Many years ago I tried, what I believe, was one of the best Malbecs I had tried from Argentina, it was the Chilean winery Montes' Argentinean project called Kaiken and the wine was called Ultra - and it truly was (ultra). Since then I have watched as Kaiken has become it's own name and brand and has now also come into the Ontario market as a Vintages Essential product, meaning it is available all the time, the Ultra is still a once in a while item but the Reserva is readily available, and quite tasty. So imagine my surprise (happily) when I saw that the Ultra was coming back, but this time instead of the Malbec we were going to meet his brother, Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon (being released this weekend at Vintages - Nov. 21, 2009). I have acquired a bottle early so that I can drink it before most people even line up tomorrow morning. The wine is rich and fruity on the nose with plenty of blackberry and black cherry to go around. The palate likes to focus on the spiciness of this wine instead of the intense fruit the nose seems to hone in on, all the while we deal with some pretty firm, yet flexible tannins on the tongue. I still think the Ultra line is one of the best to come out of Argentina and I'm glad to see another varietal being used ... this is one big wine (14.5%) that needs a big glass or some decanting (or if you have it, some time). I'm also a big fan of the dark chocolate finish. Drink up.
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