Fabre Montmayou - Malbec

Price: $20
Region: Argentina
Year: 2009

Nothing too out of the ordinary this week. When I got home from work on Friday it was a choice between this bottle of Malbec from Argentina, and another red from Chile. I think both were right around $20, but I didn't ask, so I'm not 100% sure. I'm fairly certain they weren't any more expensive though. I had stopped and grabbed a few pizzas for dinner, so I sat down with my glass of wine and slice of pizza ready to enjoy a nice relaxing Friday evening.

When I poured a glass, I immediately noticed the deep, dark red color. Definitely the kind of wine I like pour into my glass. I enjoyed the sight for a few seconds, and gave the glass a nice swirl. The aroma that followed was really very nice. It was kind of smell that made you take notice, but was not overpowering. I went back for a little more before taking a sip. When I did finally take a sip, I tasted a wine that was very smooth, with really good balance. It was a touch spicy, but more towards the taste of a Cab then a Shiraz. I think the aroma had me hoping for a bit more, but not too much to complain about with this wine. You can find similarly good wines for a little less, but I don't think it will leave you disappointed.

Rating: 3.5 corks (Wonderful aroma)

Pine Ridge Forefront - Cabernet Blend

Price: $20
Region: California
Year: 2008

Wow, it has been a really long time since I've sat down to write a review. This is mostly due to a very busy stretch at work, but I hope that is behind me for the most part now. Anyway, I tried my hardest not to take a hiatus from drinking wine as well, so I definitely have a few to get to. The routine has not changed much, and I usually come home on Friday to a couple of bottles of wine to choose from. This particular weekend my wife picked up this bottle of Pine Ridge Forefront. Besides the Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Vognier blend that we like so much, this winery was definitely in the top three that we visited when in Napa a few years ago. This was a visit where we actually had a private cellar tasting right out of the barrel. With some great cheese and crackers to go along, it isn't an experience I'll forget anytime soon. So, when she saw this line from Pine Ridge, knowing that we had never tried it, I wasn't surprised she grabbed a bottle.

We were cooking some burgers on the grill that night, so opening the bottle of Cab seemed an easy choice. This bottle actually has a few other grapes in the mix as well, like Merlot, and Shiraz, but it is mostly Cabernet. The deep dark wine that was sitting in my glass was definitely no surprise. Pine Ridge generally has some nice bold looking red wines. The aroma was right along the same lines. You could almost smell the blackberries. So, when I took a sip, I tasted all of that fruit right up front. This taste didn't fade easily either. It had nice structure, and great length. It was very consistent until it faded on the back of the tongue. There really wasn't much to not like about this wine except that it was a little more than I like to spend for a normal Friday night, but it was worth putting up a couple of extra dollars for a nice treat.

Rating: 3.5 corks (A solid bottle of Cab)