A top of the line wine from Bodega Trivento lives up to its name.
100% Malbec from Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. The Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months plus another 12 months in bottle before release.
Sample submitted for review. The Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec has an SRP of $23 and is available for as low as $17. Imported by Excelsior Wine & Spirits.
From the bottle:
Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec is a legacy of traditions passed down from generation to generation; and expresses the passions of everyone involved in the vineyards' labours.
Hand-selected grapes are then transformed into a concentrated garnet-red wine whose lively red fruit aromas and silky tannins make way for a flood of sensations on the palate.
14.5% Alcohol
As we've said many times before we're not fans of using terms like "reserve" when there's no agreed upon definition or standard (like there is in Spain). That said, for wineries that produce different levels of wines, these terms can be helpful for distinguishing quality levels. This is assuming, of course, that they are used correctly and are not just for marketing purposes. Today's wine ups the ante even more, adding in the "Golden" term. (What's next, "Platinum Reserve"?)
Despite our reservations with the naming strategy, it actually does help to differentiate among Trivento's many different wines with the Golden Reserve being a step up in price from their normal Reserve line. Let's find out if it is also a step up in taste.
The 2012 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec begins with a very attractive aroma full of violets, lavender, blackberries and cola. Taking a sip uncovers a well-structured, smooth and dry wine full of deep fruit flavors and tinged with toasty oak. Plum, blackberry, black cherry, licorice, a little spice and herbs are all on display in this very tasty and balanced medium to full-bodied wine. Fine tannins and even a bit of minerality lead into the long, satisfying and slightly dusty finish which features some lingering notes of chocolate and tobacco.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.