Layer Cake, Malbec, 2007 (Mendoza, Argentina) - So I've reviewed Layer Cake twice before (Shiraz in different years) and the first time I absolutely loved it while the second I thought it had lost some edge.  Sometime after I read an article that Layer Cake was branching out and offering a variety of other grapes and blends in their famous own style.  It was with no hesitation then that I bought the Malbec - I was very curious about what they would do with it.  Well...  It's a whole lot like their Shiraz.  Not identical but honestly if I didn't know this was Malbec I would have guessed it was Shiraz.  Yeah, it's bold, rich, fruit forward.  Really though I was kind of bored with it.  And I'm wondering how much of using their name is simply marketing.  On the back it says this was "estate bottled by INV #B-73099 Mendoza, Argentina" so shouldn't that mystery source really get the credit instead?  Oh well.  I enjoyed it.  It still doesn't have the magic of the original Layer Cake I had tried.  I'll give this 6 out of 10 for upper average.

Bloom, Dornfelder, 2005 (Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany) - The latest we tried at work.  There's nice fruit but no finish as the taste of fruit drops off almost immediately.  All agreed it was drinkable, even enjoyable, but the consensus also was it's too much like a fruit juice, and the relatively low alcohol at 10.5% partly confirms that.  Well, a worthwhile experiment but certainly not a wine of high respect in our opinions.  Still it's a 5 out of 10 for lower average.

St. Francis Winery, Red, 2004 (Sonoma County, California) - An example of one of those many California red blends which have potential in the store to be a tasty Rhone-style surprise value but don't always measure up.  In this case it was just OK.  Cost around $15.  I found it thin and mild, more reminiscent of cheaper wines.  So it's OK but not worth becoming a regular.  Just 5 out of 10 for lower average.