I'M guilty of having a one-track mind when it comes to Argentinian wines but one of the advantages of being bored to tears during the November lockdown was that I explored their red blends and, crikey, what a surprise I got.
The blends were interesting and slightly unusual for a start with malbec and pinot noir a popular pairing. Seriously, whoever thought of that must have been drunk but I'm so glad they were. Putting pinot noir in a blend with malbec is like putting a panda in bed with a hippo and expecting them to mate. But as they say in romantic novels, opposites attract.
A few years ago, such blends would have been impossible because the Argentinian malbecs of old were big butch lads with enough tannins to coat the tusks of an elephant and more than enough alcohol to floor a sailor but, hey, times have changed. Argentinian malbec has been transformed into a seductive, sophisticated fruit-driven style that can stand up incredibly well on its own but is confident enough to share a bed with just about any grape.
I've tried malbec/shiraz, malbec/cabernet, malbec/bonarda and now my new favourite, malbec and pinot noir. The pinot adds a feminine touch to the malbec with crushed cherry flavours and a silky edge and, to be honest, it just works. Science can explain all manner of things but as to why malbec and pinot love each other, I refer you to the obviously gargantuan brains of Argentina's winemakers.
Failing that, just think back to your parents telling you about the birds and bees.
Dona Paula Estate Blue Edition, Argentina (Malbec, Pinot Noir, Bonarda)
We’re only in January but I suspect this one will make my top ten wines of the year. Inviting wild fruits on the nose with dark cherries, blackberries and hints of cocoa on the palate. Absolutely enticing and cracking value.
Strictlywine.co.uk £12.75
Jose Zuccardi Malbec, Cabernet
One of the best on the market, but I expect nothing less from Zuccardi. Rich, dark autumn fruits with hints of coffee and vanilla on the finish. I adore it.
Pop Wines Glasgow £30
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here