You may or may not know that 17 April 2012 is Malbec World Day. What it means to you or me precisely I do not know however, any excuse to open a bottle of wine on a Tuesday should be fully embraced.
My humble suggestion to try for this year is Mendel Wines' Lunta Malbec 2009, from Mendoza, Argentina. This particular bottle was intercepted by me at Majestic wines for around £10, after I had tried it on one of their recent 'wine walks'.
Before opening this bottle, a couple of things on the exterior indicate a degree of quality. The bottle proudly wears a badge on the front lapel, boasting a gold medal award at the 2011 Argentina Wine Awards. More impressive to me though is the detail on the back label, clearly providing information on the location, altitude, grape variety, age of vines, date of harvest, duration of maceration and date of bottling. This feels like a vintner who cares what they make.
On the nose is immediate oak, strong with a subtle handful of earth thrown in. Behind this but still quite detectable is the undertone of red fruits, such as plums and blackberries and I have to swear I could also detect the slightest whiff of diesel. The taste is primarily of oak too, beautifully robust but not overpowering and continues throughout, providing that dry, well balanced tannin texture. Spice compliments the fading taste. Fruit is very much secondary to the oak but is ever present in the background. This is different to the French Malbec from Cahors that I recently reviewed which had a very similar structure but had a more fruity, 'Christmas Pudding' presence about it. Nevertheless, the Lunta is a lovely strong wine with an enjoyable, warming power.
The strength and arbourious taste makes this a good partner for food. Most fitting for the occasion would be a nice big Argentinian steak and so if you are lucky enough to have one in your fridge, then Lunta would be a more than competent wingman. A more realistic suggestion is parmesan cheese, which really changes when eaten with this wine and is a great example of how a good wine can compliment a food. Try it for yourself and see.
So, on Tuesday after work, buy a nice wedge of smelly Parmesan and a bottle of Lunta. Open the bottle then go and get changed, send those final emails, update facebook and twitter and switch on the TV. By the time you are ready for the wine, the wine should be ready for you. If anyone asks why you are drinking on a school night, laugh out loud and say in a mock knowledgeable tone, 'Don't you know what day it is?', then pour them a glass too.
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