Flibbertigibbet

Tonight's Vintage: Budini Malbec 2002

Tonight's wine is the 2002 Malbec by Budini vineyards, which is in the Mendoza region of Argentina.

I decided to buy a Malbec because I wanted something different and I was standing in the South American section of the wine store. I bought this particular brand because of the funny cat on the bottle. The lable on the back says:

Budini, the rare and beautiful wild Pampas Cat of Argentina, has always been elusive, both in the open grazing lands and in the Andean foothills. our delicious and reasonably priced Budini wines from Argentina are far easier to track down. Using great care and attention both in the vineyards and winery, we produce wines that are bursting with ripe fruit flavors and easy to enjoy.

I am by far no expert, but I believe that those kitties do not have legs that long. But the first thing I taste with this wine is spice. Lots of spice, then a deep fruit flavor.

Since I only drink one glass of wine a night, it takes me a while to finish a bottle. Tonight is the last glass of this wine and so the flavor has changed a bit since I first opened it, late last week.

As I recall, the fruit flavors were more pronounced at first, but it had the tang of a freshly opened bottle. I would say it is still very good even though it was stored at room temperature and has been open for at least four days. Now, the spice of the wine is more prominent, but the finish lasts in a nice way.

My Wine Encyclopedia says of the Malbec grape:

Malbec: This grape is traditionally used in Bordeaux blends in order to provide colour and tannin. It is also grown in Loire, Cahors, and Mediterranean regions, among many others, and was the grape responsible for "The black wine of Cahors" -- a legendary name, if not wine, in the 19th century. However, Cahors is now made from a blend of grapes and is an infinitely superior wine to its predecessor.

I'm sure I know nothing about that except to say that this wine has a very pretty color; it's a nice, clear, bright purple-red.