Malbec Week continues!  Yep, we’re cleaning out some wines from the blog wine rack (bwr – NOT to be confused with the BRWC at P & L’s) P&L know ALL about the BRWC!  Anyway, unlike a broken record, we’ve enjoyed staying with the Malbec varietal and tasting different wine making interpretations of the grape.  Admittedly, we’ve tasted and written about some pretty tasty Malbec wines over the past week, and we’ve also tasted and written about others that step in line with Malbec grapes.

Speaking of varieties . . . we met up with Jean’s Dad, Bill for a movie and dinner today.  Before that however, we had the ‘unique’ opportunity to not only clean out the dog’s private area (we call it the poop patio) but also landscape it just a little more than usual.  With rains anticipated later this week, today was a good day to add some gravel and clean out where the dogs take care of their business–yeah, we live an exciting life, don’t we!–and cleaned of the front door step from all of the leaves…this done before 10:30 this morning.

We decided to see “The Lone Ranger” with Johnny Depp and unlike the reviews from Hollywood, we thoroughly enjoyed the film.  Yes, the beginning was a little slow, but it quickly got better and better.  The jokes were numerous and you HAVE to be paying attention because they come and go QUICKLY!  The story line is classic good versus evil, but the acting and the cinematography are superb.  The reviewers can say what they want; we heartily give this film two thumbs up!

With the movie comes wine and so we decided to open yet another Malbec  . . . this one a 2012 Altosur Malbec from Sophenia in Mendoza, Argentina.  A very respectable Argentinian Malbec. This one has as much style and completeness.  It just seem richer than typical. That may be the result of maybe slightly higher altitude than usual, or more time in new oak, or maybe longer lees treatment, or something else, but this is not one dimensional value-priced Malbec. Even the fruit profile leans more towards ripe black cherry than typical. Respectable mid palate. More tannins than usual. Not much oak. The finish shows some spicy black fruits and really nice balance.   Another way to look at this wine is to say, “Attractive red color with violet hues. Aromas of intense ripe fruit: cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and fresh plums, combined with spicy and floral hints. In the mouth the sweet and round tannins increase its fruit sensation and balance. Wine of good intensity, concentration and long after taste.”  We really enjoyed this wine with some Yarlsberg and Medium Cheddar cheese as well as crackers.

After watching The Lone Ranger with his ‘assistant’, Tonto (Depp), we have a new appreciation for ‘tongue-in-cheek’ humor.  From Depp, to Silver-the horse–and from the supporting cast…which is HUGE, we think that the reviewers were looking for a little too much like the television show and not allowing for the creativity of the writer and director of this movie.  It’s really GOOD…in fact, we’re ready to see it again just to see and hear the jokes we missed the first time around!

Whether you’re enjoying Malbec or a varietal that suits you better, we hope that as Monday turns the corner, you’re ready to be at your best.  As we close in on 365 wines in 365 days, we also hope that you’ll enjoy your favorite wine responsibly and remember to recycle whenever possible.