Wine Flight - The 2010 And 2009 Masi Passo Doble: Wine Intrigue Between Vintages

Not too long ago we were in our local Liquor Store and they were having a clearance of some of the Masi Passo Doble which normally retails locally for $17.  Well, they were selling it for $12.50....SOLD!  We actually saw that there were two vintages in the lot, the 2009 and 2010.  We reviewed the 2009 Passo Doble back in April and found it to be a very good wine so we thought....Flight Time! (Check out our first review here)

So, we have the same wine, two vintages.

This wine is made in the Appassimento method which uses partially dried grapes in the wine making process to enhance the flavour profile of the wine.  Well, for Passo Doble regardless of the year, mission accomplished.

These wines once they were in the glass, nay as soon as they made the decanter, looked very different.  The '09 had a lot of the Malbec notes we have come accustom to but the overall dark colours are amazing.  Violets and dark colours are the name of the game here, excellent swirl in the glass and a lot of body.  The '10 is not outrageously different from a colour perspective (though certainly not as violet dark) but the body is different.  There is a lot more transparency in the wine (i.e. lighter in body).  Both nice but the 2009 wins this battle handily.

The '10 has a lot more floral and fruity (call it plums or cherries) notes to the nose than the '09 which is neither a good nor a bad thing just different.  However, the '09 has that roundness to the nose that makes us want to drink it.  Again, the 2010 on its own is a great nose, but in comparison the 2009 just wins.  The '10 has a bit of a metallic undertone, that is not bad, but makes the wine a touch on the musky or cedar side (not bad by any stretch) but when compared to a fuller and rounder '09...there is just no comparison.  We get cherries and pepper on the '09 that makes for a wonderful match.  Delicious and inviting.  Again, the 2009 is the clear winner.

The mouthfeel of the 2010 is all wood (cedar again) with a lot of savoury notes, such as a Corinthian leather taste and it is not fruity in the way that it smells.  It tastes of cedar, like chewing on a cedar plank that just came off the grill from cooking salmon.  There is not a lot of residual sugar in it at all.  Dry, dry, dry.  Then when you taste the 2009....wow.  Those violets are back with cherries and a full and rounded mouthfeel, it is amazing.  Winner!....sorry 2010.....you lose.  If we had been smart we would have gone back and bought them out of the 2009.

A small note to the 2010:

You are a great little wine full of savoury and bold flavours.  You deserve to be tasted on your own but when compared to your big brother, you are....well....just not up to his standards.  We are soooo sorry about that, and we know the truth hurts, but we can't say it any other way.

We gave the 2009 an 85/100 last time around and that number holds up for us, the 2010 lives in the 80 to 82.5 range.  Which is respectable.  If we never knew that the 2009 existed we would probably really like the 2010.  But, if you can find the 2009 anywhere, buy it.....buy a LOT of it, especially if it is on sale.

Keep on tasting!

Chris & Shannon