#Malbec

Aug 25, 2022

WINE OF THE WEEK: Malbado Malbec 2019, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

£12/£14, Asda You might not expect it from the name Malbado, a take on ‘malvado’, the Spanish for ‘the evil one’, but this is a silky and elegant Malbec with a captivating perfume of violets, pure, precise fruit (especially blueberry and plum), a mineral inflection, a touch of spice and fine tannins. It comes from Ugarteche, a small sub-region lying on the southern fringes of the Lujan de Cuyo region at an altitude of around 900m, which is high by global standards but about a

Feb 3, 2022

WINE OF THE WEEK: Gaia Organic Malbec 2019, Gualtallary, Mendoza, Argentina

£11.99 on offer (normally £16.99), Waitrose Named after the Greek earth goddess Gaia, Domaine Bousquet's stylish Malbec is rich and succulent with polished tannins and seamless structure. Woodsmoke, rosemary and a hint of liquorice add layers to the glossy, dark, plum and elderberry fruit and long mineral-edged finish. I've written about this pioneering French-founded estate before here, but, briefly, it was established in remote virgin territory in Alta Gualtallary in the la

Sep 30, 2021

WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine Bousquet Finca Lalande Malbec 2020, Mendoza, Argentina

£7.49 on offer, Waitrose This is Malbec with the succulent, ripe fruit typical of the grape variety in Argentina (all black cherry, plum and cassis), but freshened with cooler, savoury black pepper and black olive flavours that recall Malbec in its original French homeland of Cahors. It's a winning combination and a beautifully tailored wine, too, with a lot of finesse for a wine at this price level (talking of which, it's very good value at its full price and a bargain at th

May 6, 2021

WINE OF THE WEEK: Luigi Bosca Malbec Selección de Vistalba 2018, Mendoza, Argentina

£12.99, down from £16.99 until 1 June, Waitrose I was going to recommend this Malbec a few weeks ago but then spotted the offer that started yesterday: £4 off from now until 1 June – too tempting to resist, especially as the weather hasn't exactly been demanding quintessential summer wines recently. The grapes are from the Bodega Luigi Bosca's estate vineyards at altitudes of 900–1100 metres in the Mendoza sub-regions of Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco, the latter giving fresh

Dec 2, 2019

The Festive Red Wine Guide 2019

My round up of red wines to take you through all kinds of festivities - major, minor and in some cases festivities for years to come. As always, wines are listed in ascending order of price, give or take differences in retailers’ prices and special offers (note that offers in stores and online are not always the same). If you're in the money, you'll know to scroll down and start at the end. One big retailer worth a mention is the Co-op: several wines I would like to have reco

Nov 20, 2019

On top of the (wine) world: Argentina's Altura Máxima

You're never far from a cactus in Argentina: at Finca Colomé (left and centre); at Altura Máxima (right) There is much more to Argentine wine than Mendoza and Malbec – some of the very best things are happening in a far-off place at an altitude that was not even a pipe dream until this century – let alone on my bucket list. Christoph Ehrbar, chairman and CEO of The Hess Group, owner of Grupo Colomé, with vineyard manager (and asado maestro) Rafa in the 3111m Altura Máxima vin

Oct 11, 2018

WINE OF THE WEEK: Adnams Selection Malbec El Dominio 2017, Mendoza, Argentina

£9.99, Adnams Bright, pure, succulent, supple and fresh with proper concentration and yet a lightness of touch – hallmarks of Susana Balbo, a leading winemaker, consultant and inspiration to the Argentine wine industry since the 1980s. It's her son José who now leads the winemaking at El Dominio del Plata, the family estate in Mendoza's high Lujàn de Cuyo region, so he can take credit for the blackberry and black-pepper depth, satin texture and subtle oak of this Malbec, but

Jul 27, 2017

WINE OF THE WEEK: Zorzal Eggo Malbec 2015, Guantallary, Mendoza, Argentina

£16, Marks & Spencer Eggs are quite a thing in wine nowadays. Not egg whites for fining red wines but large cement or concrete eggs for fermenting both reds and whites. The idea is that the ovoid shape keeps the wine gently moving, keeping the lees in suspension, which creates better texture – both fuller in the mouth and smoother – and keeps the wine fresh. The shape, size and material also maintain the wine at an even temperature, which is also to the good. It’s hard to arg

Jun 8, 2017

WINE OF THE WEEK: Rod McDonald Wines One Off Malbec Hawkes Bay 2014, New Zealand

£15.75, Oddbins I feel a bit of traitor choosing this Malbec when I’m more or less within spitting distance of the grape variety’s home territory of Cahors in southwest France. It’s not even as if Malbec is a speciality of New Zealand, as it is of Argentina. In fact it’s pretty unusual to find it solo in New Zealand: it’s much more often added to Cabernet and Merlot to beef them up a bit. Anyway, this wine is too good not to recommend it. In a way, it’s a halfway house betwe

Apr 28, 2016

Go Grow it on a Mountain: extreme winemaking in Chile

Tabalí's winemaker Felipe Müller East goes to extremes in Chile: first he planted vineyards within spitting distance of the Pacific Ocean. Now he's also making world-class Malbec way inland and way up a mountain The new vineyards at 1600 metres under snow in October When Chilean winemaker Felipe Müller planted Tabalí’s Roca Madre vineyard five years ago, he settled on no fewer than 11 grape varieties. It sounds like a kid let loose in the viticultural equivalent of a sweet sh

Dec 16, 2015

Festive Red Wines

Ten red wines to serve with the Christmas feast Wines listed in ascending order of price. I've given a UK stockist (or two) for each, but you can find other stockists in the UK and other countries on wine-searcher.com Cimarosa Carmenère 2012, Colchagua, Chile Crowd-pleasing, fresh, velvet-soft Carmenère with a typical, smoky, green-pepper edge to the blackberryish fruit. A match for turkey, but not up to goose. £6.99, Lidl Domaine Mas Barrau Cabernet Franc 2014, Pays du Gard,