Another one for your christmas table........

Otra Vida Malbec-Mendoza-Argentina.

I've tried this wine a lot over the years and always though it to be, mmm....ok I suppose. I've recently tried the 2010 vintage and can tell you that at £6.49 it's an absolute must. As you will know £6 is not a lot to pay for a bottle of wine these days but finding one that you feel offers value ain't that easy. This wine is packed with complexity and showing signs of development that come with a carefully handled and matured wine. A punchy nose that comes across quite meaty (roast beef, leather, almost bretty) and powerful but allows bright red berry fruits of plum, red currant to shine through, as well as high notes of violet, a dead give away to this variety. Developing notes of warn leather, medicinal spice indicate some form of oak treatment weather barrel or staves  but either way impressive for a bottle at this price.

Unlike some new world Malbec, this one remains quite bright and fruity without being too dense and chewy. That's not to say it's thin in any way. It will pair perfectly to roast beef or a nice bit of steak, you could also venture a little more towards game. Venison, rabbit, pheasant, would be a just match! I may even suggest it wouldn't be too heavy for your turkey if that's what you prefer.

Widely available, you might try Tesco if you are struggling to track it down.

David

Moueix anyone?

Moueix anyone?

The Monday night Tesco shop was a blast tonight, I had plenty of time on my hands so I plugged in some quality tunes to my eardrums (Big L, not for the faint of heart I might add) took my sweet time and wandered the aisles. No surprise that when I fell upon the BWS aisle I slowed right down to a crawl in order to see what delights they had in stock pre-Christmas. Lots to choose from this year. Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon making a return appearance, always a winner. Roda Rioja, Legaris Ribera del Duero, both top rival wines from Spain. Tesco Finest Hermitage at £20 looks like a Billy bargain and on closer inspection revealed it was made by cooperative la Tain, a winery worth visiting just on the outskirts of the Tain l’Hermitage where you look straight from the tasting room window up on to the cascading terrace of vines that is the hill of hermitage (l’hermite). And so I wandered and wondered at these impressive wines until I found a fine wine section (fine wine section in tesco?). Impressive stuff too, not least tonight’s tipple that I was tempted by. A 2004 Saint Emilion Grand Cru not a ’08 or ’07, no. Something with a bit of age on it. Impressive! I was struck by the bold italics MOUEIX front and centre on the bottle. Surely not the same Moueix that in 1946 acquired the legendary Chateau Petrus and went on to promote it to the world renowned status and pedigree it is today. (You can by a bottle in Vesuvio Wine Bar, Darlington for £1400, and that’s cheep) The wine? Fauzinat l’Hermitage (no relation to the afore mentioned) absolutely stunning. I’m sat here tasting while I write this blog and can not believe how good it is. As soon as I pulled the cork I could smell those brambles and plums, I didn’t let it breathe at all. It didn’t seem to need it, it is after all 8 years of age. Complexity is there too, leather, cocoa, cigar box, pencil lead all coming through. Really the best thing about it though……. £14.99. I’d get down to Tesco if I were you.

It's been a long time.........

So , July was my last post, eek.......

I'm back now though after a few months of pursuing other interests, it seems that bicycles are quite big at the moment. Check out my new blog www.recycle-a-bicycle.com if you are in to that kind of thing.

Back to the topic of wine though, my new site is up and running and with it comes a new business venture for myself. www.grapeupnorth.co.uk. Go check it out. The new site hosts my newly formed Wine Academy and I'm hoping it's going to be a huge success in 2012.

The Academy will provide both informal tutored wine courses and professional courses. The option to come for one night events or over a course of weeks is available. Courses will be hosted at Darlington Arts Centre in the Garden Bar and I am looking forward to meeting budding wine cadets and talking to you all about wine.

The title page of grapeupnorth.co.uk will also be used as a notice board for associated ventures and events. The aim of this to promote oenology in the northeast.

I'll be back soon with some more info and an update of whats going on.

Until then, enjoy another glass of wine. (responsibly)

David :  )