I just got 7 boxes of Pinot noir and 7 boxes of Malbec from Beer & Wine Hobby in Woburn, MA. The pinot noir was in fantastic condition. I was amazed at the quality. (First time for me with Chilean grapes). Brix was 24 on the Pinot. The Malbec was a little disappointing. One box was very nice, but the other 6 boxes had a lot of dried out, raisin-y looking fruit. Brix was a tad low on the Malbec too (22).
I'll let you know in a year if it's any good. In the meantime, there is a funny story on my blog about it. I had a famous winemaker from Burgundy as a guest at my home over the weekend and he had some comments on my winemaking, and offered to teach me "real winemaking" in France for two weeks in the fall. I may take him up on it. Good read if you have a few minutes. Link is in my profile. Can't post it here. I'm a noob.
Jacques