Category Archives: Red Wine – South America

Matías Riccitelli, Malbec, 2015, Mendoza, Argentina

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I have a fondness for Malbec and Mendoza produces some of the best in the world and this one from Matías Riccitelli is flippin great.

A wonderfully deep purple in colour with aromas of cassis, blackcurrant, spice, leather and hints of violets it opens up with flavours of vanilla and caramel with a long lasting taste that is both elegant, pretty complex. This is a wine for a fillet steak or sipping in front of an open fire. Its grown up plonk, which at £30 is fortunate.

Matías Riccitelli, Malbec, 2015, Mendoza, Argentina

Matías Riccitelli, Malbec, 2015, Mendoza, Argentina

Yali, Wild Swan, Merlot, 2018, Chile

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This Tali, Wild Swan Merlot from Chile is produced by I’ve been out that is a champion wildlife preservation and it is under £8 bottle from the co-op in the UK. It’s a pretty typical supermarket Merlot lots of fruit, plum, cherry and redcurrant with notes of blackberry and minerals. You can taste the heat of the Central Valley in the fruit. Low to medium tannins and reasonably dry. It’s easy drinking and cheap which sometimes what you need.

Yali, Wild Swan, Merlot, 2018, Chile

Yali, Wild Swan, Merlot, 2018, Chile

Indomita, Duette, Premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, 2017, Chile

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This Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere blend from Indomita in the Maipo Valley in Chile is a good example of what Chile can produce. Wine Snobs look away.

Its a deep purple colour with aromas of red and black fruits, redcurrant, blackcurrant, plum, cherries and leather. There are additional flavours of spice, vanilla and oaky notes. Its a dry, bold wine that has tannins but no enough to strip your mouth.

We had this with a big juicy steak and it went very well, cutting through the fat and giving that warm fuzzy feel, granted many wines give that warm fuzzy feel but steak is the perfect partner for this wine.

At £14 a bottle its about the right price, get it in a sale and it could be great value.

Indomita, Duette, Premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, 2017, Chile

Indomita, Duette, Premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, 2017, Chile

Luna de Finca, Agrelo, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

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This Argentinian Malbec from Luna de Finca is a typical supermarket dry red wine. In this case from Lidl.

Its dry, with pepper and black fruit aromas, grippy tannins and lighter than you may think when you taste it. This is not a big bold Malbec but a lighter style. There’s oak flavours with plum, chocolate and earthy notes. Its not bad, not great but at £7 a bottle its what you would expect.

Chuck it with BBQ meat and a bit of sun and it will all be drunk. Pay another £3 or £4 a bottle from Lidl and you could get a much better red for the first BBQ with friends as we come out of lock down.

Luna de Finca, Agrelo, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Luna de Finca, Agrelo, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Tarapaca +, Organic Red Blend, 2014, Chile

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Organic wine is seen as a bit “niche”, not main stream and a bit wacky but this red blend from Chile shows what fantastic, amazing and bloody great value wine you can get organically. The blend is usually made with a combination of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot and Petit Verdot. It has great balance of fruit flavour with acidity, ripe black fruit aromas with spice notes that are added to with red fruit flavours, tobacco and low tannins. Its smooth, so smooth, wonderful.

At under £10 a bottle this is brilliant value and a fabulous wine.

Tarapaca +, Organical Red Blend, 2014, Chile

Tarapaca +, Organic Red Blend, 2014, Chile

Viniterra, Select Malbec 2017, Argentina

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Bold, dry and pretty smooth is how this Viniterra, Select Malbec 2017 could be described.

Deep in colour with aromas and flavours of blackberry, spice, oak and chocolate. It got a bronze medal at the Decanter International Wine Awards which is about right, the length is decent and it has decent flavours but nothing that elevates this to exceptional levels. A decent enough Malbec at about £12 a bottle.

Viniterra, Select Malbec 2017, Argentina

Viniterra, Select Malbec 2017, Argentina

Gran Lorca Poetice, Malbec 2009, Mendoza, Argentina

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To sip an aged Malbec that has matured is a fine experience I was once told. An old wine is like silk rather than velvet. True, but it seems 11 years old is not old enough for a new world £15 Malbec. This is as fresh as when it was bottled, bold, dry, grippy tannins and flavours of sour cherry, spice and oak. It tastes better than it smells, not much going on the nose really, there’s a oaky cherry aroma but its all a bit one dimensional on all fronts. Maybe its been left too long or not long enough!

Its not bad but its pushing the price bracket, its a £10 or less bottle really.

Gran Lorca Poetice, Malbec 2009, Mendoza, Argentina

Gran Lorca Poetice, Malbec 2009, Mendoza, Argentina

Vik, Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Chile

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This Vik wine is made for Majestic and at £15 a bottle when you buy a mix 6 (any 6 bottles) you expect something pretty good. Is it good?

Well its got big flavours and aromas of blackcurrant, coffee and cassis with hints of vanilla and firm tannins that grip the mouth. Its a wine that I would want food with. Meat or strong cheese to allow it to cut through the foods fat and bring balance.

Its a little pricey for me, its good but £15 a bottle its a bit much.

Vik, Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Chile

Vik, Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Chile

Morande, Reserva One to One, Pais 2016 from Chile

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The Pais grape was one of the first grapes bought to Chile. The variety was once the most planted in Chile and used for table wine. Morande is big producer that has spent millions of dollars on their winery and production, so I had high hopes for this wine. This is a light, fresh fruity wine with lots of raspberry, cherry and strawberry on the nose but its light on those flavours when you taste it. This is no Pinot Noir or beaujolais wine but I liked it. This is a great summer wine.

At £8 a bottle this is a good value red wine for the summer.

Morande, Reserva One to One, Pais 2016 from Chile

Morande, Reserva One to One, Pais 2016 from Chile

Opi Malbec 2019, Mendoza, Argentina

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Malbec is normally, dry, bold and smooth. This is no different although both aromas and flavours are not quite as bold as I’ve had in the past. Its pretty smooth and and its dry. There are aromas of blackcurrant and an underlying dryness that makes this a sippable wine on its own or drinkable with food, bread and cheese is a good combination I found.

Flavours are black fruit as expected but they are not as expressive as I would have like. I like the dryness and smoothness. Its a good solid Malbec, just not fantastic. At £10 a bottle it is decent enough value.

I think the cat liked it!

Opi Malbec 2019, Mendoza, Argentina

Opi Malbec 2019, Mendoza, Argentina