(July 28, 2016) … With so much Malbec on the market these days it’s hard to tell the good ones from the mediocre ones by just looking at the bottles – back when I bought this wine Malbec wasn’t quite enjoying the bonanza it is, so maybe that’s what made this wine so interesting in its golden years – yes, this Golden Reserve is in its golden years, and hurrying down the hill at a speedy rate at that.
Tertiary aromas lead the charge with smoky, cassis, dried blueberry, and cedar. Palate shows a little more pep than does the nose, still with the smokiness, but also with cinnamon, dried raspberry, spiced-plum, and cedary/oaky tones … But it’s the finish that lets this wine down with its peppery-oaky finish with herbal characteristics that are mainly unpleasant. On the whole the alcohol comes across a little hot, especially in the mouth, and that’s hard to get around – there’s a disjointedness here and it’s a tough one to really recommend, this Golden Reserve is a real golden dud.