I had a night off in Buenos Aires after a long day trip to Mar del Plata. So I bought a bottle of this. It proved to be a good…
The fab Ensedune Malbec from Foncalieu, alongside a couple from Argentina
Foncalieu is a Languedoc-based coop with 650 member growers and has a turnover of €54 million. For the region, its production mix is unusually weighted towards white and rosé (both…
A wine from Bolivia! Campos de Solano Tannat Malbec
Normally, Bolivia would be far to warm to make quality wines. But altitude changes things. This wine comes from the Tarija Valley in Bolivia, where the vineyards are at 1850…
Some lovely high-end wines from Catena, Argentina
By a stroke of coincidence, while I was in Victoria (Vancouver Island, not Australia) today I got to try through this set of wines from Argentina star winery Catena, presented…
Interesting Argentine wines: Bonarda and Cabernet Franc
This was a chance to taste some interesting examples of Bonarda and Cabernet Franc from Argentina, with winemakers Sebastian Zuccardi, Matias Riccitelli and Edgardo de Popolo. Most Bonarda comes from…
Clos Roche Blanche Cuvee Pif 2011
This is a really drinkable, fresh Loire red with plenty of personality, but also real harmony. It’s a blend of Cot (Malbec) and Cabernet Franc, named after the owners’ (Catherine…
A tasty Malbec from the Loire
I was interested by this wine. Really modern packaging, and use of the variety name Malbec rather than the normal Touraine name for this grape, Cot. It’s riper than the…
A brilliant, but rather different, Argentine Malbec
I’ve been following this wine over the course of a couple of days. It’s an Argentine Malbec, but not as you know it. It is made by Vincent Wallard, a…
A brilliant unoaked Malbec at the Gaucho
Met up with my buddy and co-author Sam Harrop today for lunch. We were at Gaucho in Richmond, sitting outside as the swollen Thames flowed by in dappled sunlight, plotting…