Susana Balbo Brioso

shared with pat at selkirk manor to celebrate surviving another week during the pandemic. i continue to drink down the cellar with priority given to bottles with expired drink by dates. i had been holding on to this bottle hoping to taste along with other wines from this producer that received high ratings in recent years. unfortunately, these acquisitions never came to pass. had to bite the bullet as tasting notes from other members raised some risk regarding longevity. these …

Great expectations - not fulfilled. The wine was disjointed and lacked balance. It had a great deal of heat, oak and acidity - and worse on day 2. Having had Susana Balbo wines in the past, I believe that this was just a bad bottle.

Drinking great right now. Almost a brunello quality on the palate.

Great nose; full bodied red lives up to the promise. Full of fruit. Still got five years in it, but not sure it will gain in complexity what it loses in youthful body and immediacy. Last of set, so will have to observe the 2010's.

A bordeaux blend, but not much like bordeaux, with rich, smoky, brambly fruit and quite strong oak, not fully integrated. There is depth and concentration, but it is not exactly rounded: a touch brutal in fact.

Metallic finish. Not very complex but drinkable. It's probably worth $20 not $40. Fruit in the middle is nice but I wouldn't buy it again.

A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 15% malbec, 10% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot. Fresh and still quite youthful, with an array of fruit flavours: blackcurrant, plum and cherry in particular. There is a sweetness to the fruit, perhaps from the alcohol (14.5%). Also, the oak is quite pronounced. Enjoyable now, but should keep and may improve further.

Black, purple rim. Bursting with blackcurrant fruit. Smooth in the mouth but still a tannic edge, quite young. Great length, fruit dominates throughout. Not complex, but strong and delicious.

One of the best wines I've had all year. Refined, tasty, deep flavors. The wine sails across the mid palate, and you swear you can pick up on every Bordeaux varietal. Then you hear this is made in Argentina, and you need a double take. No doubt tastes like complex new world Bordeaux, and it's just beyond tasty. More earth and dark fruit than polish and balance, but it's very good. Let it decant 2 hours, enjoy with steak.

Raspberry, dried fruit, graphite, and a little toast on the nose. Rich, plush, concentrated, full-bodied. A bit of sweetness, balanced by some tart acidity. Loads of fruit.