Composition: Undisclosed Red Blend.
Region: Mendoza, Argentina.
Price: About $115.

This wine has a beautiful rich, blackish color and an equally rich aroma. I get the smell of sweet viscous cherry syrup, with some spice like cinnamon and nutmeg. I get some mustiness, too, like a very old wine barrel, as well as some wild fruits.

The wine starts out light and slightly watery for an Argentine blend. The flavor, though, is intense. Expect lots of mouth-puckering grapefruit or blood orange, with heavy tannins and slightly smoky leather. I also enjoy the wine’s slight wildness, very similar to tempranillo. And the aftertaste is simply delicious, as a noticeable smoky sweetness begins to emerge, balancing out the previous bitterness.

This wine needs a lot of airing. With time, it picks up berries and a Sherry-like sweetness in the flavor, along with some more body and denseness so that it doesn’t feel watery. The wine is very complex, constantly changing, even after 30 minutes of decanting.

Still, it’s one of the priciest Argentine wines on the market, and its quality isn’t significantly better than any other icon level wine from the country.

Verdict: 4.2+/5.0. 3.5/5.0 when factoring in value.

Beautiful color—red, with purplish tints, but on the golden side, with lots of whitish and goldish tints (under the light).

Aroma of plums, peaches, dried fruits, with a lot of pepper and cinnamon.

The wine is smooth, direct, and simple. There are bitter, acidic, and fruity flavors, and a coffee, spicy, red pepper taste especially comes through. Though the wine is very drinkable, the flavor is a bit too soft and bland.

Overall Score: 3.6/5.0

Lovely color—a dark ruby-violet, verging on black. Legs aren’t very defined.

Aroma of soil, olives, flowers, and herbs. Very strong. Quite refreshing and fragrant.

Not as much body as I’d like, but it has a lovely smoothness, flavor, and complexity. Spice and pepper especially stand out—much spicier than most Malbecs and even leaves you with a dry mouth. Tastes of coffee, dark chocolate, and fruits are also prominent. Refreshingly acidic. Well-balanced tannins bring everything together with a nice oakiness.

Overall Score: 4.4/5.0. For the value, a 4.6. Incredibly complex and smooth. While not the most structured wine, it is a fantastic drink and one of my favorites, especially at the price.

This is quite an interesting wine, not only because it is a blend that utilizes a large amount of Cabernet Franc, which is a grape that is very uncommonly produced in Argentina, but it also utilizes no Malbec. For a winery’s top wine to include no Malbec is almost unheard of in Argentina. That being said, this is quite a nice change of pace from what you normally get on the Argentine wine market, especially for a premium.

The color is right on—a beautiful jet black, though it’s rather simple, with few shades.

The smell is rather earthy, herbal, and a bit fruity. Soil comes through clearly, as do oak and plums. There is a sense of freshness to the wine.

The wine is rather complex. It starts out with an oaky simpleness, but it picks up spiciness, nuts, and some black fruits with time. It’s rather smooth and fruity, with a strong tannin taste to it and lots of body. It also has quite a long finish.

Overall Score: 4.2/5.0

Color is gorgeous—jet black, with violet tints. Purpling intensely.

Fruity, floral, tropical aroma. Very nice, like fresh peaches, oak, and cinnamon.

Nice complexity. Wine has a bold spiciness to it. In addition, there are hints of plums, smoke, blackberries, and especially tobacco and coffee, all of which combine to make a very pleasant experience in the mouth. The flavors are a bit weak times, and the wine lacks enough acidity for my taste. But it does have a nice, velvety, and elegant taste and finish, with a subtle tannin taste.

Overall Score: 4.0/5.0

This is one of the legendary “icon” wines in Argentina, and it does impress.

It has a fantastic, dark color, with reddish, violet tints.

The aroma, too, is fantastic. Sweet fruitiness comes through very well, particularly with the smell of dried fruit or plums.

The wine itself is very complex. It’s rather oaky, but smooth, with a bit of controlled acidity to it. It burns nicely on the way down. There are fruity and floral tones, but the oak dominates the whole time. It starts out smooth, with smoky, bitter, acidic, chocolate, nutty, and plum overtone developing over time. Very good, though it’s not the best I’ve had.

Overall Score: 4.2/5.0. When adjusted for value, however, more of an 3.8.

Rather mature—purpling nicely. Blackish ruby color. Darker than most mature Malbecs/Malbec blends.

Floral, soft, frosty, aroma. Red cherries especially come through.

Soft, smooth, and very spicy flavor, but very bland. Good body. Long and bitter. There are subtle hints of fruit, like cherries, but weak on flavor in general.

Overall Score: 2.5/5.0. Just a bad value all-around.

This is quite a special wine and, given its complexity and boldness, deserves to be decanted for a while before serving. In fact, when I ordered this wine at a restaurant, they decanted it for about 15-20 minutes, testing its taste at several points to make sure it was ready. This could easily be aired for another 15-20 with good results.

Fantastic color, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Dark ruby, black, with a range of reds and purples. Nice legs too.

By the time I tasted it, a lot of the aroma had dissipated. Floral notes were still apparent, though light.

Smoother than expected, with a strong acidity on the way down, giving you a nice burning. Not too bitter or strong. Nice oaky taste—the tannins are soft but prominent. The finish is extremely long. Moreover, this wine has incredible complexity. It definitely needs to be savored to pick up all of its overtones. It starts out mellow and soft, but quickly picks up sharp, strong notes of chocolate, nuts, and acid in the mouth, ending with an intense, refreshingly burning acidity.

Overall Score: 4.5/5.0. This is easily one of the most interesting wines I’ve ever tasted, with an incredible complexity that will keep you constantly guessing. In terms of complexity, flavor, balance, and character, it’s very tough to beat a wine like this.

O’Fournier A Crux (Blend) 2002
60% Tempranillo, 35% Malbec, 5% Merlot
$30 on Wine-searcher, with just 1 vendor (which is about what a bottle costs in Argentina).
Keeper

This wine is typically the highest of O’Fournier’s line, barring an ultra premium that is only produced once every few years.

It has a gorgeous, dark, muddy, ruby color. Violets and reds throughout. Amazing array of colors when you swirl.

The aroma also explodes. Black fruits, chocolate, earth, and especially nuts and earth come through—so interesting!

The taste is also excellent. It’s pretty complex, just like the aroma. It’s spicy with a good fruitiness, lots of acid, and a nice slight bitter oakiness to it. Very round—you can feel it all the way in the back of your throat. It, however, isn’t very long, and is a bit weak in the finish.

Overall Score: 4.1-4.2/5.0.
Score adjusted for value: 4.3/5.0 (if you get it for $30)
This is an excellent blend, and apparently an upgraded version of the B Crux, an excellent wine in its own right. Both are fantastic bargains, so if you love a nice tempranillo taste, you owe it to yourself to try these wines.

O’Fournier B Crux 2003
60% Tempranillo, 20% Malbec, 10% Merlot, 10% Syrah
Unavailable on Wine-searcher, but it costs about $20 in Argentina. $20-$25 on Wine-searcher for the 2005, and $23-$24 for the 2004.
Keeper, especially for value.

Nice color, great tints. Many reds, with a tad of orange. Especially nice for a mid-line wine.

The aroma is fantastic. It’s an earthy, fruity, floral burst of smell, like the freshness of a forest.

Very full-bodied. Rather warming on the way down, too. Very good flavors and complexity. Starts slightly spicy, oaky, and floral. The palate later picks up a sweetness and a fruity acidity. It causes a nice puckering feeling, especially in the spicy finish. Just a bit too wild, but that is also the charm of a good tempranillo.

Overall Score: 4.0/5.0.
Score adjusted for value: 4.3-4.4.
Not only is this wine fantastic in its own right, but it’s a fantastic bargain. You won’t find a better price for such a great blend. Highly recommended, especially if you’re craving a strong tempranillo flavor in Argentina.