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.

Opening with a nose of plum and ripe cherries, accompanied by aromas of black pepper and just enough oak, this is definitely a ‘go-to’ Malbec. The first sip will deliver plenty of those black pepper aromas to your taste buds, complimented by big juicy fruit, and hints of super dark cocoa. Its a fairly heavy red with a wonderfully full mouth feel, and soft tannins. The lengthy finish is primarily made up of pepper and oak, with subtle cherry. If your looking for something east to pair it with, throw some seasoned cubed steak, red and green peppers, and some chopped onions into a foil bag, and let it roast on the grill. Dinner and wine in under 30 minutes!

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I love Malbec, and I’m always really excited when i find an awesome one for a good price. This is one of those Malbecs. It opens with nuances of strawberry jam, black pepper, plenty of dark cherry, and subtle oak. I was surprised when a great deal of oak carried over to the palate, along with a not so surprising amount of black pepper. Its got nice upfront fruit, more subtle than expected, but the balance of french oak and fruit on the finish is perfect. Technically, its medium to heavy medium bodied, but I could see it standing up nicely to some serious grilled steak, or pork. However, drink it over pizza, or a tomato sauce based dish and your going to bring out a lot more of those fruit flavors. As for cheese, definitely Smoked Gouda.