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| I would trade a case of this for 1/2 a bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar. |
Had a few moments and have been meaning to update ye old blog and finally got the inspiration to get back on that horse after experiencing what could quite possibly be the worst red wine I've ever had.
Back story, I always hear people pitching Malbec but I have yet to have one that knocked my socks off. Heck, I have yet to have one I actually enjoyed. At this point I am not sure there is an actual quality Malbec that exists. I have tried some of the better Malbec brands and still come away thinking it was nothing to write home about or even considering buying a bottle. I would rather buy a bottle of 2 buck chuck and know it will at least be drinkable for the price then roll the dice on any Malbec...especially after purchasing a bottle of 2008 Baguala Malbec.
Now at $5 bucks it wasn't like I was throwing down a lot of dough but sometimes the sub $5 wine can find the occasional drinkable gem. Unfortunately, the 2008
Baguala Malbec was not one of them. It had a nose like wet grass and cat pee.....if the grass was wet from nothing but cat pee and stored in a small igloo cooler and set inside the attic of a house in Vegas and left to ferment.
Call me a masochist for even carrying on past the nose but I hate to see a bottle go to waste. Initial drink was like an antiseptic bomb, if pressed I would say it tastes a bit like blood, rubbing alcohol, and wheat grass. Remember the episode of Man vs Wild where Bear Grylls gets water by cutting open the stomach of a dead camel, removing the hay from it's stomach, and squeezing out the water to drink? That certainly the impression I got. At this point the Baguala made the
Benefactor Cellars wine look Silver Oak.
I even let it sit for a couple of hours hoping that maybe it would open up and somehow turn into something magical to no avail. Using the 2 Buck Chuck scale this one was not even close. I would not take a case of this wine if someone paid me. Whats sad is I had a glass of Tobin James merlot the other day that was fantastic across the board. I am sure a bottle of that could be found in the $10 to $15 range. And it was not even close. My Disgust and search for a drinkable Malbec continues. Much like the Yeti or the Loch Ness Monster, Im not actually sure one exists.
Big Time Thumbs Down. Who knows though....maybe it would pair well to cleanse the palette for those participating in the
Taco Bell taste test?
This was a tri tip I did on the grill. It was on sale at Fresh and Easy and while I had never picked up a slab of meat like this before, I was impressed with the quality. Sure its not the Beef Palace but for the price certainly better than Stater Bros or some of the other local markets. For this cut I finally tried ground coffee as part of the dry rub and it did not disappoint. It had a savory, smoky flavor that worked for sure. The quick details, I dry rubbed using a bevy of mixes in the spice cabinet and the coffee. I then turned the grill for a semi indirect heat and cranked the left burner to maximum and seared all sides for roughly a minute or two, and the top racked the roast and kept feeding the smoke chips for the next half hour or so. Red meat/Red wine-you are a wondrous melange of flavors that vegetarians and non-alcoholics dont deserve to experience.
Carmerair wine from Trader Joes. Maybe the best chilean wine I have ever had. The Carmenair along with the Pontificis wine have been two great best buy TJ wines. I think the carmenair is probably a little more user friendly, but after aeration and opening up a bit the Pontificis was fantastic and gave off far more flavor than you would expect for the bottle price. Must buys for you TJ's fans! Jason of Jason's Wine Blog fame, offers up a great in depth review of the 2010 PontificisWine.
