Matuco 2008 Malbec - ~$10

I have a theory about Malbec. More of a hope, really. The success of Malbec, the red grape of the moment among U.S. wine drinkers, will remind California winemakers of the appeal of Merlot. By which I mean Merlot before the crazy yields and massive oaking of the late 1990s. The Merlot that features dense, dark red fruit. The grape that makes up most of Cheval Blanc (sorry Miles, it's true).

Alright, California's not making anything resembling a Premier Grand Cru St. Emilion Bordeaux in the near future. But it can absolutely make a wine as tasty and approachable as Fresh & Easy's recent addition, the 2008 Matuco Malbec. This is a wine from Argentina's Mendoza region and it's one on par with competitors like Norton and Alamos.

VERY IMPORTANT CAVEAT: This is a wine that benefits from some airing out. Directly from the bottle, it's a pretty sharp, tannic affair. After an hour or so, the nose features dark red fruit, wet soil and some sweet oak. In the mouth there's a rich mix of dark chocolate, blueberry, and black raspberry. The tannins are still there, but there much softened and framed by oaky sweetness.

Quality Malbecs are still pretty cheap and at ~$10 Fresh & Easy's Matuco has some stiff competition in the category. Ever the optimist, I'm looking forward to their Cali Merlots a few years from now.

Score

Drinkability: 8.5/10
Price: 3/5
Total value: 12.5/15

The Harbor 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon - ~$6

The Harbor Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine sourced to Australia’s capacious South Eastern Australia region. A staggering amount of wine comes out SE Australia; this bottle's a good example (emphasis on the "good") of why. It's well-made in its modest fashion and eminently affordable. 

The nose is slightly herbal and features big, jammy, dark red fruit.  In the mouth you get sweet blackberry and raspberry fruit with a slight menthol bite and soft short tannins. It's tasty and engaging in what's become a trademark Australian style.

Simply put, this is a nice, straightforward Australian Cab in the company of a Lindeman’s Bin 45 Cab or a Rosemount Cab/Shiraz blend.  A good wine to pair with the grill (spring’s just around the corner!)


Score

Drinkability: 7.5/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 12.5/15

Ombretta 2008 Chianti - ~$7

Fresh & Easy's Ombretta Chianti is aptly named: its small shadow can't quite cover F & E's other Italian offerings.  It has a lovely nose of blackberry and black soil that gives way to a medium-bodied palate of sourish cherry and dark earth.

Though it's a bit on the thin side relative to Fresh & Easy's Re Del Castello Chianti Classico, it's still a nice, solid everyday red and certainly attractive at ~$7 a bottle. 



Score

Drinkability: 6.5/10
Price: 4/5
Total value: 10.5/15

Montcadi Rosé Cava - ~$8

If you've been in Fresh & Easy recently, you've surely noticed the floor-to-ceiling displays of Montcadi's Rosé Cava. I wasn't particularly fond of the off-dry version of this wine, but the rosé is much more likeable. It's a dry wine made in the metodo tradicional (i.e. the fizz is produced in the same way as it is for Champagne) from Trepat and Garnacha grapes.  The flavor profile is more appealing and complex than the earlier iteration, and features delicate, slightly sweet strawberry backed by a citrus astringency. The dry finish is clean and refreshing.

I'd give a slight edge to F&E's Pongrácz NV Brut, but hey, it's a pink wine for Valentine's Day, and it's half the price of the Pongrácz. If sparkling wine suits your taste (or the taste of that special someone), you might want to pick up a bottle.


Score

Drinkability: 7/10
Price: 4.5/5
Total value: 11.5/15

El Burro 2006 "Kickass" Garnacha - ~$10

I've intimated my dislike of "crazy" wine labels and/or names elsewhere, so I won't spend much time on the shortcomings of the marketing campaign devised by the makers of El Burro's Kickass Garnacha. I will say that that is one stultified-looking burro on the label, though.

The wine in the bottle is a red, a Garnacha (Spanish for Grenache), which is making some very nice varietal wines nowadays. The nose on this wine is promising, featuring cherry, candied red fruit, pencil lead, and some soily earthiness underneath it all.

In the mouth it's a bit more acidic than most Garnachas I've had. It's grippy, rustic wine, one marked more by sour cherry than raspberry. The finish veers toward a sour funkiness and somewhat abrasive tannins, both of which are offputting. In the end, it's a bit too rustic for my taste.

Score

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

Pongrácz NV Brut Sparkling Wine ~$15

The Cap Classique term used on the label is just the South African term for the French “champenoise” method. This just means that the wine in the bottle you hold in your hands is the same bottle in which both primary and secondary fermentation occurred. And there was some kind of riddling. The whole Champagne process is enormously fascinating but not, I realize, appropriate for right here and now.

The label language you do need to pay attention to is “Brut.” This is not a sweet sparkler like Ogio’s Prosecco. It’s a dry wine that features prominent grapefruit and lime on the palate. The promise of yeasty notes on the nose (a hallmark of tasty Champagnes) is unfulfilled.

The Pongrácz Sparkling Wine is not a bad wine (I prefer it to the Ogio, but I’m not a big fan of off-dry sparklers). Actually, it’s pretty good and I think it would pair up very nicely with spicy Thai food. It has some good depth. It’s just that if your “Champagne” budget is in the $15-20 range, I’d recommend going to a good local wine retailer and asking for a grower Champagne from France. The value-to-price ratio for these bottles is still quite stunning.

Score

Drinkability: 7.5/10
Price: 3.5/5
Total value: 11/15