Saturday, February 20, 2010

Gato Negro Malbec 2009


i wrote about the 08 vintage a while back and revisited the 09 to see how it compared to the 08. it is pretty much on the same level with the 08. the nose was very fruity, with black currant aromas. also got some spicy notes and a little inky aroma as well. the palate was black currant, blackberry and some spicy pepper flavors. the body was a little thin but it is a 2009 so maybe time in the bottle? but this is meant to be consumed now. the finish was not very long but not bad. good pizza wine. i had a few comments about other malbecs in this price range but quite frankly, there really aren't any at the $3.99 that this sells for. i will mention a few others that are slightly more expensive and a bit better flavor, most notably alamos and notro, which sees no oak but was very tasty. once again,the gato negro is about what you would expect for the $4 price, nothing too special but very drinkable.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

This is my favorite cheap wine that can be easily found at most wine stores in ny. Can you recommend any other cheap easily available wines. I just quit my painfully boring job in finance (compliance department) so I am a little tight with cash at the moment but refuse to give up my wine!

Thanks so much for your great blog,
d.

baldwinegeek said...

Deborah, Thanks for your comments! I think the Gato Negro line is pretty nice. Other cheap alternatives? Have you tried any boxed wines? Bota Box and Fish Eye make some real nice varieties and it works out to around $4 a bottle with each box holding the equivalent of four bottles. Quite a bargain. I have tried some other bargain wines but have not been as impressed with them as I have the Gato Negro. You might also look for Le Lapin which is the cheaper version of Rabbit Ridge and has several varietals that sell for under $10. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Some cheap wines I like:

Wrongo Dongo (a granacha) - my local store often has it on sale for 5.75.

Diablo Creek (Sauvignon or Merlot) - 4.99

Black Swan (Shiraz) - as low as 3.99-4.99