Wine of the Month - December 2011
2010 Makia Estate Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina - $10.99
We never thought we would feature a wine that seems to be achieving global-dominance (it’s our natural suspicion of things that seem to achieve success easily…), but this increasingly popular grape can’t be denied this month.
Malbec, hailing originally from Bordeaux and Cahors in southwest France, has achieved more recent notoriety in its Argentinean guise, reveling in the dry, sunny conditions at high altitudes (between 2500 and 5000 ft) under the Andes mountains.
Its popularity is largely due to Malbec producing dark, generous, fruit-driven and well-structured wines that pair so well with steak; which let’s be honest, is breakfast, lunch and dinner down in the Argentine. The rest of the world agrees apparently.
This wine got our attention, not because of its power (which is a typical Malbec trait), but for its elegance and charm. It is an intense ruby red in color with violet shades. The nose is generous with ripe red cherry and plum notes; the palate is quite delicate for a Malbec, but with good intensity and concentration of ripe fruit, balanced with fine tannins. It struck us as a perfect red for almost any occasion, which is relevant and rather useful with the holidays upon us. Dinner gathering/cringe-worthy office party/holiday blues remediation/inexpensive but tasty gift? This great little wine will work for all the above.
We never thought we would feature a wine that seems to be achieving global-dominance (it’s our natural suspicion of things that seem to achieve success easily…), but this increasingly popular grape can’t be denied this month.
Malbec, hailing originally from Bordeaux and Cahors in southwest France, has achieved more recent notoriety in its Argentinean guise, reveling in the dry, sunny conditions at high altitudes (between 2500 and 5000 ft) under the Andes mountains.
Its popularity is largely due to Malbec producing dark, generous, fruit-driven and well-structured wines that pair so well with steak; which let’s be honest, is breakfast, lunch and dinner down in the Argentine. The rest of the world agrees apparently.
This wine got our attention, not because of its power (which is a typical Malbec trait), but for its elegance and charm. It is an intense ruby red in color with violet shades. The nose is generous with ripe red cherry and plum notes; the palate is quite delicate for a Malbec, but with good intensity and concentration of ripe fruit, balanced with fine tannins. It struck us as a perfect red for almost any occasion, which is relevant and rather useful with the holidays upon us. Dinner gathering/cringe-worthy office party/holiday blues remediation/inexpensive but tasty gift? This great little wine will work for all the above.
