Drinks of the Month

Wine of the Week: Norton Winemaker’s Reserve Malbec 2014

Wine of the Week: Norton Winemaker’s Reserve Malbec 2014

Now that malbec has become the Rioja de nos jours there are so many brands on the market that it’s hard to choose which to buy.

They broadly fall into two camps - the lush, ultra-ripe ones (cheaper malbecs and most Argentinian ones) and the more restrained Bordeaux-like ones you find from Cahors in the south-west of France.

Of course there are crossovers - Argentinian malbecs that are made in a more classic style and French malbecs you could easily mistake from ones from the new world and this is one of the former.

It’s made by one of the older Argentinian producers Norton from 30-50 year old vines from the Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley regions - both considered prime areas for malbec - and is aged for a year in French oak and a further year in bottle before release. Treatment that easily justifies its normal price of £11.99 at Waitrose and makes its current promotional price of £8.99 a steal. It should age well too* so it's well worth buying some to tuck away for a couple of years.

It would pair well with any red meat especially (of course) steak. For other pairing ideas read

What food to match with malbec

*though I notice online that they're still on the 2013 vintage which I would be slightly more cautious about. Reckon on 6-12 months.

Luigi Bosca Malbec 2011 Vistalba

Luigi Bosca Malbec 2011 Vistalba

After the wild winds and lashing rain we’ve endured in the UK this week my drink of the week really had to be a full-bodied red and what better choice than a Malbec?

It comes from Argentina (of course) from a long-established winery called Luigi Bosca and has all the rich, ripe fruit you look for from Malbec but with a level of elegance you don’t always find. (The fact that it’s a couple of years old now and has had time to settle down has a lot to do with it together with the fact that the vineyards are quite high up at 990m above sea level. The ABV is a relatively modest 13.5%)

All this means it’s not cheap - £15.99 is the ‘normal’ price at Majestic but there’s the usual discount if you buy two (which you’d be mad not to) which brings it down to £12.99. (Other retailers seem to stock a Luigi Bosca Malbec at around the same price but with a slightly different label which are probably not identical though similar in style. Check wine-searcher.com for stockists.)

In terms of food to go with it think beef. A steak, a Sunday roast, a beefy casserole or a steak pie would all be excellent pairings.

PS If you’re looking for a slightly cheaper red to make up the six you have to buy from Majestic, the 2011 Mas des Montagnes Côtes du Roussillon Villages is a good gutsy southern French blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan that should keep out the cold and is a great buy at £5.99 if you buy two (part of Majestic’s ‘Pick’n’Mix’ offer). One for bangers and mash . . .

 

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