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Story and photography by Manos Angelakis
Argentinean Malbec
I have become exceptionally fond of Argentinean Malbec wines.
Yes, I know, Malbec has been a transplant to the Mendoza region from France. Called Auxerrois or Côt Noir in Cahors, Malbec in Bordeaux, and Pressac, Médoc Noir, or Noir De Pressac in other places, the grape is now found primarily in Cahors vineyards in Southwest France and is one of the six grapes allowed in claret Bordeaux blends.
While acreage of Malbec is declining in France, in Argentina the grape is prospering and has become a "national varietal". Malbec is flourishing in Mendoza and knowledgeable winemakers there now create delightful, dark, full-bodied, 100% varietal wines.
At recent tastings, I enjoyed wines from two Argentinean producers that I think should be included in any well-rounded cellar and, of course, should grace every wine lover’s table, to accompany grilled meats, wild game and strong flavored cheeses.
The first is the 2007 Kaiken Ultra Malbec, a concentrated fruity wine with aromas of black plum, black cherry and hints of tobacco and cedar. This wine is silky with round, soft tannins. Just released, it is ready to drink now but will hold quite well if cellared for a few years. Its less expensive brother, 2007 Kaiken Reserva Malbec is worth purchasing and enjoying now. It is a juicy, seductive, velvety wine with a persistent finish. Both wines are created by Aurelio Montes, the Chilean winemaking superstar, in Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo.
The other two Argentinean Malbecs that I enjoyed are created, also in Luján de Cuyo by Pablo Gonzalez and his son, Juan Pablo. The winery is Hacienda del Plata, a boutique winery that produces only about 6,000 cases of mostly Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, with some Sauvignon Blanc and a very decent Syrah Rosé. The vineyard is organic, in the process of becoming biodynamic. The most remarkable of the wines I tasted was the 2005 Mayoral Malbec, a superpremium wine that accompanied a beautiful, charcoal-broiled churrasco. It is created from the hand-harvested fruit of 75-year old vines. This wine is very concentrated, perfectly balanced, with an intense nose of plum, black cherries, tobacco, and hints of vanilla and tropical fruit. Ripe tannins frame sweet, not all that pronounced, oak. Its less expensive brother is Arriero Malbec, from the same vintage. It has a slightly different aromatic pattern than its bigger brother with the same nose of plum, black cherries and tobacco, but with the addition of spicy eucalyptus notes; a very Chilean-like configuration. Considering that Luján de Cuyo is just across the Andes from Santiago de Chile and the Maipo Valley, the similarity in the aromatic configuration is not surprising.
All these wines are now available in the US market and if you like clean, delicious tastes, it is well worth looking for them.
To your health!
© October 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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