Argentina Wine Guide.com

Sottano Reserva Malbec 2005

Bodega

Range

Wine

Vintage

Origin

Price

Sottano

n/a

Reserva Malbec

2005

Agrelo, Mendoza

AR$70 (US$23)

Appearance

Dense, bright scarlet with violet hues.

Nose

Spicy oak and pencil shavings dominate sweet plum jelly. Hints of cloves and vanilla.

Palate

Light to medium bodied. Spicy oak and sweet ripe black plums reflect the nose, as do hints of clove and vanilla. Black cherries are carried by a gentle acidity, with generous aromatic pencil shaving or cedar notes.

Overall

Probably the pick of Sottano's 2005 wines, this shows good fruit characteristics, although the oak is very up front and slightly aggressive - a result of the bodega's decision to use a relatively high proportion of American oak. This may integrate with a year or two more in the bottle. That said, it's fairly well balanced now and gives a satisfying impression from nose to finish. The main issue, once again, is the price: arguably the ticket ought to be shaved by at least AR$10-15 to be competitive.

***+

(December 06)