Tasting Notes for October 8, 2005

All of the wines for this tasting came from Argentinian producer Luigi Bosca, a 100 year old winery.

Wine 1: Finca La Linda Extra Brut. Non vintage sparkler, made of equal parts Chardonnay and Semillon. Dry, crisp aroma, with equally crisp flavor. Just a little yeast, firm acidity, but none of the citrus you'd expect from the Semillon. $19.

Wine 2: 2004 Luigi Bosca Reserva Sauvignon Blanc. Slightly harsh aroma, with a touch of lemon, but very soft and not tart at all. Unusual wine. Also, just for kicks the winemaker decided to put Sauvignon Blanc in a Burgundy-style bottle instead of the usual Bordeaux. $19.

Wine 3: 2004 Finca La Linda Chardonnay. Thin, unoaked, no clearly discernable flavors. Basically a blank slate Chardonnay. And like the above, this was placed in the "wrong" bottle--Bordeaux in this case instead of the traditional Burgundy. I don't get bent out of shape about bottle styles, but it does make it easy to look at a large number of bottles and pick out the Pinot Noirs versus the Cabernet Sauvignons, for instance. $12.

Wine 4: 2004 Luigi Bosca Reserva Chardonnay. Much better. Slightly musky aroma, something like gingerbread. There was a buttery flavor, evidence of oak, and a general well-rounded, fruit-forward feel in the mouth. $19.

Wine 5: 2002 Luigi Bosca Reserva Pinot Noir. One of my favorites out of the tasting--a slight aroma of strawberry jam on top, but with very soft tannins and a mellow flavor. Really reminded me of an Oregon Pinot Noir. $19.

Wine 6: 2003 Finca La Linda Cabernet Sauvignon. Not a big hit at our table. Some black cherry aromas and flavor, with a little bite, but ultimately disappointing. $12.

Wine 7: 2004 Finca La Linda Tempranillo. I thought this one needed maybe another year to mature. Bold and tannic, some dark fruit and just a touch of leather. $12.

Wine 8: 2003 La Linda Malbec. Hurrah for Malbec! Plum flavors and aromas, touch of smoke, and a short finish. Good bargain, great wine for pizza, burgers, etc. $12.

Wine 9: 2002 Luigi Bosca Reserva Merlot. Black cherry flavors, some strong tannins and a dry finish. Reminded me of a heartier California Merlot. $19.

Wine 10: 2002 Luigi Bosca Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon. Not much of a nose on this one, very subtle flavors. Decent, but not spectacular. However, one of the tasting hosts was blown away by this wine, finding hints of figs and all sorts of things. $19.

Wine 11: 2002 Luigi Bosca Reserva Malbec. Ah, a properly aged Malbec. Very soft, but with good dark fruit flavors and aromas. Very classy, and should be perfect for converting any serious wine drinker to the joys of Malbec. $19.