina.

Sourced from growers in the Mendoza region in the west-central part of the country, the wine is a blend of malbec (60 percent), syrah (20 percent) and bonarda (20 percent). It is aged for a year in a combination of French and American oak.

From the nose to the tongue, there’s much to savor in this wine with aromas of licorice, leather, cedar and spices, plus fruit and spice flavors. The big tannins are nicely balanced.

Sherry: “Notes of leather with flavors of strawberry, dried plum, light licorice and vanilla on the finish.” (3-1/2 stars)

Chris: “Licorice and cedar notes with flavors of cherry, blueberry and plum.” (3-1/2 stars)

Available locally for about $12 to $15.

Coming next week: Caves Velhas Catedral Dao

Crios Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

By Chris and Sherry Hardie
Argentine winemaker Susana Balbo has named this wine after her two crios, or children, represented by the handprints on the label. It's an expression that the wine isn't as grown up as her Signature label.
But there's nothing immature about this wine, an unfiltered cabernet blended with a 5 percent splash of malbec, grown in high-altitude vineyards in the Mendoza region. The wine spends five months in a combination of American and French oak barrels before bottling.
Whiffs of leather and tobacco give way to plum and fruit flavors with very smooth tannins. We look forward to tasting this wine when it grows up.
Sherry: "Medium dry with black cherry and leather." 3-1/2 stars
Chris: "Flavors of raspberry, plum and a hint of chocolate on the back end." 3-1/2 stars
Available locally for about $12.
Coming next week: Elmaro West Prairie White

Trivento Amado Sur Malbec 2008

By Chris and Sherry Hardie

Finding a wine with the heft to stand up to grilled red meat or barbecue ribs is an enjoyable summertime challenge. This red blend from Argentina fits the bill.

The name translates to "Three Winds of the Beloved South" and refers to the seasonal winds that blow through the Mendoza region of the Andes Mountains. The high-altitude viticulture region gets limited rain and is irrigated by mountain snowmelt.

Primarily malbec (73 percent), with some bonarda and syrah, this is a fruit-forward wine that displays many aromas and flavors before finishing with a surprisingly dry, lingering finish that leaves dusty tannins clinging to your inner cheeks.

Sherry: "Smooth flavor of strawberry with floral and licorice notes." 3-1/2 stars

Chris: "Raspberry, cherry and cinnamon with a licorice bouquet." 3-stars

Available locally for about $15.

Coming next week: Frei Brothers Reserve Chardonnay