Merle, Malbec, Mendoza!
Last week or thereabouts, I had this epiphany about Merle Haggard. I decided that if he drank, sure he’d be a domestic beer drinker – but that he oughta be a Malbec man.
Like so many epiphanies, I had a hard time figuring out the “Eureka!” factor once the wine wore off. I think it was something along the lines of ‘Hey, Merle is a good ol’ boy and back in the day he dogged on hippies and anti-war protestors, but now he's against this Iraq debacle and he’s backing Hillary for Prez. Ergo, he’s graduated to Malbec.”
I’m not saying Malbec is necessarily the elixer of progressives – but you could do worse. Malbec is THE grape of Argentina, and I like it. It’s different. It’s a deep inky purple-red color, and it’s rich, dark and juicy. It’s meaty – definitely not wimpy -- and it’s said to have “a good attack.”
This militaristic description-- attack -- is meant to describe how a wine tastes when it first enters your mouth. In hindsight, those “planners” at the Pentagon might have thought more about the finish and less about the initial attack. Malbecs seem to have both a good attack and a persistent finish, a commendable combination in both wine and war. And – hello, George? Dick? – Malbecs are reasonably priced.
October staff picks at Cellar Rat were rich in Malbecs. Go, Argentina! I liked the Lo Tengo Malbec, dark and dry and drenched in black cherries. And $10. Typical for a Malbec, it was medium-to full-bodied, with soft tannins that made it more approachable than other mouth-dessicating red wines.
With its easier tannins and solid structure, Malbec is often used as a blending grape, and to good effect. My favorite wine of the tasting was the Don Nicanor Blend, a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot, in equal concentrations. It has a nice smoky note from its year in French oak, and solid structure, with cocoa and toast and rich fruit. I think it was the 2004. $18.
I also was impressed by the Don Tiburcio Blend, again a Malbec and Cab mixture, but with Cabernet Franc instead of the Merlot used in the aforementioned blend. It’s an intense, flavorful wine, with soft tannins and a long finish. $15.
This weekend, I had a pleasant surprise in store for me at Lisa’s, where we were slurping a baby Super Tuscan and an Aussie Cab-Shiraz when Sandy showed up with a trio of options. We jumped on the Crios Malbec, and it was a good decision. This is the Malbec of Susana Balbo, and I think I love her. She’s the wife half of the winemaking team of Pedro and Susana Balbo, and I want a case of her. Her Malbec.
It’s the 2006, for Pete’s sake, and it’s $12! It’s got cherries and berries and spice and smoky oak, and it’s juicy and jammy and altogether a wonderful quaff. Clint Eastwood would like this wine, so I’m thinkin’ Merle needs to start here with his Malbecs. Cowboy up, boys and girls!
Like so many epiphanies, I had a hard time figuring out the “Eureka!” factor once the wine wore off. I think it was something along the lines of ‘Hey, Merle is a good ol’ boy and back in the day he dogged on hippies and anti-war protestors, but now he's against this Iraq debacle and he’s backing Hillary for Prez. Ergo, he’s graduated to Malbec.”
I’m not saying Malbec is necessarily the elixer of progressives – but you could do worse. Malbec is THE grape of Argentina, and I like it. It’s different. It’s a deep inky purple-red color, and it’s rich, dark and juicy. It’s meaty – definitely not wimpy -- and it’s said to have “a good attack.”
This militaristic description-- attack -- is meant to describe how a wine tastes when it first enters your mouth. In hindsight, those “planners” at the Pentagon might have thought more about the finish and less about the initial attack. Malbecs seem to have both a good attack and a persistent finish, a commendable combination in both wine and war. And – hello, George? Dick? – Malbecs are reasonably priced.
October staff picks at Cellar Rat were rich in Malbecs. Go, Argentina! I liked the Lo Tengo Malbec, dark and dry and drenched in black cherries. And $10. Typical for a Malbec, it was medium-to full-bodied, with soft tannins that made it more approachable than other mouth-dessicating red wines.
With its easier tannins and solid structure, Malbec is often used as a blending grape, and to good effect. My favorite wine of the tasting was the Don Nicanor Blend, a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot, in equal concentrations. It has a nice smoky note from its year in French oak, and solid structure, with cocoa and toast and rich fruit. I think it was the 2004. $18.
I also was impressed by the Don Tiburcio Blend, again a Malbec and Cab mixture, but with Cabernet Franc instead of the Merlot used in the aforementioned blend. It’s an intense, flavorful wine, with soft tannins and a long finish. $15.
This weekend, I had a pleasant surprise in store for me at Lisa’s, where we were slurping a baby Super Tuscan and an Aussie Cab-Shiraz when Sandy showed up with a trio of options. We jumped on the Crios Malbec, and it was a good decision. This is the Malbec of Susana Balbo, and I think I love her. She’s the wife half of the winemaking team of Pedro and Susana Balbo, and I want a case of her. Her Malbec.
It’s the 2006, for Pete’s sake, and it’s $12! It’s got cherries and berries and spice and smoky oak, and it’s juicy and jammy and altogether a wonderful quaff. Clint Eastwood would like this wine, so I’m thinkin’ Merle needs to start here with his Malbecs. Cowboy up, boys and girls!
posted by Winetaster | 1:05 PM
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