Alta Vista Premium Malbec (2005)

This was another interesting Malbec, although I'm not sure if I'd ever purchase this one for myself. Most Malbecs are better consumed after a good 30 minutes or so of breathing. This one not so much.

The nose, prior to aeration was simple with a bit of cedar. The body was wonderfully lush with dark fruits and just a hint of vanilla-like cedar. The finish was long, mild, with a somewhat cooling sensation.

After aeration the nose yielded the dark fruits with the cedar. The body unfortunately mellowed out to a point of being uninteresting. The finish also became simply unimpressive.

No website.

Black Mountain Malbec (2006)

I haven't been able to find the La Boca Malbec in years. If anyone finds it, let me know where it is or send me a case because this Black Mountain stuff was kind of disappointing.

As with most Malbecs, it needed to breath for a bit before it was remotely pleasant to drink. The nose gave off cedar. The body was off-dry and tasted like cedar and a mingling of dark fruits with low, soft tannins. The finish was short, off-dry, and once again had cedar.

Too much cedar for a Malbec. USD 5.99 at Trader Joe's in Maple Grove, MN. The La Boca Malbec was 3.99 and better. Help, please!