Buenos Aires – As I mentioned in this morning’s post, folks brought quite a few wines (7½ bottles for 12 of them). Lucky for me, that meant four bottles at the end of the night with a glass or more of wine for me to sample. I didn’t get to them until today, so they’d been open a day, but here are my thoughts.

• Rutini Sauvignon Blanc 2005, from Maipú in Mendoza – good acidity, creaminess, and noticeable vanilla from oak barrel aging. Cantaloupe and pink grapefruit flavors, with just a touch of grassiness. Quite pleasant!
• Don David Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, from Cafayate in Salta – medium bodied, soft tannins, good acidity. Smoky, black cherry fruit, green tobacco leaf, a bit of white pepper, well integrated oak. Pleasant, easy drinking wine.
• Putruele Cabernet-Syrah 2003, from San Juan de la Frontera – medium to full bodied, rich mouthfeel, soft tannins, decent acidity. Bittersweet chocolate from a fair amount of oak, dark blackberry and cassis fruit, a touch of dry tobacco, cedar, and plenty of mixed spices. Very good, though a trifle alcoholic.
• Weinkellerei Peter Mertes Beerenauslese 2002, from the Rheinhessen region of Germany – although it’s difficult to find imported wine, especially from somewhere like Germany, here, it’s not impossible, and one of the guests came with a half bottle of this dessert wine that he found in the Jumbo supermarket. Made from unspecified grapes and distributed not under the winery’s label, but under the label of their parent company, German industrial conglomerate Feinkost Käfer München. Fairly sweet (though interestingly the label recommends it as an apertif rather than dessert wine), somewhat dull acidity, and a little cloying on the finish. Stewed apricot fruit, honey, and a touch of cloves. Okay, and certainly a nice change from the norm here, but not particularly good as beerenausleses go.