A bold, balanced, and sumptuous red blend from Mendoza…
This Argentinian red blend, Viñalba Reserva, a combination of Malbec and Touriga Nacional, impressed us in terms of its balance, complexity, and structure. With an intriguing bouquet on the nose, including grilled meat, dark plums, and anise, it offered plenty of fruit in the mouth, combined with black pepper, spice notes, and a touch of green pepper. The alcohol, although on the higher end of the spectrum, came across as well-integrated.
We paired this Viñalba Reserva with lettuce-wrapped, barbecued hamburgers and grilled zucchini, which brought out more of the earthy tones. We look forward to trying it later in the year with something a little more robust, such as grilled steak and garlic mashed potatoes.
As a bonus, this wine comes at a great value in just under $19 CAD.
For anyone interested to know, this particular blend earned top marks in the 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards, so we’re not the only ones who liked this wine.
Rating (from 70 to 100): 90/100
Value: 4/5
The Bottle Details…
Name: Viñalba Reserva
Vintage: 2014
Producer: Vinalba
Region/Country: Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina
Grape Varietal(s): Malbec (80%) and Touriga Nacional (20%)
Alcohol content: 14%
Consumed: At home
Recommended By: Picked it off the shelf at the LCBO.
Cost: $18.95 CAD
Bottle Presentation: A simple, plain, easy-to-read label.
The Tasting Details…
Appearance: Medium purple, reflecting the young age of the wine.
Nose: A medium-to-pronounced nose, with an intriguing combination of dark plums, grilled meat, anise, sharp cheddar cheese, leather, and green pepper.
Taste: A dry, light-to-medium-bodied red blend, with medium-to-high biting tannins and low-to-medium acidity. We had more dark plums in the mouth, as well as blackberry, black pepper, earth, anise, green pepper, and ink notes.
Finish: A medium-to-long finish, comprised of earth, dark plums, and ink.