Winery - Susana Balbo
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Whereas we used to be big fans of the Crios rosado, it has fallen off over the past two vintages. This wine is weird and caustic; it smells like cracked pepper, rhubarb and cut grass, and it tastes peppery and mildly vegetal. Mouthfeel is the saving grace; it feels good and refreshing on the palate.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Dark in color, with aromas of coconut, leather, chocolate malt balls and generic black fruit. The wine is tannic and a little bit grating but generally in balance, with bold cassis, cherry and blackberry flavors. Not complex and seemingly made more for the everyday wine drinker than the collector.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Expect to see plenty of this Torrontés across the States (18,000 cases have been imported). But also expect a wine that’s lemony and that carries scents of floor polish and air freshener. Being lithe and jumpy is not an issue; the wine is definitely lively. But it doesn’t have that ethereal, tropical quality that the best Torrontes’ have. It’s narrow and limited.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Dark and quite oaky for a brand that earned its stripes via balanced wines that overdelivered. This vintage seems much more extracted and rough, with big, burly aromas and then tannins that grab the cheeks. Along the rough and tumble ride there’s spice, pepper, blackberry and coffee. This wine pumps it out but is less polished than in the past.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
As the higher-end 2008s hit the market, the vintage’s underwhelming character is confirmed via wines like this. Oaky and rubbery on the nose, with scattered, lean berry fruit flavors and bitterness. Like many ’08s, it’s short on richness and comes across unfocused. That said, it’s still a good wine that’s not badly made.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Expensive for what you’re getting. The wine starts with a reddish-green set of aromas, which are backed by generic red-fruit flavors that are medium to narrow in scope and just don’t taste much like Cabernet. Time allows it to show a bit more, but always it seems basic and shy.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Almost red in color, and maybe already past its prime. Crios was a standout in 2006, but the ’07 is chunky and sweet smelling, with ripe but dull apple, melon and nectarine flavors. Soft and already in its late stages; probably best to wait for the 2008.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Smooth on the bouquet, with papaya, melon and other more neutral fruit aromas. The palate shows a teaspoon or two of sugary sweetness, while melon, mango and ripe apple flavors fill things out. A pleasant wine with a lightly candied way to it. Simple and basic, and decidedly not bitter.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Barrel city, with piercing, dark aromas on a fleshy, flabby frame. Normally we are big fans of Susana Balbo’s wines, but this Malbec is sweet, syrupy and sticky, with prune and jam-like flavors and hardly any spine. Can you say overripe and overoaked?
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Blueberry and cassis dominate the sweet nose, while leathery accents add texture and rusticity. In the mouth it’s sweet and grapey, with concentrated, candied flavors that settle on cassis and berry. Ripe almost to the point of cloying, with chocolate on the finish. Not as complex and dry as in past years.
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