Klein Constantia 2007 Riesling (Constantia) Intense but not delivering on all its promises. Chalky minerals and sun-heated whitewash, very dry fruit remnants, a fair bit of weight, and good structure. But it doesnt go much of anywhere. (4/10)
de Morgenzon DMZ 2008 Shiraz (South Africa) Big, goopy, dull-witted, and not even reaching simplicity as the opposite of complexity. This is very poor. (4/10)
de Morgenzon DMZ 2008 Chardonnay (South Africa) Sticky vinyl, soupy imitation butterscotch, bleary-eyed booziness. Awful. (4/10)
Beaumont 2008 Chenin Blanc (Walker Bay) Heavy, slurpy, and ham-handed. Yellow fruit and overdriven yellow tomato, thick and unstructured, with a whack of alcohol on the finish. This is the absolute opposite of how I thought Walker Bay would express chenin. Huh. (5/10)
Argento Malbec (Argentina) Non-vintage, but lot 12925 if that means anything to anyone, and from a 187 ml airline bottle. First of all, kudos to Argento for putting this wine in plastic rather than glass; no need for the heavier, more expensive material given the quality and the destination aboard an airplane. And second, its actually not that bad, once one readjusts expectations; it is, after all, non-vintage ultra-commercial wine. Blueberry and blackberry vie for dominance, and while both are a little soupy the only other element that really stands out is an alcoholic spice and heat that eventually takes over the finish. Its not overwhelming, but its definitely present. No structure to speak of, though the alcohol itself provides a certain sense of foundation, and while thought applied to the wine leads to a realization that its pretty candied and syrupy, its a nice candied syrup. (4/10)
de Morgenzon DMZ 2008 Shiraz (South Africa) Big, goopy, dull-witted, and not even reaching simplicity as the opposite of complexity. This is very poor. (4/10)
de Morgenzon DMZ 2008 Chardonnay (South Africa) Sticky vinyl, soupy imitation butterscotch, bleary-eyed booziness. Awful. (4/10)
Beaumont 2008 Chenin Blanc (Walker Bay) Heavy, slurpy, and ham-handed. Yellow fruit and overdriven yellow tomato, thick and unstructured, with a whack of alcohol on the finish. This is the absolute opposite of how I thought Walker Bay would express chenin. Huh. (5/10)
Argento Malbec (Argentina) Non-vintage, but lot 12925 if that means anything to anyone, and from a 187 ml airline bottle. First of all, kudos to Argento for putting this wine in plastic rather than glass; no need for the heavier, more expensive material given the quality and the destination aboard an airplane. And second, its actually not that bad, once one readjusts expectations; it is, after all, non-vintage ultra-commercial wine. Blueberry and blackberry vie for dominance, and while both are a little soupy the only other element that really stands out is an alcoholic spice and heat that eventually takes over the finish. Its not overwhelming, but its definitely present. No structure to speak of, though the alcohol itself provides a certain sense of foundation, and while thought applied to the wine leads to a realization that its pretty candied and syrupy, its a nice candied syrup. (4/10)