Tag Archives: Malbec

A Solid 8 Dollar Red

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“There’s nothing flashy here, and it won’t make you say ‘Wow.’ It just does what it’s supposed to, delivering an honest, food friendly glass of wine…”

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It’s not so easy to find a good red wine for $8 these days, but that’s exactly what I happened upon during my last visit to our friendly neighborhood Costco a few days ago. Like the last two selections reviewed in these pages (here and here), this is another one of those “off-the-beaten-path” wines from one of the last bastions of Malbec in France, Cahors. Comprised mostly of said Malbec, with a good dollop of Merlot to boot, this will serve in much the same way as a good Bordeaux, in that it plays well with a variety of red meat dishes, especially those that are beef-centric. Continue reading →

More from Mary Taylor Part 2

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

“There’s a lot of wine here, for not a lot of money.”

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I rarely do organized tastings these days. My modus operandi hasn’t changed much since we started Gang of Pour way back in ‘97: “ We feel that fine wine is best enjoyed and evaluated when we can sip a glass or two leisurely over a period of time, without hurry, in order to more fully appreciate its charms, and to observe how it changes and develops in the glass. We sacrifice quantity of selections sampled, in favor of quality of the tasting experience itself.”

There are exceptions, of course, like when I went to meet Mary Taylor at last Thursday’s Plum Market event. Or, I might be on a “scouting mission,” looking for selections that I can spend a little time with and get to know better on a later date. Again, such was the case last Thursday, when I came home with six wines, two of which have already been reviewed here. I’ve opened two more bottles since then, and both I and my wife Kim really like both. Here are my impressions.
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Two Malbecs

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“If you’re looking for good values in Malbec, these both fill the bill.”

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A few weeks ago, a friend mentioned to me that he had enjoyed some Malbec the night before, and that got me to wondering: what Malbecs are available in southeastern Michigan at the price range this blog is focused upon, anywhere from $10-20? It’s been a while since I’ve had any of the stuff, probably more than five years, and I’ll admit, I haven’t paid much attention to what’s out there.

Many think of the variety as Argentine, where it flourishes since first being introduced in the mid-1800s, but in fact, it is native to the Cahors region of southwest France. It is also used as a blending grape in Bordeaux and, to a lesser extent, in the Loire Valley, where it is known as “Cot.”

During a recent day trip to Ann Arbor, I found these two selections at Everyday Wines, in Kerrytown. They certainly hit the mark pricewise, so I decided to give them a try.
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