April winner: Dan and Vicki Shoemaker
Darlene Lamb
On April 18 Cyndi Stampf gave a warm welcome to the Tuesday Tasters and invited us into her lovely home for some good wine, food and friendship.
It was a Malbec evening, and to accompany the wine we enjoyed several tasty appetizers. Once again we had two wines place for a tie, and the results were as follows:
Third place was a Bodega Norton 2013 Reserva Malbec brought by Juris and Linda Klovans. Bodega Norton, founded in 1895, is one of the strongest Argentine brands in the U.S. Deep red in color with hints of purple, this Malbec is expressive on the nose with notes of ripe black fruits, violets and tobacco. Tied also for third place was a 2013 Decero Malbec from the Remolinos Vineyard located in the Mendoza appellation of Agrelo. The vineyard takes its name from “Remolinos,” whirlwinds which keep the grapes dry and in perfect condition before being handpicked. A core intensity of red fruit flavors and lifted violet aromas remain the signature of this Malbec.
Second place was 2013 Los Maza Reserve from the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina brought by Mike and Susan Miloser. This valley is known for its warm, sunny days and cool nights, which are key factors in allowing the grapes to generate and store all the elements in creating this wine. It has lots of pepper and spice aromas with dried fruits and pairs well with meats and flavorful tomato pastas.
And the winner was a 2014 Malbec from Whitehall Lane Vineyards in Napa Valley brought by Dan and Vicki Shoemaker. With only 268 cases made, this Malbec is rich in body with notes of deep blueberry, dark plum, black tea, clove, licorice root and dried rosemary scents. After the scoring was completed and winners announced, we found ourselves looking for more of this fabulous wine! See you next month!