Enrique Foster IQUE Malbec $14.99 (Not TJ's) ***

This was my .99 cent bonus wine from Greenvale Grapes.  Since I was unhappy with the AtoZ Pinot Noir ($19.99) that it came with, my expectations were low.  I WAS WRONG. This is a really good Argentinian wine from Bodega Enrique Foster.  It is substantial, rich and flavorful.  There is no oak in this wine and the ripe fruit taste is some plum, maybe some blackberry, a high note of current and underneath is the threat of bitterness just to reminder you that you are drinking something with complex flavor. It has a tannic finish, but it is not dry. After the vinturi, I wanted to dance. It only got smoother and better. This is the type of wine that the vinturi was made for.  Elevating a good bottle to a very good bottle.

On the night we opened it, we had it with smoked meats braised in red cabbage and some mashed potatoes.  By the third night there was still wine in the bottle (Thursday was an away day*) we had four cheese pizza from Mr. Gennaro, and well, the wine didn't shine.  It still wasn't bad, but it is best to be had when you open it.  Don't let it sit around too long. 

This wine, although not earth shattering, is a very good bottle of plonk.  As I started writing this review it prompted me to make a couple of decisions.  First, I will take that vacation that I have been talking about.  Next year, I'll be able to spend 10 days drinking and touring my way around Argentina. Life is too short to not hit the road on an adventure every now and again and I can't wait to blog about some wines from their origins.  I like Argentinian wine. Well, I've only blogged about three, but there will be more!

Finally, I have chosen a varietal for my post Christmas experiment.  I'll drink Malbec as a single varietal and see how far I get. The plan is to buy one of every bottle of 100% Malbec at Trader Joes, one single bottle of mid priced Malbec from Greenvale Grapes, and one expensive one from Locu$st Valley (maybe I'll ask for that one for Christmas!).  The drinking of only Malbec will begin on 12/26.

*My "Away Day" was spent at an all day health insurance workshop in NYC.  After an eight hour meeting at Federal Plaza, I walked the length of Canal Street at sunset, window shopping and just soaking it all in. Here are some pictures I snapped with my blackberry of sidewalk vendors as I made my way to the Lower East Side for dinner...