Trapiche Extravaganza Red Blend

I must admit, I went into this Malbec-Bonarda-Syrah blend with pretty low expectations. Sure, it's from a solid producer, but the silly name "Extravaganza" suggests crass commercialism for a broad international market, with big fruit, big oak, and big sweetness. I'm sure about the crassness, but this is certainly a soupy red aiming at just that sort of appeal. And it's not actually all that bad. It's very sweet, to be sure, but there's balancing tartness on the palate and …

Well, poke me with a corkscrew, I just don’t like Malbec and dominantly Malbec blends. This one had a Nose of alcohol,even after a lengthy time to breathe, and aerated after. It did have some nice dark fruit aromas but the taste didn’t harmonize with those. And a rather bitter note on the finish.