Argentinian Lineup 9.0
No matter how popular the song is from the musical, ‘Evita’, there are wine lovers all over the world who ARE crying for Argentina. Here’s a pack to fix your Argentina itch. And while it’s packed with plenty of majestic malbec, there’s some great other reds to have with your next Argentinean style rib-eye. Check out the Cabernet Reserva from H.J. Fabre, and there’s a couple of blends too, including a malbec cab’ and malbec touriga nacional (what thah???) that are certain to pique your palate!
You get TWO of each of the following bottles:
Red
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- Cabernet Sauvignon
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- Mendoza
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Mendoza
Bordeaux better watch its back or Mendoza may take the winner's crown for cabernet too - just like it's done with malbec. This Reserva from H.J. Fabre certainly puts forward a very strong case for the region and variety to keep up the bump and grind. Blackcurrants, cassis and thyme combine to deliver a nice hit of varietal lift. And it's delivered with a clean new-world punch. There's no shyness here and the palate comes on strong with plenty of stuffing. Dark berry fruits, a touch of olive tapenade and dried oregano provide all the herby varietal hallmarks, with nice cedary oak and fine-grained tannins finishing the show. It's a worthy contender for Mendoza to tackle the cabernet crown.
Red
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- Malbec
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- Patagonia
- Malbec
- Patagonia
Most of us in Australia think sustainable puffer jackets when we hear Patagonia - I do anyway, so by extrapolation, most Australians. But now I also think (constantly) about heartier versions of Mendoza malbec blends. Lower and therefore warmer than the altitudinous slopes of Mendoza, this southernmost winegrowing region of Argentina has made a very bright, intense impression with this malbec cab blend, at the very least. It piles red and black berries onto your palate like a friendly game of stacks-on, followed by perky plum, voluminous vanilla, cheeky clove, sassy star anise and dainty dried oregano. As intense as it is, it’s got tongue-drying tannin and high acidity to match all the weight, so choose a steak to stabilise this cellar-worthy stacks-on.
Red
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- Malbec
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- Mendoza
- Malbec
- Mendoza
Look, if my family ever had their own ‘reservado’, you wouldn’t hear me complaining. And if they’re making it for themselves, you know they’ve used all the good stuff. This certainly smells of good stuff… enticing red apple, red berries and a touch of woodsmoke (a just kicked-off bonfire of nicely dried out wood, to be precise - takes me back to my camping days). Bright oranges and toffee apple on the palate, more red fruit than the nose implies. Plush, pillowy palate, svelte and medium-bodied with that bright, orangey acidity lifting it up.
Red
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- Malbec
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- Mendoza
- Malbec
- Mendoza
To date, we have not met a single mofo that dislikes malbec. Maybe they’re out there, but in terms of a wine to bring along to dinner, it’s about as safe a bet as there is. It also makes food pairing a breeze. If beef is involved, drink this. Whether it’s a big, juicy rib-eye or a slow-braised winter warmer of a stew, make this your go to. Take a holiday from Barossa shiraz, and hop across the pond to Mendoza. It’s plenty full-bodied, with ripe, chewy fruit and a generous lick of oak – not so far from home after all! But there’s enough that’s different to make for some delicious and exciting drinking.
Red
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- Red Blend
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- Mendoza
- Red Blend
- Mendoza
What’s a Port grape doing in a wine like this? I’ll tell you what. It’s giving malbec an added lift (as if it needed it) so the aromatics to stratospheric. Touriga is a lifted variety anyway, and its role as a blending variety is generally to boost aroma, add a bit of spice and pepper, as well as some round, chunky tannins. Given Mendoza malbec’s propensity for full mid-palate purple fruit smoothness, these two dance very well together. As evidenced by Decanter’s big rap on this. 45 years of vine age on the malbec and careful hand-selection have helped propel this wine to these heights (the actual vineyard altitude helps too, obviously). This wine’s high in so many ways. Elevate your wine drinking, and reset your new normal. You can thank us later.
Red
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- Malbec
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- Mendoza
- Malbec
- Mendoza
This Argentinian beauty in a bottle is rich, ripe and robust, delivering plenty of bang for your buck. It’s the perfect weeknight quaffer - one that’s going to pamper you on the palate - not punch you in the hip pocket.