Winter presents a dilemma for white-wine drinkers. A big oaky Napa Chardonnay is obviously an option. My choice for a winter white would probably be a full-bodied dry Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley. The problem is big oaky whites are tricky – how much oak, how much fruit, how much do you like the balance?

Dry Chenin Blanc is also tough because of price and selection. Not everyone carries a good selection; even fewer carry them for under $25 per bottle.

Another common dilemma is: I like red, you like white. Two half bottles definitely can work – but what a hassle. Unfortunately, half bottles of really nice wines are not lining up your retailers’ shelves. What’s a girl (or guy) to do?

Enter Michel Torino Malbec Rosé 2011, a really rich and smooth wine that packs a load of acid under the covers. It’s lush, fruity and fun. Whether you do white or red, this is the perfect winter compromise. What makes it work for everyone is that the really high acidity is totally hidden, but does its job nonetheless. It even tastes better very cool than just cool, which should really excite the white-wine drinker in the house.

Generally, the colder the wine is the more obvious the acidity. The warmer the wine is, therefore… Also, cold diminishes aromas and flavors; warmth does the opposite. That’s why wines that should be served “cold,” should really be served cool. Room temperature for reds was a concept developed when rooms were 60F – not the 75-80F we see now.

Obviously then, the Michel Torino Malbec Rosé 2011 has lusher, riper fruit when it’s a bit warmer. I’d say the temperature variance here should be 10 degrees – probably 50-60F.  I paired it recently with Chinese spare ribs. The wine is bone dry but it stood up so well to that hint of sweetness in the BBQ sauce (or however you reference it in Chinese cooking).

The finish is absurdly long for a rosé – rich, ripe and lush. It’s sure to blow the mind of that red-wine person you’re constantly butting heads with.

Malbec becomes Argentina’s flagship red wine

 

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By Fred Tasker

ftasker@MiamiHerald.com

I wish to report, modestly, that I wrote a wine column in May 1997 that started like this:

“You read it here first: Malbec, given time, will be the finest wine to come from Argentina. It will put that country’s arid, isolated wine country on the world map.”

Today I submit that it has happened, in spades.

Malbec came to Miami first because of our cultural connections to South America. Today it’s all over the wine world, by far Argentina’s most popular export wine. And amazingly, you will find tasting notes here for two malbecs that still cost only $6 each.

What we’ve learned since 1997 is that malbec is malleable. It can be turned into a pretty good $6 wine – nothing you’d cellar for decades, but a rich, fruity, user-friendly everyday wine. And it can be turned into a $55 stunner that’s little short of majestic.

Centuries ago, malbec was a minor grape used along with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot and cabernet in the blending of France’s vaunted Bordeaux reds. It was inky black and hard as nails in France’s maritime climate, and was used to add color and structure to the wines.

In Argentina, on the sunny eastern slopes of the Andes around Mendoza with their hot days and cold nights, high altitudes, near total lack of rainfall and poor soils, malbec was transformed. In a blind tasting, I would identify it as tasting just like those Brach’s candies: black cherries and dark chocolate, sweet, rich and creamy.

At Trapiche, Argentina’s biggest winery with 2,500 acres divided into dozens of vineyards under dozens of growers, all malbec winemaking is concentrated under a single winemaker, Daniel Pi.

Each year Trapiche chooses three of its top growers and bottles their wines exclusively for distribution. One of them this year is the “Icons” single-vineyard malbec by grower Adolfo Ahumada, from 3,000 feet up the Andes at Valle de Uco.

Another top winery, Michel Torino Estate, makes malbec with organic grapes, fertilizing with sheep manure (Aren’t you glad to know?), cutting weeds with machetes, adding less sulfur as a preservative in the final produce.

So enjoy. Just don’t tell the Argentines how good their wines are. I’m afraid they’ll jack up their prices.

Highly recommended

•  2010 Michel Torino Malbec, Cafayate Valley, Argentina: black cherry and dark chocolate flavors, full-bodied, big, ripe tannins; $13.

•  2007 Trapiche “Icons” Malbec Single Vineyard Vina Adolfo Ahumada, Mendoza, Argentina: aromas of cedar and smoke, concentrated mulberry and mocha flavors, big, ripe tannins, smooth, long finish; $55.

Recommended

•  2008 Trapiche Broquel Malbec, Mendoza: soft and rich, with flavors of black plums and mocha, ripe tannins, very smooth; $15.

•  2009 Falling Star Malbec, Cuyo, Argentina: soft, sweet and ripe, with black plum and cinnamon flavors; $6.

•  2010 Astica Malbec, Cuyo, Argentina: soft and sweet, with black cherry and milk chocolate flavors; $6.

•  2009 Trapiche Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina: black cherry and coffee flavors, big, ripe tannins, very smooth; $7.

•  2008 Michel Toreno Malbec “Don David” Malbec, Cafayate Valley, Argentina: hint of oak, flavors of black currants and coffee, with firm tannins; $16.

•  2010 Michel Torino Estate “Cuma” Malbec, Cafayate Valley, Argentina: flavors of black plums and prunes and cinnamon, rich and soft; $13.

•  2008 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina: hint of vanilla from oak aging, flavors of black cherries and black pepper, concentrated; $10.

 

6 Malbecs under $20

Celebrate World Malbec Day With These Dark Reds

By Maureen C. Petrosky

Apr 14, 2011 4:58 pm

+ ENLARGE

Michel Torino VIneyards, in Argentina's Cafayate Valley, produces great Malbecs like its Don David Reserve

It’s official! Argentina's favorite grape has earned its own holiday. World Malbec Day is this weekend (April 17 to be exact), so we’ve assembled a list of Malbecs that are worth trying, but that won't break the bank. 

These reds are all under $20 and offer more interesting sips than bottles twice their price. So what makes a Malbec awesome? Think big concentrated fruit like a Zinfandel, but more blackberry, plum, and cassis, not to mention elements of tobacco and chocolate.  

1. Gascón Malbec, 2009, $14* Open it. Sip it and then swirl it. You’ll be intrigued by how the Gascón Malbec changes even after a half hour of breathing. The ’09 growing season had its ups and downs, and in the end the dryness and low yields produced some seriously concentrated fruit. So if you like fruit forward, this wine is jam-packed just for you. Expect full body, but smooth, and it finishes with hints of spice.
2. Michel Torino, Don David Reserve Malbec, $16 When it comes to Malbecs the word "reserva" really does indicate a noticeable difference in your mouth. You'll get a wine that is more balanced, often richer and smoother. This one is plummy, it's spicy, and has a non-stop finish. 

 

Click above to watch Matthew Horbund talk Kosher for Passover and Easter wines on CBS12 WPEC

 

Don David Torrontes

With about 1,500 acres of vineyards  5,500 feet above sea level, the Michel Torino Estate is a key player in the Cafayate Valley of Argentina. The winery was founded in 1892 by brothers Salvador and David Michel, and they produce a wide variety of wines from a malbec rose to cabernet sauvignion to pinot noir and more. In the TV segment, select the Don David Torrontes Reserve 2009 as a great white wine for Easter, and for $16, it’s great any time. The nose of this wine is absolutely beautiful, with soft white flowers and a slight melon note.  The palate shows some citrus and melon, and is light and quite delicious. It will pair well with chicken, sea food and shellfish, and as I mention in the segment, Thai food.

 

Don David Malbec

As a red wine for Easter, I believe the Don David Mabec Reseve 2008 will be a fantastic wine selection. Malbec is a versatile wine, and it pairs well with beef or lamb prepared almost any way, as well as ham, which covers most of the meats at traditional Easter meals. Without any decanting this wine has a palate of simple red fruit, with restrained earthy notes. As it opens, the palate is powerful fruit of red cherries and a little chocolate, and shows definitely a bit more new world with it’s round flavor profile. The more this wine opens, the more dark the fruit gets, and the more complexities come out. With a price of about $15, it’s not only worth making an appearance on your Easter table, it may be the best value wine you can get for the holiday!

Of course, everyone is looking for the best wine for Easter, and Passover, and I’ve given just a few selections here. I’ll come back in a few days to offer some more Easter wine pairings, but I’d love to hear what you plan on serving this holiday season. Easter or Passover, what’s in your glass?

I have a Michel Torino Estate Don David Malbec Reserve 2008 open as I write this post.  Lisa has already written about this wine.  Last month it received a Parker rating of 90, and it costs only $13/bottle.  This is a wine that would get down and dirty at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, but would also shine in classy chic barVino.  Write this one down on paper, and stick it in your wallet for the next time you’re looking for an amazing red.