Wine of the Month - February 2021

_Keep an eye out, at the end of the month we will be holding a virtual wine tasting that includes this Malbec, along with two other wines chosen by yours truly. More details about this tasting will be coming out shortly. _

For February's Wine of the Month our in house team of wine experts have picked a beefy, but intriguingly scented Argentine Malbec.

The lowdown: With some white Torrontés being added to the blend in some ways this mirrors famous northern Rhône reds which contain a small amount of Viognier. This is, however, an unmistakeably Argentinian take on things. It's delightfully aromatic and being unoaked is a velvety soft and really approachable creature, showing rich chocolate flavours with a touch of florality.

When to drink: Naturally, a wine to drink with barbecued and grilled red meats, but also works really well all by itself.

Mauricio Lorca very nearly entered the world of medicine rather than winemaking and was already studying to become a doctor when he determined on a drastic change of career. He started out learning his art at the prestigious Catena Zapata winery, followed by stints at Michel Torino in Salta and then as head winemaker at Luigi Bosca in Mendoza. With the results, he achieved his reputation in the Argentinian wine industry developed such that he is a sought after consultant and advises numerous wineries across the country.

In the early 2000's he set up his own winery in Perdriel a little to the south of Mendoza from where he produces quite a wide range of wines all of which are characteristically well crafted and concentrated, but with real elegance. And the, generally, modest pricing only adds to their appeal.