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Wine is as good as life to a man, if it be drunk moderately: what life is then to a man that is without wine? for it was made to make men glad.
—Ecclesiasticus, ch. 38, v. 1
(Our sample bottle was purchased by us at standard retail.)
Colonia Las Liebres is, as their web site puts it, "part of the Altos Las Hormigas family". Bonarda is the grape once rather popular in California under the name "Charbono"; it is now a major grape in Argentina, second only in importance there to Malbec. The Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda is very widely available in the U.S. at retail prices that range from under $7 up to about $17; the high ones are outliers, and the average price is about $9.
As you can see if you check the links farther below, there is a modest discrepancy between the numerous CellarTracker posts, which find this a rather "average" wine, and the professionals, who seem to have hot pants over it.
Our own experience was a lot more to the "pretty average" side, though as always we caution against one-bottle samplings (owing to the notorious phenomenon of botttle variation). Our initial live notes say "Nothing notably wrong, nothing notably right," and that seems to sum it.
There was assuredly fruit there, dark and almost that classic "brooding", but somewhat unfocussed and vague. We, at least, did not sense much subtlety or complexity here, just a solid, fairly strong red wine. Basically, as we often describe wines, "harmless". Fine to drink, with some modest enjoyment, but not something to seek out. (Though we will in time seek out at least a second bottle, to see if the experience differs.)
On CellarTracker.
On Wine Searcher's Tasting Notes page.
Of some major wine-review sites:
(October 2010), 89 points:
Amazing value produced by the team of Antonini & Pagli; over-delivers big time.
(15 May 2005), 88 points:
Juicy and forward, with succulent plum, blackberry, toast and briar flavors. Fleshy and sweet through the finish. Textbook Bonarda.
(15 October 2005), 87 points:
Round and fleshy, with tasty dark plum, blackberry and chocolate flavors. Fresh finish makes it easy to drink.
(15 May 2006), 87 points:
Clean, pure and driven with fresh plum fruit and a dash of vanilla. Tasty and uncomplicated.
(31 October 2007), 87 points:
Ripe and juicy, with lots of plum, sweet toast, cocoa and boysenberry jam notes that are fleshy and delicious through the finish. A crowd-pleaser.
(31 August 2008), 87 points:
Thoroughly delicious red, with mouthfilling plum and sweet spice flavors backed by a long, juicy, well-rounded finish. The good dash of grip should help it stand up to summer’s grilled foods.
(30 June 2009), 87 points:
Shows nice dark, juicy plum, licorice and spice notes with a fleshy, open-knit finish. Tasty.
(30 April 2011):
Soft, ripe and friendly, with tasty plum and blackberry fruit melded with sweet, dark toast.
(2 July 2012):
A ripe, jammy red, sporting spicy plum and black cherry compote notes, with hints of tar and spice filling the finish.
(January/February 2010), 88 points:
Medium ruby. Pure aromas of black cherry, licorice and mint. Juicy and bright, with pungent, well-integrated acidity framing the fairly intense black fruit flavors. Finishes with light tannins and good length. In texture and weight-and lack of oak influence-this reminded me of a cross between dolcetto and barbera. And not a bit rustic for bonarda.
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