£30
A bad man once gave me some Malbec. I had known he was a bad man beforehand so this didn't strike as particularly out of character, just a little disappointing.
Nevertheless, a gift is a gift, and it's the thought (however misguided) that counts. So I laid down my huge bottle of Trapiche Single Vineyard Vina Federico Villafane 2006, and returned to drinking proper wine.
At some point in the intervening year however the bottle vanished, the various occupants of my house each pleaded ignorance or infallibility, and so I was left, once again, Malbec-less.
It is great testament to the high esteem I hold the aforementioned man in that I then spent quite considerable time, effort and eventually money, in replacing it. And 'though not entirely successful, the 2007 Fausto Orellana de Escobar was close enough for me.
The inaugural World Malbec Day on Sunday 17th April (not quite as arbitrary as it sounds apparently) was as good an as excuse as ever to get involved.
The nose opens with considerable swagger. Dark fruits, liquorice, dried herbs, violets, oak and pencil lead (lots), focused and fascinating. A big mouthfeel, and thick savoury dark fruit. Neither over-ripe nor over-extracted, but with gorgeous sweet tannins. It could probably go on, but I'd be wary that further cellaring would gamble with its current joyous intensity.
In terms of pleasure provided, both sensual and intellectual, this is probably the best wine I've drunk this year.
I used to be surprised at just how often I was correct about things. Over time however this matured and developed into a sneaking suspicion that I may actually be some kind of minor deity.
Who'd have thought TOD and a bottle of Malbec would be the pairing to shatter the illusion of omniscience?
Yet again I open up New Worlds to you (a bad pun froma "bad man", whatever that designation means, coming from a man so entirely lacking in any kind of moral framework a yourself) and all you can do is publicly lambast me with your blog. It is hard to take, it really is. Look forward to a particularly dramatic hectoring next time we dine.
ReplyDeleteCome now, surely you know that "bad" is a word with many possible connotations, not all of them pejorative.
ReplyDeleteTo prevent any further spectacular misinterpretation of the above I shall inform you that in this case it is bad in a "pushing free drugs to kids outside the school gates to get them hooked" kind of a way.
I shall look forward to the hectoring.