|
|
|
| Current Article | Previous Articles | Search Articles | Search Offers | Search Tasting Notes | Forum |
|
|
|
|
| Current Article | Previous Articles | Search Articles | Search Offers | Search Tasting Notes | Forum |
Malbec has become Argentina’s signature red variety, usually sold unblended. The flavour is generally rich, dark, baked and earthy. We had two vintages of Finca Flichman, Vino Reserva, Oak Aged Malbec, which grabbed first and second places. If you’re going to try Malbec for the first time, this wine is £5.99 at Waitrose and is as good a Malbec as you’ll find. The 2006 was our favourite, which will be coming into stores soon.
It smelt strongly of coffee creams and tasted, Alan thought, earthy. It tasted rather like coffee grounds, but in a good way. We kept coming back to it and the aroma became stronger. If you’re serving it at a dinner party, I’d open it around teatime and pour it into a jug and back into the bottle. Not to remove sediment, but just to give it some air and release the aromas.
The 2005 version, which is in Waitrose now, smelt sweetly of coconut, reminding us of Malibu. Of course, both of these wines smelt of the oak treatment they’d had, rather than the actual variety, but they were very attractive. The flavour of the 2005 was very full and rich, with a silky mouthfeel.
Sainsbury’s Reserve Selection 2005 is a very reasonable £4.49 and smelt deeply, attractively, herbal. We felt it was a good example and on learning the price, we were pretty impressed. The taste was dry, peppery and pleasant.
With just two and a half fewer marks was Finca Flichman Misterio 2006, which is only £4.99 from Sainsbury’s and the Co-op. It was pretty light on smell and the taste was young fruity and easy, rather than anything you’d want to reflect on. El Malbec de Ricardo Santos 2004, which is £8.49 from Majestic is reduced to £6.79 if you buy two, but there seems little point when the Flichman wine is cheaper and better. It smelt great – concentrated and herbal, very inviting, but the tannin was heavy and the alcohol hot, so we didn’t enjoy it overall.
Casa Bonita Bonarda/Malbec is only £2.99 from Morrisons and at that price was perfectly sound. It smelt of crème soda and tasted of sweet raspberry flavouring. The Co-op’s own label, non-vintage effort, at £3.99 smelt stalky and, I thought, had refreshing acidity, but the panel found this grapefruity and unpleasant, and marked it accordingly.
Our least favourite was the most expensive wine. Masi Tupungato, at £8.99 from Oddbins, smelt medicinal and was burning with alcohol, which left a bitter taste in our mouths.
With Christmas coming up, the beautifully presented St Germain Elderflower Liqueur is an absolute must have. It’s £14.99 in larger Sainsbury’s – actually only very large Sainsbury’s, I know to my cost. If you buy 6, of course, it’s only £14.24. I am, I think, wholly responsible for the sales at the Barnwood branch, as I am completely in love. It is the most delicious (non wine) drink I have ever tasted and provokes groans of pleasure from everyone. It can be mixed, but why bother, when it’s so achingly delicious straight.