2010 Bodegas Callia Alta Malbec

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net






2010 Bodegas Callia Alta Malbec
#nb-28-11


Over the last five or six years, I have sampled some pretty nice Malbec wines from Chile, but last night we tried a Malbec from Argentina, and liked it quite a lot. It was the 2010 Bodegas Callia Alta Malbec from the Tulum Valley in Argentina.

Malbec is one of the original Bordeaux grapes from France and has a history of being blended with other grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, to add an earthy backbone to some of the great Chateau wines. The grape seems to thrive in the mountains and valleys below the equator and is becoming a single variety wine of some stature on its own.

This wine hails from the province of San Juan where the Tulum Valley is located. The climate is moderate with low rainfall, and rich soil which produces grapes with intense juicy flavors. The Callia Malbec opens with a fragrant aroma of plums and currants which transition into big flavors of plum and currant, with undertones of cherry. The wine feels good in your mouth with long legs of glycerin, leading to a lingering finish suggesting a slight vanilla oak presence. The alcohol level is 13.5%

I had sampled a previous vintage of Callia a couple of years ago, but had not found it to be as outstanding as this 2010 vintage. We enjoyed this bottle of wine with braised beef tips in a rich brown mushroom gravey, and found it to be delightful. It would pair well with most any grilled meat or spicy sauced pasta dish. Norm's score is 89.


Price: $9 to $12
Score: 89


Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

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