CORKAGE

I've been hearing how great Malbec is for a couple of years now.  Malbec from Argentina, especially.  Great wine, great value.  I had tasted several -- a few from Argentina and I believe one or two from Chile.  I hated them all.  Hated.  They were weird.  Not friendly.  Not nice.  Not good.  So I started to think that Malbec just sucks -- or that I just don't like it -- (and what's the difference in the world of taste, anyway?)  I thought, Malbec is a blending grape, it doesn't have the finesse to on its own make a truly complete wine, or the kind of elegant, balanced wine that I prefer.  I'm better than Malbec. 

Then Gary Vaynerchuk brought a bottle of the 2005 Bodegas Nieto Senetiner Don Nicanor Malbec from Argentina.  Somewhere between 10 and 15 bucks a bottle.  Tasted good in the evening and even better the next morning. 

My notes: nose of ripe, sweet cherries glistening with cold water, just washed.  Beautiful nose.  There it is!  First Malbec I've ever liked.  I'd almost given up.  Smooth and velvety on the palate.  Subtle, subdued fruit flavors.  Follows through on the promise of the nose.   Wow -- it feels so good, and the fruit is so pretty, and the tannins are perfect and the finish is long -- there's not much to say except this is good.  And amazing for the price.

Other serious Malbec recs?  You know, good ones, not bad ones?  I'm suddenly intrigued.