Finca el Origen Malbec (2009)

We had thick, juicy hamburgers on the grill for dinner tonight with dill pickles, spicy mustard, sliced tomatoes and Vidalia onions on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns. Very yummy. I stopped at the Plum Market on the way home from work tonight and picked up 6 bottles of wine, one of which was this Finca el Origen Malbec 2009. One of the traditional Bordeaux varietals, this wine has similarities to a big Cabernet Sauvignon and a smooth Merlot. The color is very deep. The taste is plummy with ample tannins. I bought this wine on sale for $9, which I believe is a very good value. I should have picked up more than one bottle.

Norton Malbec (2010)

This Norton Malbec 2010 is a delicious Mendoza Malbec that is a very good value. I purchased it on my most recent trip to World Market.  This beats some recent wines that we have had for twice the cost. Lush and full of berries. Gentle tannins but a robust finish.

We are having this tonight with my delicious poor-man soup which is my original recipe. (If you want my vague [no measurements] recipe, let me know.)

Latitud 34 Cabernet Sauvignon (2008)

Here we are and June is nearly over. Where did it go? It’s a very warm Monday night; the grass is very green, the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming. We’ve had a lot of rain this summer but the payoff is the vivid colors in the yard.

Tonight Tom volunteered to finish off the bottle of “Quail Creek” Cabernet Sauvignon, which was good but a little heavy on the caramel taste and a tad too sweet for me. Happily,  I opened this bottle of Argentine Cabernet Sauvignon. This has a nice complexity of flavors, including blackberries and pine needles. I really like the grippy tannins and the peppery finish.

For dinner I put some leftover (delicious) baked chicken in the oven to reheat. . .and I served it with a pasta side dish that was scrumptious. Basically, this is the recipe:  I sauteed minced garlic and onions in olive oil and added about a half pound of asparagus (cut into 1″ pieces).  I tossed everything in the hot oil and once the asparagus was crisp tender, I added everything to freshly cooked, drained,  thin-spaghetti pasta. I mixed everything with olive oil, Parmesan cheese and freshly ground salt & pepper. Delicious! It really extended the life of the baked chicken; I didn’t think we would have enough but it was more than enough for the three of us.

Cupcake Vineyards Malbec (2008)

Another lovely June evening in Michigan. Tonight is windy and cloudy but so nice for sitting on the patio and feeling the breeze and listening to the birds. We are having a glass of this Argentine Malbec from the Mendoza region. What an interesting wine. I find this to be mellower than what I would expect in a Malbec. I am finding it difficult to find the right words to describe this wine but here is my best shot: The nose is smoked meat — bologna, I think. The taste is robust and predominantly berries. The finish is vanilla.I am enjoying it. This is one reason I enjoy wine; every wine has the potential for  many different tastes, smells and textures. I love the challenge of identifying these sensory experiences with descriptive words.