One of the first things that every new wine taster tries to navigate is the taste of individual grape varieties. The flavors of varieties are pretty easy to distinguish in the vineyard but by the time the grape becomes wine, a lot of other influences have come into play. Since most of us do very little tasting standing in a vineyard, we end up trying to learn the tastes of grape varieties after the winemakers have gotten their hands on them. By then, a dozen choices have played a part in the wine’s development and those choices have partly submerged the varietal character.
Even if we were to always taste wine that had been subject to a minimum of manipulation, the tastes peculiar to the varieties can be obscured by the character of the places where they were grown.
So how can we find a proper textbook for Varietal School? It would have to be an assemblage of wines made in the same place with the same minimal manipulation. We would want them all to be from the same harvest year and it would be best if they all cost about the same amount so that issues of concentration don’t get in the way. Oh, and since we’re going to be buying five bottles at a time, it would be nice to put this group of wines together without breaking the bank.
Who rides to the novice’s rescue? An Argentinian. Not a gaucho, but a winemaker. The formidable house of Catena has a low-priced line called Alamos. With the 2005 vintage, they have established themselves as a reference, a benchmark for varietal tastes. All of the following are 2005 vintage and sell for about $8. (That’s not a typo, I said eight dollars.) Catena also makes a range of wines under the Catena name that represent tremendous value at about double the price and a high-end range called Catena Alta.
(The following wines were decanted, tasted, resealed with vacu vin plugs and pump and retasted the next day.)
Alamos Chardonnay 2005 of all the Alamos line, this is the one that comes closest to the complexity of the same varietal under the pricier Catena label. A slightly green color with a hint of pineapple and guava on the nose. The usual apple and pear flavors are wrapped around a surprising hint of vanilla. The overall effect is refreshing on the palate with a hint of some extra sophistication.13.5%
Alamos Malbec 2005 this wine showed the most bottle variation of any of the Alamos wines. One bottle was an almost total mineral and earth symphony with licorice and briar predominating. The next day, some berry fruit was emerging. A second bottle had the promised blackberry/cassis and chocolate notes with a slight tart edge. Both were delicious and appetite-provoking. 13.6%
Alamos Bonarda 2005 this was the most hunger-provoking of all the wines tasted. A lively acidity barely gave way to a delicate crust of cherry and raspberry and a hint of vanilla. The finish was characterized by a snappy tannic ending that left the tasters longing for tomato sauce. A natural to take to your local Italian BYOB. Smoother on the palate the second day, but not as much fun. 13.6%
Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 remarkably dark, almost purple-black. Cigar box and baking spice bouquet, dark fruit on the palate and an extraordinarily long finish. Tasted the second day, there was more fruit apparent with a softer over-all presentation. Perfect for the usual red meat dishes, but potentially very good with barbecued chicken or brisket or served with dried fruit. 13.9%
Alamos Merlot 2005 the color, bouquet and flavor were all remarkably concentrated. Dusky ripe plum fruit and cedar in the nose with toasty vanilla overtones. Soft and easy on the Palate with a lovely soft-tannic finish. The wine was virtually unchanged the second day with perhaps a bit more fruit evident. Classy, this was truly a wine that was much tastier than its price would indicate. 13.6%
All the wines were served at about 62F/16C.
The next step up in Catena’s price chain (wines around $16) gives you wines with slightly more interesting fruit. The Catena Malbec is consistently spicy, the Cabernet riper and more tannic. At that price, you are still getting a great bargain but if you’re skimping on textbooks for Varietal School, the Alamos line is simply amazing.
–Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131186361 and
the novel bang BANG www.amazon.com/gp/product/1601640005 from Kunati Books.ISBN
9781601640005
Lynn Hoffman is the author of bang BANG, a romantic thriller about sex, death and gun violence. He is also a wine and travel writer and author of The New Short Course in Wine
Javier Norris