Wine Expo '08 - Part II - Kiosks 1 - 10

I'm going to spend a few posts going through the wines we tried in a reasonably systematic way. I'll go through the show in order of the kiosks (though of course we didn't try every wine or even every kiosk). As I said in the last post, the tasting conditions were not what they would be at home and we were suffering from palate fatigue pretty earlier on, so what follows are just impressions and not final opinions.

At kiosk 2 were the wines from Collazzi, which we somehow missed even though they were on our "must try" list. Did anyone else try them?

At kiosk 4 we tried the Quinta da Rigodeira Bairrada Baga. It was fine, but not special, even at the price ($16)

At the Kriscott kiosk (6) the Schroeder Grande Corte Pinot Noir - Malbec was one of the most interesting wines at the show. Pinot Noir is usually made as a varietal, but this blend worked extremely well. The Malbec was judiciously used (20%, I believe) and added a underlying smoky note without t overwhelming the Pinot, which came through beautifully with characteristic flavours on bright end of the spectrum - cherry and raspberry I suppose. Good mouthfeel and balance as well. Unfortunately there was a bit of something woody and slightly harsh at the finish that marred an otherwise extremely appealing and interesting wine. The Las Moras rep (Ricardo Valero - very engaging and knowledgeable about Argentinian wines) suggested it might have been from young Malbec vines.

From Finca Las Moras both the Black Label and the 3 Valleys Shiraz' were very good. I think we actually preferred the less expensive Black Label, but Kelly's notes are a bit fuzzy here. These are both wines we definitely want to try again. We weren't quite as keen on their Malbec, even though it's the signature Argentine grape - a bit of wet cardboard on the finish, perhaps.

We tried the '06 Grand Marrenon White and we liked it quite a bit better at the show than we did when we reviewed it. Looks like we're evolving as white wine drinkers. The Grand Marrenon Red also seemed to be very good value at $17. A blend of Grenache and Syrah, it was nicely balanced without the candied over-ripe profile you often find at this price. Another wine we want to try again outside the show.

We tried the Chocolate Block at kiosk 9. It was solid, but we weren't wowed. But this is a case where my warning really applies - a restrained and subtle wine isn't going to show well at the hurly burly atmosphere of the expo. I'd be very interested to know what others though of this wine, especially if you've had a chance to try it in a more relaxed setting. Luke has already mentioned that he was very impressed.

To be continued...