So the first batch of wines was from The Beautiful South (ie Patagonia) with producers mainly hailing from the Rio Negro in Northern Patagonia and using vines at altitudes up to 450m.īatch 2, dubbed Mendoza Remixed, was Mendoza blends from vineyards between 750m-1700m the traditional way of making Malbec, allowing producers to mix wine made at cooler and warmer altitudes to get that right mix of aromatics/acidity and richness/opulence. The only way is up: Malbec is best understood by looking at altitude (Tupungato) Luckily Crozier, who was curating this tasting for Wines of Argentina, had done a great job of organising the wines by altitude. “If you don’t like Malbec by the end of this, I’ll be amazed,” advised one enthusiastic purple-lipped taster, ejecting a stream of Malbec into the spittoon. Almost 90 wines – all red except for two roses nothing with alcohol levels below 13.5% and one or two clocking in at 15.5%. “Malbec has become the sort of wine that if you chose it in a restaurant, the sommelier will come over to you with the list and suggest you try something else,” he says, reinforcing my perception that in the on- trade at least, Argentinian Malbec has become a victim of its own success. Worse, it is perceived as a one trick pony, a hefty, oak-fuelled purple monster that can only be consumed with vast amounts of red meat, an image distributors have encouraged with such names as Beefsteak Club Malbec.ĭeciding it was time to confront my prejudice, I set off to the swanky Argentinian Ambassador’s residence in Belgravia to attend my first ever Malbec Day Tasting. Phil Crozier – a former director of the Gaucho Restaurant Group and now international ambassador for Wines of Argentina – says I am not unusual. Phil Crozier, Argentine Embassy, April 25, 2019 So what about Malbec, possibly the most consumed red variety in the US and also pretty popular here: Tesco alone stocks 24 different types, ranging in price from £4.75 through to £18? Well, I have generally viewed it as a guilty pleasure to be consumed alongside maybe a Barossa Shiraz on long evenings when both mood and barometer are low most other times my preference is for a more nuanced and – OK, I’ll say it – less popular type of wine. Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, or any SB for that matter? Don’t get me started. Prosecco? Likewise, though I make exceptions for Asolo, Valdobbaidene and Conegliano. Pinot Grigio from Veneto? Barely ever touch it. I don’t enjoy Superhero movies, whether of the Marvel or DC variety. “Understanding altitude is key to understanding Malbec,” says Phil Crozier, who delivered a fascinating masterclass on the way the wines change at varying extremes.ĭespite my son’s best efforts, I’ve never watched Game of Thrones.
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