It Starts With A Grape

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This lovely Malbec, hailing from Argentina, displays a gorgeous, vibrant ruby hue. Given its relatively young age, this high altitude (5,900ft.) red boasts multiple layers. But lets start with its nose… Upfront there’s a wave of dark, mature black cherries which lays upon a smooth aroma of warm oak. Beneath the robust cherries lays jammy fig and a more subtle note of truffle, hinting at the presence of an earthy side on the palate. Intrigued? I am! But this nose doesn’t end there, there’s also a most lovely scent of warm vanilla, with just a smidge of anise lurking below. The first thing to hit my palate was a big, fresh, zippy strawberry, fallowed by dark, heavy blackberry preserves. As the fruit dissipates, warm vanilla emerges momentarily, only to give way to a bone dry charred oak finish, with a touch of (drum roll please) earthy kamlata olives. Though I did not personally enjoy this lively Malbec with any particular dish, next time its going alongside a thick and juicy, pepper rubbed, grilled steak, with a side of portobbelo topped red mashed potatoes.

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Though not labeled Bordeaux, this is a Bordeaux style blend out of France composed of %60 Cabernet Sauvignon and %40 Merlot. It also happens to be made with organically grown grapes, and if I do say so myself, this is a shining example of what organic wine should be. If I were to blindly taste this wine there would not be the slightest of chances that I would guess it was organic. That being said, lets delve on into this beauty… Its deep ruby hue is so dark its borderline opaque, and its legs clung to the side of my glass like half-set jello. The nose on this scrumptious blend presented blueberry pie, warm vanilla creme brulee, and toasted almonds, it smelled so delicious my mouth was nearly watering. The first sip was bursting with fresh juicy blueberries and ripe red raspberries. As the upfront fruit dissipated it left behind a most pleasant toasty oak, which made it presence known but wasn’t overbearing.  In addition to the warm oak brought to my taste buds on a wave of wonderfully soft tannins, its finish possessed just a touch of molasses. This is one meticulously balanced red, with no need to aerate before enjoying. I paired it with bourbon glazed salmon fillet, and a side of garlic and butter sauteed green beans, which is a super easy, quick, and tasty meal by the way. Just let the salmon sit in a bourbon marinade for about a half hour, preheat your oven to 350 and stick it in, skin down on a well greased pan. Give it roughly 10 min for every inch thick your salmon is. As for the green beans, mince some garlic, chop your green beans and sautee them in butter till tender. Anyways, the fat in the salmon coats your palate and allows a wonderfully spicy side of this wine to emerge, filled with freshly cracked black pepper.