Pascal Toso wines with the 125th anniversary bottle

Tuesday, October 11th: Paid a mass of bills. Wrote my commentary for Quench magazine on the 300th anniversary of the Chianti Classico designation. For dinner, barbecued steak with a bottle of Quails’ Gate Merlot 2014: deep purple colour; savoury, vanilla and blueberry nose; medium-bodied, dry with herb-tinged blueberry flavour. (88)

Wednesday, October 12th: Down to the National Club for a tasting of Pascual Toso wines with winemaker Felipe Stahlschmidt followed by lunch.

• Pascual Toso Malbec 2014: deep purple colour; plum bouquet with a soapy, peppery note; medium to full-bodied, dry, creamy mouth-feel with plum and cherry flavours and a note of sandalwood. (86.5)
• Pascual Toso Cabernet Sauvignon 2014: deep purple colour; cedary, plum and blackcurrant nose with a note of cinnamon and white pepper; medium-bodied, dry, well-extracted plummy fruit with fresh acidity and a chocolate finish. (88)
• Pascual Toso Barrancas Toso 2014 (60% Malbec, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon): deep purple colour with a violet rim; black fruit aromas on the nose with evident oak; medium to full-bodied, dry with savoury-herbal notes and a lick of licorice on the finish. (88)
• Pascual Toso Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Edition 2014: dense purple colour; cedary, spicy, blackcurrant nose; medium to full-bodied, dry, well-made, fruity and spicy cherry and blackcurrant flavours with soft tannins. (89)
• Pascual Toso Selected Vines Reserva 2013 (100% Malbec): dense purple colour; inky, blackberry and plum bouquet with oak spice; medium to full-bodied, juicy and fruity with cherry and blackberry flavours shaped by soft tannins. (88.5)
• Pascual Toso Alta Malbec 2013 (100% Malbec): dense purple colour; herbal-spicy, vanilla oak, blackberry and blackcurrant nose; medium to full-bodied, dry, elegant, fruity, well-balanced with a note of cocoa powder on the firm, well-structured finish. (90)
• Pascual Toso Alta Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (100% Cabernet Sauvignon): dense purple colour; cedary, oyster shell node of black fruits with vanilla oak; medium to full-bodied, dry, black fruit flavours with a floral note but some greenness in the tannins. (88)
• Finca Pedregal 2013 (72% Malbec, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon): dense purple colour; cedary, spicy, blackcurrant nose with vanilla oak; medium to full-bodied, dry, elegant, spicy-fruity plum and blackcurrant flavours with supple tannins. (91)
• Magdalena Toso 2012 (73% Malbec, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon): dense purple colour; blackcurrant an plum aromas backed by spicy, vanilla oak; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, fresh with lively acidity. (89)

To tend the tasting we sampled a double magnum of the 125th anniversary of Pascual Toso Barrancas Toso 2014 (50% Malbec, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon): dense purple in colour; spicy, dark chocolate and blackberry nose with a savoury note and evident oak; medium to full-bodied, creamy, fruity blackberry and plum flavour; elegant, firmly structured with a lovely mouth-feel. (92)

Thursday, October 13th: Wrote my Lexpert column on a Thanksgiving theme – what I am grateful for in the wine world.

Friday, October 14th: A Vintages release tasting, the second half of the November 12th release which is huge. The fries on the way home tasted great.