Friday

Recoleta 2008 Malbec/Bonarda - ~$5

Given the grapes here – Malbec and Argentina’s other reclaimed European grape, Bonarda – I was expecting that this bottling from Mendoza would be something of a fruit bomb. Certainly there’s some fruit here – notably bright Bing cherry – but the acidity is rather screeching and overwhelms the entire experience. All in all the wine tastes young and closed. A dud more than a bomb, it turns out, more than likely because of the recency of its vintage.

I realize that nobody is going to lay down a ~$5 wine they bought at Fresh & Easy. The point is, you shouldn’t have to: the winemaker should do that for you (well, for a red, at any rate). And some do. It will likely cost you a bit more, but in most instances the price is worth the value.

But back to this wine: I’m thinking it may be a good candidate for an "accelerated aging experiment" on the top of my refrigerator.

Score

Drinkability: 3/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 7/15

12 comments:

  1. Recoleta ia a great wine! I love it. Though at the Fresh and Easy here in Los Angeles it cost only $2.99.

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  2. I'm glad you enjoy it! And that is an enticing price, no doubt. This M/B just didn't do it for me. Perhaps because F&E has some super-value Malbecs I was expecting more.

    I hope they bring some straight-up Bonardas to their shelves. That grape hasn't "hit" yet (i.e. it's still cheap) and it can make some fun fruitbomb reds.

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  3. Actually, we poured 3 bottles last night for a diverse crowd, who all loved it! We found it to be full-bodied with nicely balanced fruit and acid, and soft tannins. Very drinkable right now. And paid $2.99 per bottle at Fresh and Easy in Burbank. More than comparable to the La Boca Malbec that we would have gotten at Trader Joe's for the same price.

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  4. Goddess - I will revisit!\ I wonder how long you let it open. I tend to keep that pretty short, approximating how most folks drink wine.

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  5. I got this wine and I agree with Jim... the acidity is over-bearing. Honestly, I cannot even taste the fruit. It's a regular cooking wine at best.

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  6. We served this last night with Nepalese food and it was awesome! Opened the bottle 2 hours before we tried it. It was better than the Rockcliffe Family Syrah and the MacMurray Pinot!

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  7. Well, I'll have to re-taste. I am a little hesitant, though, because I can still remember that searing acidity so vividly ...

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  8. u r reviewing a wine that costs $3 plus tax...what do u expect????


    it is great for what it is, dont lie

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  9. Well, I expect - at least hope for - a wine that isn't so unpleasant. Fresh & Easy offers several ~$5 wines that are much better than this one (IMO).

    Just my take on the wine. I'm glad that you find it to be a good value!

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  10. who the heck drinks $3 wine?

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  11. Opened this wine last night with a friend. A nice dinner wine, spice and berry notes. I decanted it after letting it chill for 15 minutes. Will be one of my 'house wines'

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  12. This is our everyday dinner wine. We love it with steak. Friends like it as well.

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Individual taste matters! What did you think of the wine?