£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 argue with the theory when you taste Eggo Malbec, which was fermented then aged for a year in unlined cement eggs. It has a stony, earthy nuttiness, verging on leather, with deep, fresh blackcurrant and black pepper notes, silky textured tannins and a fresh, faintly salty finish. It’s full bodied enough to take on anything that comes screamingly juicy and charred from the barbecue, but soft enough not to overpower gentler and more gently cooked meat and vegetables.
Zorzal Eggo Malbec 2015, Guantallary, Mendoza, Argentina
£16, in 200 Marks & Spencer stores and marksandspencer.com/c/wine-shop