This wine was part of a wine tasting at a bar, so I couldn’t get the year, though I suspect it’s the 2008. It is the youngest line of Winery Luigi Bosca.

Intense red color.

Nice aroma—fruity and acidic.

Very smooth. Feels young, but still goes down with no problem. Lacking in strong flavors or acidity, though. Causes a slight puckering in the mouth. Very drinkable, but very bland in general.

Overall Score: 2.5-3.0/5.0

Color is deep garnet. Purpling, with slight golden tints under the light.

What an aroma! Oak pops out, along with a lovely dark chocolate smell. The aroma is accentuated by hints of earth and forest.

As for the taste, it’s excellent for a Tannat—far better than anything I had in Uruguay, even though Uruguay specializes in the Tannat grape. Even though the Tannat is known for its harshness, this wine has almost perfectly tamed the Tannat, though a refreshing bit of bitter, oaky, wild fruitiness is apparent. The tannins are prominent but very well-controlled. On the 1^st taste, the wine even has a sweet, syrupy fruitiness to it. Black cherry especially jumps out on the palate. The wine, moreover, has lots of body and a strong, earthy, sweet finish to it.

Overall Score: 4.3/5.0. This is the most drinkable Tannat I’ve ever had, and for the value (if you can get it for $30) it is a fantastic way to experiment with the Tannat grape for anyone who is interested in a new wine experience.

Same, beautiful dark red color that is typical of a Malbec, though, being a young wine, it has somewhat of a lighter color.

Strong aroma of fruits. Very fresh. Also smells of burnt tire or rubber. A bit wild, too.

Youth shows in the wine—the flavor is there, but its uncontrolled. It’s very bitter, and very strong. There’s a burnt or toasty taste on the palate. The smokiness, combined with the high acidity, is refreshing, leaving a nice aftertaste. Somewhat long, too, for something so young.

Overall Score: 3.0/5.0.

Golden, foggy color. Muddy, but not necessarily bad. Very little aroma to it, though—hardly distinguishable.

A little dry, though it’s smooth. Nice acidity and bitterness, but there’s not much flavor to it. Just a very light, very drinkable start to a meal.

Overall Score: 2.5/5.0

Dark, ruby color. Great tones.

Fresh, frosty, fruity smell, but hard to distinguish—very soft. Bit of oakiness and acidity is apparent

Strong taste, Very oaky. A bit acidic, a bit smooth. Its youth can be felt, but even so it’s very full-bodied and developed for its age. Spicy tones add complexity. There are also very subtle tones of dried fruits and dark chocolate in there. Still, it’s rather simple overall. Long finish.

Overall Score: 3.5/5.0

Ruby color, but with few tones. Still not bad. Good legs for something on the younger side.

Nice, fresh aroma—like a harvest, but with a burnt, smokiness. Fruity and toasty, with a hint of tobacco.

Tastes a bit rough, as the tannins aren’t controlled enough, giving the wine a sense of wildness. It’s bitter and oaky, with a nice warming senation to it. Moreover, it has some nice intensity to it. It starts out smooth and controlled, but gets increasingly bitter and oaky. There are notes of chocolate as well, along with black fruits, tobacco, and leather. Just a bit too wild for me.

Overall Score: 3.6/5.0

The wine has some dark tones to it and is purpling slightly, but the color isn’t anything extraordinary.

Aroma is great—floral and spicy, with a strong oak accent on top. It also has a strong earthiness to it and smells a bit wild and fresh.

The wine itself is rather full-bodied and very round. The oak and spiciness in the aroma come through in full force on the palate. Moreover, there is some nice complexity. While the wine starts with a simple oakiness, the tannins begin to moderate with time and give way to some spice, chocolate, and nut tones. The taste is great.

Overall score: 4.0+/5.0. For the value, more of a 4.2.

Nice, blackish, purpling color, but with few tones.

Acidic, bitter, floral aroma.

The wine is spicy (black pepper esp.) and bitter, with a lot of body. It’s long and strong, with a lot of punch. However, it seems a bit young and a bit rough. Strong tannin taste, but seems unbalanced/wild. A bit soft on other flavors, though there are some subtle floral notes. Rather simple.

Overall Score: 2.5/5.0

Color is a little light, with few overtones or darker tints. Still young.

Very fruity, elegant, but powerful aroma.

Great character—bitter and very spicy. Nice on the way down. Bitter, with some strong tannins, but balanced by the intense flavor. Spiciness is very strong—even leaves you a bit thirsty.

Overall Score: 3.8/5.0

Note: This is a  low-range “classic” wine made solely with one varietal, made for everyday drinking. I tasted it during a degustation at the actual Tapiz restaurant, so I was not able to see any bottles and mark down specifics, like year. It is probably the 2008 wines.

Good color, though nothing special.

Very fresh smell, with some hints of fruits like cherries. Earthy, rustic, and nutty in the nose. Also smells of raisins.

Taste, however, is horrible. Smooth but so dull. It’s extremely young and harsh. It’s way too bitter and wild, and it lacks structure. For such a strong taste, it has very little body and flavor.

It’s so bad that it makes me think that perhaps the bottle had been open for a few days. I really wouldn’t be surprised.

Overall Score: 0.0/5.0