The rich flavors of the Terrazas de los Andes Reserva 2006 include the fruits and berries you would expect in a Malbec from Argentina, but it also has hints of leather around the edges as well as a nice spicy, tangy finish. This a medium to full bodied wine with medium, round tannins and a crisp acidity which produces the nice finish. Overall the Reserva Malbec is a nicely balanced wine that is worth drinking in a variety of circumstances.
Color & Clarity
The color of the Terrazas de los Andes Reserva 2006 Malbec is, like other Argentine Malbecs, a deep, dark purple but this purple seems more intense than that I've seen in other Malbec varietals.
Nose
The clean aroma of the Terrazas de los Andes Reserva 2006 Malbec is characterized by dark fruits: black raspberries, black cherries, and plums. It also has a slightly smoky edge to it.
Palate
The rich flavors of the Terrazas de los Andes Reserva 2006 include the fruits and berries you would expect in a Malbec from Argentina, but it also has hints of leather around the edges as well as a nice spicy, tangy finish. This a medium to full bodied wine with medium, round tannins and a crisp acidity which produces the nice finish. Overall the Reserva Malbec is a nicely balanced wine that is worth drinking in a variety of circumstances.
Food Pairing
Although fairly neutral with sharp Cheddar cheese and Romano, the Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Malbec produces interesting flavors when paired with aged Gouda. It also brings out the nuttiness while cutting the saltiness of aged Parmesan. This Malbec is especially bad, though, with Feta cheese. It's like a car wreck when the flavor of the sheep's milk meets the flavors of the Malbec — and it's a car wreck you want to get away from, not rubberneck.
As for main dishes, this Argentine Malbec works well with barbecued pork, bringing out the smoky flavor of both, and so would probably work equally well with other barbecued dishes. The Terrazas de los Andes Reserva doesn't work very well at all when paired with a pasta with vodka cream sauce because it overpowers the sauce so much. A stronger, heartier pasta sauce might work much better, though.
Recipes
The Terrazas de los Andes Reserva Malbec might be good in some tomato-based pasta sauces — not those that cook for a long period of time, but perhaps those that are fresher so the fruit flavors of the Malbec have a chance to express themselves. It might also be good with chicken and pork dishes that call for red wine.
Terrazas de los Andes
Terrazas de los Andes creates wines from Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, and Torrontes grapes.
The Reserva wines from Terrazas de los Andes are described as being "hand selected" from various estate vineyards of Argentina's Mendoza district and even then only during especially good years, thus producing premium quality wines that are superior in complexity and flavors to the wines they usually produce.
