2009 Finca Flichman Dedicado

So, this evening I had a wonderful opportunity to open my mind to new ideas at a virtual tasting to celebrate Malbec World Day sponsored by Snooth.  Now before you judge what a dork I am attending a virtual tasting, I assure you, there was actual wine and the fact that I was watching respected industry leaders on the web and chatting with other participants, made it possible for a guy from Grand Rapids to really appreciate some wines from another continent!  This time, it was the wines of Argentina, and although my dream is to retire with wine and beef in the northern part of Argentina near Cafayette, you know from past posts that I am just not a big fan of Malbec.  Well, my perspectives might just be shifting a bit as I tasted the 2009 Finca Flichman Dedicado, a blend of Malbec (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) and Syrah (5%).

Now according to the label, the Dedicado is only produced in exceptional harvest years, which hopefully will make this wine a real pleasure to drink.  Needless to say, I was not disappointed!  The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, but given the blend, it's not as opaque as a traditional Malbec.  The nose was rich with black fruit, ripe plum, cassis and berries, and a lovely hint of oak and dried herbs, and a bit later there were distinct coffee notes as well.  As the wine opened up in the glass, there was a definite sweetness in the nose.  The taste was just wonderfully complex on a number of levels.  There was a good bit of ripe dark fruit on the outset, and a nice sweetness, but not so much that it ruined the taste.  The fruit gave way to some lovely dried herbs, coffee and just a hint of mint, with so many flavors interplaying on so many levels.  On the finish, there were hints of minerality, and some wonderfully rich tannins that brought this wine together.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, as I thought it was a great blend that would pair with a variety of dishes, and was a good value at $25.  During the tasting, I was enjoying this one with some local sun dried tomato cheese and the fruit and herbs paired nicely with the creaminess of the cheese, but I could easily see myself enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse as well.  Wines of Argentina, and even Malbec, who would have thought?  Cheers!