EAST COAST PALATE

Here's another wine from Mendoza Argentina.  The Uco Valley is about an hour's drive southwest of the city of Mendoza, and it's gaining more and more recognition for their Malbec, Torrontes, Merlot, and even Pinot Noir.
This 50/50 blend caught my eye down at Adega Cellar in Silver Spring mainly because the winery where I used to work - SYZYGY - makes a wine that is a blend of Malbec, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  While Syzygy's Saros blend is work of enological art, this blend by Urban was unimpressive. 
There aromatic components are masked by the high alcohol %.  There's a cotton candy smell mixed with flowers, strawberry and even some stinky poo aromas, but they don't mesh well for me. 
In the mouth it starts smooth, then heats up with a bit of spice that I'd attribute mostly to the 14.5% booze level.  The oak tannins on the back end were a bit overbearing, completely drying my gums after each sip. 
It seemed like all the puzzle pieces for a quality wine were there, but nobody bothered to put the thing together.  This bottle retails for about $12, but I don't think I'll ever have it again; it was just too dissappointing for a wine made from two varietals that I enjoy so much.