Unlike some of us over on the West Coast, I am going on the cheap this week. This is most certainly not to say that cheap = bad. There have been some major Malbecs under $20 that can put the over-50 crowd to shame. This one comes from RJ Vinedos, but you wouldn't know it because there's no information on their website to be found laying claim to this line.
Nose: An astringent note and a bit of cocoa to start, with blackberry sweetness following and settling things after 5-10 minutes in the glass. On the second sniff, some savory notes (bay leaf) and oak pull up from underneath.
Palate: Medium-bodied and pretty much as advertised on the nose. Decent structure and a bit too much acidity for my personal preference.
Finish: Short to Medium. Comes in hard with the blackberry note, but not much else notable to report. There's a bit too much of an alcohol burn which lingers and mutes everything else going on.
I don't know what on earth I was thinking. I got my hopes up a little too big, thinking this would be a sleeper along the lines of Domaine Bousquet or La Posta from a few years ago. It does the job, but definitely a baseline representation, something they would serve at Applebee's. Would be decent with pizza.
$12