Hey there, Feastlings.
With Easter falling on the last Sunday this month, we’ve relocated our wine tasting to Sunday, March 24th. It’s still at Feast, it’s still at 3:30, and it’s still a chance to taste six tasty wines with accompanying snacks. The wines this month all hail from Salta, the northern Argentine wine region that still has yet to get too big for its britches. Think of it as the Argentine equivalent of the Central Coast in California. Tom Spooner will be here extolling the virtues of Salta wines, answering questions and pouring tastes. Thirty dollars and a phone call hold your spot. Give us a buzz at 326-9363.
Salta
2011Finca Las Nubes Torrontés, Alto Valle de Cafayate $19.00
90 points, i-winereview.com: “This was our highest rated Torrontes [in 2011], and it repeats the feat this year. The wine is elegant and very well balanced, showing aromas and flavors of jasmine, orange blossom, and verbena with a mineral base underlying the fruit. Made by the master of Torrontes, Jose Luis Mounier.”
2011 Hermanos Malbec/Tannat, Valle de Cafayate $17.00
It has a dense, saturnine bouquet with blackberry and gravel notes. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, supple blackberry and bilberry notes with a rounded, harmonious finish. This is very fine and well-crafted.
2011 Coquena Tannat, Tolombón $21.00
Medium ruby-red. Sexy perfume of crushed blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, violet and minerals; Syrah-like. Chewy, saline and savory, with strong blackberry fruit complemented by a touch of oak. Distinctive wine with very good grip. Will Tannat be the next new thing from Salta? Or will the next new thing be Tannat from Salta?
2011 Domingo Molina Cabernet Sauvignon, Valles Calchaquíes $27.00
From the Wine Advocate, October 2012: “The 2011 Domingo Molina Cabernet Sauvignon is from Valle Rupestre in Salta, comes from 10-year-old vines and sees partial French oak aging. It has a simple, smoky, terra cotta and game-scented nose with fine definition. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins and a classic, tertiary, tobacco-infused finish that is both fresh and focused … this is very fine.”
2009 San Pedro de Yacochuya Malbec, Valle de Cafayate $32.00
Asian spices, incense, licorice, lavender, and black cherry are just some of the elements composing the wine’s aromatic array. In the glass it is dense, rich, full-bodied, and powerful yet surprisingly light on its feet. It conceals enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years but can be approached now.
2006 Rupestre (Malbec/Marlot/Tannat) by Domingo Molina, Valle Rupestre $47.00
Very ripe aromas of dark berries and chocolate mint; a bit roasted. Fat and sweet in the mouth, with a dried fruit character somewhat leavened by a spicy element and sound acidity. Finishes with broad, building, dusty tannins.