Price: $9.99 at Total Wine

Style: The “Anna”

Rating: “Ok”

Recommendation: “Have a glass or two”

Review:  Well, we’re not off to a real strong start this month. Although by no means a bad wine, this certainly isn’t something I’d be excited to drink every day. Dark purple with a hint of ruby red, the medium strength nose opens with black cherry, sweet tobacco, and plum. Dry and somewhat astringent on the palate. It starts out very strong but quickly drops off and lacks almost any mid-palate, becoming thinner and more diluted toward the finish. Really no meaningful taste in the mouth. The finish has nice length but becomes drier and drier as it progresses. I think this would be a good buy at maybe $6 or $7.

More info:

Produced by the Francois Lurton family who makes a wide variety of wines at a wide variety of quality levels in Chile, Argentina, Spain, and France. (http://www.francoislurton.com/en/) 

The name of the winery, Piedra Negra, translates to “Black Hands” in reference to the stains on the workers hands from handling the dark grape berries.

Ruta 22 refers to the main road (Route 22) that connects the Andes mountains to the Atlantic coast, crossing Argentina.

This wine is sourced from three unique vineyards around Mendoza with vines ranging from 15 to 40 years old.