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.

Valpolicella Ripasso 2013 Cantina Valpantena

If you’re on holiday in the wilds of nowhere chances are your only shop - in the UK at least - is a Spar. I would at one point have said that spelled death to the chance of a decent bottle of wine but was recently sent a selection which really wasn’t half bad.

And the good news is that all are on promotion at one point or another in the next couple of weeks

The best - and the most expensive - is a 2013 Valpolicella Ripasso from Cantina Valpantena (13.5%) which is normally £10 but on promotion at £8 until August 20th. Ripassos are more intense and sweeter than basic valpolicellas - they chuck in the skins that are used for making amarone - so it’s more of a wine to drink with a steak or a stew or, better still, a cheeseboard than a plate of pasta but it would be just the thing for the sort of wet windy evening that is a regular feature of an English summer holiday.

Another good Italian buy, and the best white I tasted, was the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 2014 from the reliable Monte Shiavo (12.5%) which is currently £8 but goes down to £6.50 from August 21st. Ignore the naff curvy bottle - this is one of those immensely useful Italian whites that doesn’t taste of much but goes with practically everything, especially fishy pasta dishes. And is much, much nicer than your average pinot grigio.

I also thought the crisp, citrussy Castillo de la Mota Verdejo 2014 Rueda (12.5%) £7.50 reduced to £5.50 until 20/8 was decent. Another good one for seafood like fresh crab or, better still, fish and chips. You’ll like it if you’re a sauvignon blanc fan

And if you like Malbec - and who doesn’t these days? - try the M Malbec Pays d’Oc 2014 (13%) £7.50 but reduced to £6 from 21/8 which is a little soft for my taste but would still be a good drop with anything meaty. (I like their Argentinian one, the Rios de los Andes 2014 Argentinian Malbec less - it’s soupier still - but it’s only £6 at the moment and if it were the only one of the five available I would fall on it gratefully.)

These wines won’t, of course, be available in all Spar outlets - which may cause frustration but hopefully you’ll find at least one. With any luck the Valpolicella.

Santa Julia Innovacion Malbec/Touriga Nacional 2013

So here’s a special for Malbec World Day - maybe a bit of a cheat as it also includes some Touriga Nacional but I quite like Malbec in a blend.

In this case the Touriga Nacional, which Santa Julia was the first to plant in Argentina apparently, provides a dark, exotic element which takes what can be a jammy edge off Malbec at this price while the Malbec gives the Touriga a fragrant lift.

It’s part of a special parcel of wines that is available at Waitrose until May 3rd with an additional 20% discount for myWaitrose cardholders, presumably as an incentive to get us all to sign up. I wouldn’t be rushing to snap up the other wines though. The whites aren’t nearly as interesting or as well-priced.

The discount makes it a great deal at £6.39 but even at £7.99 it’s a good buy* And if you buy six bottles in total you get a further 5% off

Drink with steak (obviously) or lamb. It would also make a good barbecue wine.

For other malbec pairings see What food to match with Malbec.

*though only available in store and apparently through waitrose.com though I can't find it on the website.

I was sent this wine by Waitrose as part of a selection of samples.

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 . . .