Kaiken Ultra Malbec

Kaiken Ultra Malbec
Price: $17.99
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Year: 2012
Retailer: Wine.com

Malbec has been the "It Girl" of wines over the last few years. Twenty years ago, you wouldn't have seen a Malbec on a menu. Now, it's on the tip of everyone's tongue when you're out to eat. It's the new go-to, with everyone who used to only drink Cabs now slyly mentioning Malbec with a slight air of pretension. 

And I make fun of those people and Malbecs.
And the great thing is, that Malbec can take it. 

Malbec is a simmering velvet powerhouse that laughs right along with me. Malbec knows she's been in Mendoza since the late 1800's, killing the game. Sure she appreciates all the new critical acclaim and popularity, but at the same time, she knows you're being kinda starfucker-y with her. I mean who goes around pompously name dropping like that?

Oh, right. 
Wine drinkers and starfuckers. 

That being said, I love me a good Malbec.
And the Kaiken Ultra is an It Girl.

Fashionable and charismatic, this is the kind of wine I wouldn't mind bragging about hanging out with if I saw her on a menu. I'm not even that kind of person, but I would be so happy to be out and be like, "OMG! I totally hung out with her one night! She is a little intense at first, but if you just let her open up for half an hour, she is really smooth and like, pretty graceful. I like, love her. We should totally have her!" And then we could all take a selfie together and post it on Instagram in a very humblebrag sort of fashion.

Speaking of which, I should probably Instagram this. [insert Miley face]

Tasting Notes: Smells like lavender soap, blackberries and pepper. The palate is full and round, with lots of tobacco and plums. It has made me hungry for a big saucey bowl of pasta, or a pork chop, or some Saint Andre cheese. What I'm saying is-- this is a great wine to serve with almost anything so it's time for dinner.

Ross Test: Not worth it. The acidity that is so well-balanced in the glass becomes way too overpowering when chugging.

Bueyes Malbec 2011

Bueyes Malbec 2011
Price: ~ $20
Region: Mendoza, Argentina 
Retailer: Silverlake Wine

I haven't really had much time to talk about it with all the traveling and wine drinking and dream living I've been up to lately, but I recently moved. I'd lived in the same Echo Park bungalow for six years, and after a long eight months of looking, my boyfriend and I finally found our perfect pad in Silverlake. It's seriously everything I ever wanted in a new place, and I am definitely paying for it. Like, I'm broke. Like, not my normal "Oh man, I'm broke, I can only buy eight bottles of wine this week and still be fine for bills and life" adult broke, I'm talking like twenty-two just moved to LA with $35 "CHARLES SHAW IS DELICIOUS!" broke. 

I'm okay with that though. I've been here before; doubling down and throwing everything on black and pulling the trigger praying for an empty chamber. And look at me now! I'm topless in a beautiful/hot as hell house because I refuse to turn on the AC because my bank account reads like a fourth grader's math equation, blasting Eartha Kitt, middle fingers up, being like "HEY NEIGHBORS WHO AREN'T REALLY MY NEIGHBORS CAUSE THAT'S A VACATION RENTAL, YOU SHOULD TELL THE OWNERS TO ADD A LITTLE ADVISORY ABOUT THE NEW ASSHOLE NEXT DOOR WHO LISTENS TO JAZZ REALLY LOUD WHILE MOSTLY NAKED CHUGGING WINE OUT OF BOTTLES IF EVERY WEEK IS GOING TO BE A FUCKING KID FEST OVER THERE. I CAN'T AFFORD CURTAINS AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR FRENCH SPEAKING CHILDREN. SERIOUSLY.  I DON'T. I'M NOT PUTTING ON A SHIRT."

It's really too hot to be drinking red, but I'm tired of drinking whites. I love and miss my reds. Not only that, my supply is for real dwindling. To keep this blog alive while I undergo financial restoration, I will have to pull from my personal entertaining collection, most of which, are delicious reds.

And so here we are, drinking the Bueyes 2011 Malbec. I bought this bottle [flips through journal] on July 7th after having it at a tasting at Silverlake Wine. I bought it because uh, well, I tasted it and it was delicious. I fucking love Malbecs. Ugh. They give me everything Cabernets do but without so much attitude. Sometimes I don't need the attitude, man! Sometimes I just want a fun, spicy yet friendly red. Not even sometimes. A lot of the times.

Ah, a nice breeze whips through my parched...
aaaaaand it's gone.

I can't say the red wine is helping with how hot it is, but I can't really say it's hurting either. In fact, it's still pretty much helping because it's so good. It's so smooth and easy and lovely and my true friend as I lay on this woven Crate & Barrel rug I roped my dude into buying. I love it so much. The wine, and the rug. I LOVE IT ALL.

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! I'M SO HAPPY I SPENT $20 ON THIS WINE THAT ONE TIME WHEN I COULD SPEND LOTS OF $20s ON WINE! IT HAS FIG NOTES! WHO DOESN'T LOVE A GOOD FUCKING NOTE OF FIG?! 

Maybe it's all this delicious Malbec, but I never used to think nude colored bras were cool. Now, I think I'm into them. Like on a public level, not like in the "Heyyyy these are necessary" level that we've all dealt with nude colored bras on.

Also, please don't be fooled, I'm still a 31.5A. I know this Victoria's Secret bra I spent too much money on back when I was cash comfortable makes me look like Sofia Vergara, but that is not true. Still very flat chested. Still nothing to motorboat or do anything fun with so don't get any ideas that my boyfriend would be mad about. I'm just a poor, sweaty girl trying to chug a hot, medium-bodied Argentinean, okay?

Tasting Notes: Such a sleeper hit. Slow and smooth, versatile and understated without compromising flavor or body. That lovely fig I mentioned plus raspberry, and just enough tobacco that is like the yummy, enticing, cool-girl-smoking-in-the-bathroom-on-a-teen-sitcom tobacco notes, and not the "Oh, wow you smoked half of your friend's pack of yellow American Spirits and it's all over your hands for the next four days" tobacco notes. Definitely a new favorite in my collection. Will replenish as soon as I am not the poorest person I know.  

Ross Test: If you love dark chocolate, this chug could be your jam. I'm not a huge dark chocolate fan, and you get a mouth full of it right here. For me, I'll be keeping it in the glass.