In my ongoing quest to find inexpensive wines rated at 90/100 points or higher that sell for $20.00 or less, I have found another good wine for us all to try and perhaps stock up on. It is especially good if you are a fan of Malbec wines.
The Winery
Bodega (Bodega is a Spanish term for winery or wine cellar) Amalaya Winery is part of the Hess Family Estates, a company that owns wineries in Argentina, the United States and South Africa. The Amalaya Winery is located in the higher altitude of Argentina in the Northern Province of Salta, near the town of Cafayate.
Amalaya’s winemaker, Rodolfo Dhuin says the high altitude of the vineyards “provides a unique growing climate for the sustainably-farmed vineyard, providing intense sun in the day and cool nights that help better retain the acidity and concentrated fruit characteristics of the grapes.”
The Hess Family Wine Estates were founded in 1844 in Bern, Switzerland, and are still family owned, now by the fourth generation of the founders.
The Wine
This wine is a Malbec blend made up of 85% Malbec, 10% Tannat (Tannat is a red wine grape originally from southwest France and is now known as the national grape of Uruguay) and 5% Syrah. There were 50,000 cases of the 2015 Amalaya Malbec produced.
The wine scored well with Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate scoring it at 91/100 points. The Decanter magazine team scored it at 95/100 points, while Wine Spectator scored the wine at 90/100 points.
It is said, and I agree, that Argentinian Malbecs are rich, ripe, a little jammy, juicy in structure and at times tannic. Overall this is a good drinking red wine.
My Thoughts on the Wine
Like most young, red wines the 2015 Amalaya came out of the bottle tight and needed a little air to open it up and reveal its aromas. After it opened in my glass it had aromas of black fruit, spice and perhaps a little oak. On the palate the wine produced similar flavors as found in the wine’s aroma: fruit, spice and some oakiness. It was smooth, tasty and produced a long lasting fruity, dry finish. I enjoyed the fact that the wine was consistent from nose to the finish in terms of its flavor profile. This wine should drink well for another three to four years. I would certainly recommend this wine for your wine collection.
I purchased this wine on the recommendation of our good friend Stan Minden at Chalet Party Shoppe here in my Elkhart market area. Stan is the Premium Wine Buyer for Chalet and Belmont Beverage Stores of Indiana, and has a great palate and knowledge of wines. He can be very helpful and answer your questions on wine if you have any when you are in the store.
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Cheers!
Editor’s Note: Carl underwent heart bypass surgery this week and is expected to be on medical leave for an unknown amount of time. He completed this review just prior to going into the hospital. We are working to bring you some guest columnists in the weeks ahead, but will also run some of Carl’s most popular blogs while he is recovering. Thank you for your patience, and for your prayers for Carl.
Calendar of Upcoming Events:
August 1 – Albariño Day
August 14 – International Rosé Day
August 18 – Pinot Noir Day
August 31 – International Cabernet Day (Thursday before Labor Day)
September 15 – International Grenache Day (3rd Friday in September)
Wishing Carl a full recovery. Prayers for his healing.
Charlene & Tony Hutti
Carl take care of yourself and get better.
Donna & Glenn Mordini