It turns out that Bertrand Bourdil (the former winemaker at the famed Mouton Rothschild) really does deserve all of those 100 point ratings he’s received from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate…
Made from grapes picked from vines that are over a century old along the foothills of the Andes mountains, the 2006 Belasco de Baquedano “Llama” Malbec is a true “old vines” wine with concentrated flavors and complexity rarely (if ever) found in younger vines. Inky purple in color with a deep aroma of blackberries and dark plum and great, round flavors of dark fruit, slate and spice, this wine has the balance and complexity one hopes for in a wine. Pleasantly dry with a long, smoky finish, this wine is great on its own and even better paired with food. I tasted it with an Italian Sausage, Red Onion, and Wild Mushroom Pizza, and the heat in the sausage and earthiness of the mushrooms worked perfectly with the juicy fruit, delicate spice, and gentle tannins in the wine.
At just $11.99/bottle from K&L Wine Merchants, you’d be silly not to give this one a try… 4.5 corks popped!!
UPDATE: J, LoSo and I hit up Hal’s on Abbott Kinney in Venice last night for dinner, and, lo and behold, they have the 2006 “Llama” on their wines by the glass menu!! You go, Hal’s!!
