by katrin on October 25, 2011
Eleni and I are big fans for Tikal wines and respectively have reviewed the 2006 Amorio and 2003 Patriota. While Tikal has received high marks and recognition for making exciting wines featuring Bonarda, the 2009 Natural Malbec is a fantastic example of what impressive wines Ernesto Catena and winemaker Luis Reginato can make with 100% Malbec.
The first aroma to come out of the glass of dark purple wine is plum! Spicy, jammy plum, along with brambly notes and a hint of dust. On the palate, the plum combines with red raspberry, coffee bean, and the freshness of herbs, primarily dill and a bit of mint. Medium plus acidity and medium tannins provide structure that is neither wimpy nor overbearing. Tikal Natural has a lasting finish of red fruit. It was a perfect accompaniment to beef tenderloin, but is delicious on its own, too.
At Brix Wine Shop for $19.99.
by eleni on April 7, 2011
The other night I opened the 2006 Tikal “Amorio” (“Love Affair”). 100% Malbec, this hand-harvested wine spent 12 months in 60% new french and 40% second-use french barrels.
“Amorio” is Spanish for “Love Affair”. It seems a bit unfair for me to claim a love affair when it’s truly Katrin’s honor but I fell head over heels for Argentina and its wines on a trip there with Katrin. Once again inspired by Katrin and International Malbec day, I decided to open that bottle.
I was greeted by a beautiful red berry, spice, smoke, and cocoa as I dug my nose into the glass to while away a gloomy rainy afternoon (and if you look closely, the rain did not do a good job eliminating the snow). My first thought as I tasted it was “plush”. And now I digress…
In tenth grade English class the teacher stormed in one day ranting that we had all “borrowed” our papers from Cliff Notes. As the story unfolded, she claimed we had all used “the trials and tribulations of…” I forget the character (I think it was Pip from Great Expectations) but her wrath remains with me today. It was coincidental and this memory haunted me as I found multiple notes describing this wine as “plush” growing more and more mortified as I had made the same note myself.
To cheer myself up I sought the input of my junior partner who immediately declared it smelled like kitties.
“Plush” with a light acidity with the same berries from the nose lingering in the finish.
Ernesto Catena, son of Nicholas Catena Zapata, is the man behind the wine, and his son, Tikal, is its namesake. Since the 2002 harvest, Luis Reginato has been the chief winemaker for Tikal.
Alcohol: 14.2%
Katrin reviewed Tikal’s 2003 Patriota on 4/12/2010
Closeup
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by katrin on April 12, 2010
Let me get this out of the way: I like Tikal wines. I like them a lot. I also really enjoy Luca wines. Each brand is made by children of Nicolas Catena and represents some of the best New World-style wines coming out of Argentina today. A few months ago, KJ Baaron’s, a wine shop in Worcester, was pouring the 2003 Tikal Patriota at a tasting. The price was right, so I bought all seven of the bottles they had in stock.
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