Malbec Quickies

Our malbec world news roundup:

-Turkey dinner? Try malbec says wine blogger PaulG. And a good list of Washington malbecs and argentinian ones

-Review of the 2006 Tierra Secreta Malbec (link)

-An afternoon at Bodegas Finca Flichman in Mendoza by blogger Eleuthera (link). I talked about Finca Flichman before, and here you have some very interesting comments from the Chief Winemaker of this Portuguese owned winery Luis Cabral de Almeida (a "pretty hot man" in the words of the writer):

Several years ago a friend tried to tell me how great the Argentinian (and Chilean) Malbecs were, but I wouldn't even taste them. However, the grape I knew from living in Bordeaux was a far cry from the one I finally tasted in South America: Malbecs from Argentina are rich, jammy, and luscious with some surprising complexity. Malbec thrives in Argentina, Luis explained, because of the low humidity. This explains their ability to get the delightful jammy qualities which I thoroughly enjoy.

Pascual Toso Malbec Rosé 2008

There is nothing left... My whole case is gone!
A serious, robust, vibrant but at the same time very easy to drink rosé wine from the Maipú District in Mendoza made with 100% malbec.

It is the kind of wine that you could drink and afford to have in the Thanksgiving table (it is going for less than U$ 10). This has solid fruit, all ripe and rich, an unmistakable "food wine" which will accompany an array of choices for the holidays.  The colour is a somehow dark strawberry red, with an aroma of plums and the taste of strawberry, rhubarb and dark red fruits. Amazing acidity, creamy and full bodied. At the mouth all of these combinations give an intense and refreshing taste.

I would not be afraid to pair this wine with just about anything. It was the talk of a barbecue party last weekend, with my friend begging me to get him some bottles. Women and men alike loved it. 
I was struck by the lingering and refreshing aftertaste. Not easy to get in a rosé wine at this price level.
Pascual Toso keeps delivering quality with very affordable prices.

2008 Rose "Susana Balbo Crios Rose of Malbec"

Getting ready for Thanksgiving! Another superb wine from Susana Balbo, a complex Rosé that can compete with anything out of the South of France. Do not miss it.

If you like dry Rose this wine is a steal! This strawberry colored Rose made from 100% Malbec opens with a fresh cut strawberry bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, and shows not hard edges. The flavor profile is a tasty ripe strawberry flavor. The finish is dry and nicely refreshing. Pair this food refreshing and easy to drink Rose with grilled salmon.

And you can actually find it for less than U$ 12.00.

Thanksgiving and Malbecs

Respected journalist and expert Paul Gregutt from the Seattle Times has some great tips for the best wines for this "economy":

Continuing on the theme of last week — planning your Thanksgiving wines — here is Rule No. 3: Keep your red-wine choices fresh, versatile and inexpensive. Fresh, because young red wines are full of juicy berry fruit flavors that complement the bounty of the harvest, which is, after all, the underlying theme for the holiday feast. Versatile, because there are so many flavors going on — in spices, sauces, stuffing and side dishes — that your wines need to be able to go with the flow. And inexpensive, because thrift fits the current economy. And as an added bonus, value wines are most likely to be fresh and, yes, versatile.

And here the recommendations:

Argentine malbec is surefire. Some favorites in the budget category: Alamos Malbec ($10), Altas Cumbres Malbec ($10), AltoSur Malbec ($10), Altos Las Hormigas Malbec ($10), Conquista Malbec ($8), Doña Paula Los Cardos Malbec ($9), Doña Paula Estate Malbec ($12), Fantelli Malbec ($8), Tilia Malbec ($10), Trumpeter Malbec ($9) and Zolo Malbec ($11).

Complete article:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/wineadviser/2008407722_winecol19.html

Be sure that you read the whole thing. Paul makes some interesting points.