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The wines of Argentina and Chile are the featured fare of February’s release. It is hard to pick a winner; some were good, but many had high extraction that overpowered any complexity they might have had.

Plenty of notes, so please read on.

17061 NORTON MALBEC RESERVA 2004, Mendoza $17.75
A sweet and creamy wine, offering plenty of blueberry, coffee and sweet oak flavours. Oak makes itself known on the mid palate and its presence is a bit too much for me. Find this wine
 

003525 CHAKANA BONARDA 2005, Mendoza $11.75
My first tasting of Bonarda, a grape grown in Argentina, that folks believe to be Charbono, a variety transported from Italy centuries ago. It shows fleshy blueberry and currant notes, a touch of earthiness and lively acidity. The finish is chalky and fruit forward. I think it is worth trying at this price. Find this wine

017202 TRAPICHE BROQUEL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004, Mendoza $14.75
There is plenty of plum, black cherry and blueberry notes along with some dusty chocolate and spice. It is a trifle fat on the palate, quite tannic, but it does show potential to open up in a decanter. Find this wine

W656363 EINERT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2000, Mendoza $15.75
My first impressions are coal dust, flat cola and compost. It shows a layer of blueberry and plum flavours that lurk beneath the surface. The finish is somewhat green, showing notes of bell pepper and dried fruit. It is pleasant, but way past its best. Find this wine

928283 FINCA EL RETIRO SYRAH 2004, Mendoza, Tittarelli $12.75
Again I get a waft of sweet blueberry fruit along with slate, mineral, asphalt and Asian spice. It is a touch sweet; it has a creamy texture and shows dusty tannin on the finish. Find this wine

507707 FINCA FLICHMAN EXPRESIONES RESERVE 2005, Malbec – Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza $15.75
A disappointing wine from a producer whose wines I usually enjoy. It has pretty, but light, aromas of raspberry and plum. The palate is well balanced, showing off clean fruit, but the finish disappears too quickly. Find this wine

478727 CATENA MALBEC 2005 Mendoza $19.75
A highly extracted fruit-dominated wine with a touch of cocoa powder, vanilla, tobacco leaf and cappuccino. The palate is full, a little low in the acidity level, and the dull finish needs a boost. Find this wine

016097 AMANCAYA GRAN RESERVA MALBEC/CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004, MENDOZA $20.75
Although the nose is tight, it teases by releasing doses of coffee, cocoa, plum, blackcurrant, coal dust and black cherry. The palate is surprising, as I expect a powerhouse of a wine, but instead, it has a lovely silky texture and excellent balance. Even though it shows no aggressive tannin, I think this has the potential to age well for several years to come. Find this wine

275594 SANTA RITA MEDALLA REAL CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2003 Maipo Valley $19.75
Hmmm, a 100% Cabernet that throws out aromas of cassis, toffee, plum, damson, leather and wet horse fur. The mid palate is solid, a bit heavy on the cassis, and the acids do their job nicely. Dark blackberry fruit arrives on the second sip along with some peppery spice and cherry. It is a little hot with a hint of mint on the finish. Find this wine

562892 CONCHA Y TORO TERRUNYO CARMENÈRE 2004 BLOCK 27, PEUMO VINEYARD, PEUMO CACHAPOAL VALLEY $29.75
Even though this wine is also fruit laden, it really shows a layer of complexity that few of the wines I have tasted so far contain. Beneath the mix of blackberry, creamy cassis and raspberry fruit sit layers of gamey bacon, dried porcini, potato peel, geranium and dark bitter chocolate. It is tightly wound, but very focused. The finish is fruit laden, creamy and tannic. I want to taste this baby in two or three years as I imagine it is going to be a dandy. Find this wine

016071 MONTES LIMITED SELECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON/CARMENÈRE 2005 APALTA VALLEY, COLCHAGUA VALLEY $14.75
Lots of dried mint, cedar, allspice, plum and red currant aromas. The palate is a little fat, slightly tannic, but shows plenty of fruit and mineral. The finish has a good core of fruit and dusty tannins. For me, it needs just a touch more acid to render it vibrant. Find this wine

009050 SINCERITY MERLOT – CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2004 ORGANICALLY GROWN, COLCHAGUA VALLEY (VIÑEDOS ORGANICOS EMILIANA) $20.75
If one can get past the aromas of murky dank pool water, wet fur and horse crap, one will find a palate full of sweet, but one-dimensional fruit. The tannins are soft and the wine, other than the nose, is drinkable. Find this wine

957050 TERRANOBLE RESERVA CARMERNÈRE 2004 MAULE VALLEY $13.75
A tight nose showing trace amounts of leather, cured meat and black pepper. The palate has flavours of bacon, cherry, black raspberry fruit and a layer of black spicy pepper that outdoes everything else on the finish. It is not bad, but a wine that clearly will show better with foods - a burger grilled over wood might be appropriate. Find this wine

954867 GRANT BURGE HILLCOT MERLOT 2004 BAROSSA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA $19.75
Loads of jam, very fruit forward, but quite well balanced. It coats my tongue with a silky layer of blackberry fruit and vanilla. I am not normally a fan of Ozzie Merlot, but here I could make an acceptation. Find this wine

009027 SHERWOOD ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2004 MARLBOROUGH, SOUTH ISLAND NZ $18.75
There is a strange odour of stale cigar box and cedar yet a nice layer of fruit runs across the palate. It is light and borders towards the elegant style of Pinot. A gentle finish of red fruit and plummy acidity. Find this wine

580548 CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT 2003 HAUT-MÉDOC $21.75
Here is a good example of a fine Bordeaux at a reasonable price. It has a great nose of pencil shavings, coffee, fennel seed, soil and mixed berry. The palate is creamy without being overblown, and the well-balanced finish shows good fruit and a touch of dried mint. An example of the style of the 2003 vintage that in two years or so should turn out to be a lovely bottle of wine. Find this wine

670612 CHÂTEAU BROWN 2001 PESSAC-LÉOGNAN $39.75
A spectacular start, a nose brimming with lead pencil, stone, blackcurrant, Darjeeling tea and wet leaves. The palate is full of fruit and shows some meaty fleshy notes and a touch of thyme. It is a while away from being ready to consume, judging from the wallop of tannin on the finish. It is nice, but one Brown or two Beaumont, that is the question! Find this wine

673038 DOUDET NAUDIN BOURGOGNE VICOMTE PINOT NOIR 2005 $19.75
Vintages catalogue states “beyond the lovely strawberry, cherry and earth tones often found in Pinot Noir, the clay/limestone soil imparts a minerality that adds a lively layer of complexity”. All I get from the glass is a nose of paraffin, vegetation with a touch of acidic fruit. The palate is sweet and frankly best left untouched. Bad bottle maybe! Find this wine

994616 SPINELLI TATONE MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO 2003 $15.75
Once home, I checked the price on this wine and I was pleasantly surprised. Notes of cooked carrot, forest floor, clove, pine needles, pond water, rusty iron, moss and last but not least, a hefty layer of dark intriguing black fruit. It is just as interesting on the palate; the balance is fine and the finish shows mineral and dark fruit. I will buy some of this, as it is a fun wine. Find this wine

674044 CASTELLO DI NEIVE BARBARESCO PIEDMONT 2003 $21.75
Pretty aromas of red fruit, anise, strawberry and balsawood with a light bodied palate of fruit and dry cloying tannins. I am really not sure how this will turn out, but it does need to sit for a while. Find this wine

661306 MASI SEREGO ALIGHIERI VALPOLICELLA DELL'ANNIVERSARIO 650 2001 $28.75
At first the medicinal, chemical aroma is a little hard to handle, but it blows off to reveal raisin-like dark fruit, charcoal, tar and smoke. It is full bodied, perfectly oaked, full of fruit and nicely balanced. Find this wine

704205 CENNATOIO CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA 2001 $29.75 DOCG
A nose of coffee grounds, black fruit, violets. It has great structure, plenty of tannin for the long haul, and a finish of blackberry and couverture. Find this wine


673988 MIGUEL TORRES SAN VALENTÍN PARELLADA SPAIN 2005 $12.75
Lots of red cherry, creamy oak and a hit of raspberry on the nose, and it is pretty much the same on the palate. Find this wine

015057 SCALA DEI LA CONRERIA PRIORAT SPAIN 2005 $23.75
A new-world-styled Priorat exuding layers of black fruit, damson, plum, lavender and cardamom seed. The palate is really fruit forward, quite full bodied with a nice layer of mineral and earthy flavours. Find this wine



021485 PLANURA RESERVA TINTO VINHOS REGIONAL ALENTEJANO PORTUGAL 2003 $17.75
A highly extracted wine with notes of mint, thyme, damson, currant and spice. This Touriga Nacional, a grape normally used to produce Port, just builds and builds on the palate and well into the long and concentrated finish. Good stuff. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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