Palacios Petalos Del Bierzo Mencia 2009

There are times in life when fortune smiles directly upon you and places treasure in your path, reminding you to keep your eyes open for the wonderful and spectacular.  When fortune takes the form of wine, it can turn an average wine drinker into a passionate wine lover in just one glass.  This happened to me a while ago upon discovering Gewurztraminer.  Had that particular chance encounter never have happened though, Petalos would have ignited that flame.

Petalos is made from the Mencia grape and comes from the Bierzo region of north-west Spain.  This one found its way to me via Majestic Wines for around £15.  The price may cause some momentary indecisiveness but hey, fortune also favours the brave.

Give this wine the opportunity to have a good stretch and get used to its surroundings. It's come a long way in cramped and probably dark conditions so decanting for at least half an hour will enable the wine to open and give up so much more.

On the nose, I got nothing too obvious, red fruits were present but confidently understated.  The absence of any wood notes was pleasantly surprising but a good long sniff produced a very faint scent of wood smoke.  The taste is light but unmistakably strong, a beautiful velvety smoothness which clearly sets this wine apart and fully justifies the price.  Medium tannins can be easily felt in the cheeks and tongue and the combined red fruits make for a balanced taste although difficult to isolate and identify individually.  Spice develops in the closing stages, concluding what can only be described as a very pleasing mouthful.  

I found a previous review in a book called, Life's Too Short to Drink Bad Wine by Simon Hoggart and it states, "...light and soft, but with a deceptive richness and depth..." I could not agree more.  At 14.5% (probably at least 15% in reality), this is the sort of wine that will go to your legs without letting you know about it.

Admittedly, Mencia is a new discovery for me but one I shall be more keenly aware of in future, especially as I understand 'oaked' examples are also made in this smooth style.  Mencia would be a great grape to try if you want to expand beyond Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Mencia appears to be exclusively Spanish with the best producing regions being Rias Biaxas, Ribeiro in Galicia and Beirzo in Leon.  Look for these names on a bottle as an indicator of quality and let fortune's smile bring you some well deserved treasures.

Lunta Malbec 2009 Argentina Malbec World Choice

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.