Wine #6 in the $100 Wine Challenge
Winery: Uma
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: Argentina
Vitnage: 2008
Price: $9.98
Cynthia’s Review
This was definitely not a shy wine. We paired this wine with a fairly strongly flavored meal of teriyaki salmon fillets and cous cous with roasted garlic and pine nuts, and I enjoyed it. Because the wine was so strong, it did border on the edge of having a sour aftertaste, but that might just be my uneducated palate mistaking the strength of the wine for something else. It definitely had a nice aroma, and a deep color. I don’t have much experience at all with wines from Argentina (other than a few tasty Malbecs!) but was happy to be back in the Land of Corks after the California Screw Top experience. (Call me crazy- a bottle of wine should have a cork- it just should!) If we serve this wine again, I think it might best go with a full-on Jay-style Red Meat and Potatoes meal. Although this was not my favorite wine in the challenge, it was good, and deserves a “yay” vote from me.
Jay’s Review
I am not shy about my love of a good Malbec. And I have had my share of more than one very tasy Malbec from Argentina, even one from Uma Colección so I guess my expectations may have been set high coming out the shoot. Sadly, my initial impression of this wine was that it was too sour/bitter. It just really seemed to have a lot going in, none of it too pleasant. When taken with food, it seemed to settle a bit and by the time I was finishing my last glass the wine seemed to have mellowed from having been decanted for a little while. This wine just didn’t suit my tastes at all. I haven’t thrown in the towel on Cabernet Sauvignon’s all together, but I will ask our wine Sherpa to steer us down another path when we make our way back to the Cabs. Sorry say, it’s a “nay” from Jay.
For the newly anointed oenophiles cabs can be a difficult step. They typically are bold, tart, fruit filled bombs at this price point and can be a bit tannic. However, there is a reason many consider cabernet sauvignon the king of varietals: in artfully crafted higher end wines the bold punch and bite mellows to smooth and rich wines with age. This one is a great low end choice for people who like the mule kick that cabs can show. Food pairings here usually require red meat to handle the tannins and punch.