Tittarelli Malbec
2005, Mendoza, Argentina, $14.00 for 750 ml, 13.5% Alc.
Red Wine
I was lured into breaking my less-than-ten-bucks-a-bottle rule upon spotting this wine at the store. Malbec? I’d never tried that one before. I eschewed my budget-minded ideals and handed over the cash for a taste of this elusive varietal.
The first thing (and probably the only thing) that impressed me about this particular bottle was the color. Upon pouring it, I was struck by its unusual darkness. It was truly a black-red tint and darker than any other wine I’ve seen. This might have raised my expectations some for an equally unique flavor, but alas, my expectations were unrequited. Instead, I was assailed by the sickly-sweet taste of what was probably ascetic acid. It was so overwhelming, I really just could not enjoy it. It tasted like nail polish remover and vinegar with a nice dose of tannins mixed in.
I visited the website and noticed that Tittarelli has won lots of high reviews on its Malbec. However, none of the reviews posted were for the 2005 vintage that I tried.
Moral of the story is, sometimes a few extra bucks do not buy a better product.
Bottom Line: While I’m not ready to give up on Malbec — and I might even grant Tittarelli another chance at some point in the future — I don’t think I’ll be trying this 2005 bottling again.
Wine’s Website: http://www.vinostittarelli.com
