Unboxed – Caribbean Wines and Spirits Tour De Vino – April
Nos vamos a Argentina!
This month, we are taking a trip to the southern hemisphere to a Argentina; home of the late Diego Maradona, gauchos and grass fed beef! Argentina has always been something of an outlier of a country. They’ve had two women Presidents, and eat gnocchi on the 29th of each month, apparently. I don’t know for certain about the gnocchi, I’ve not visited yet.
In my mind, Argentina is the land of beef - free range grass fed beef. It is some of the finest in the world and I am hoping to procure a few tenderloins at least ahead of the next virtual tasting.
Argentina is also a mountainous country, and in the south heading for Patagonia the snow caps on the mountains are incredibly beautiful. It is this kind of scenery that is often the backdrop of famed Chef Francis Mallmann’s rustic outdoor dinner parties. One thing is for certain, whether it is in the snow Patagonian mountains or in the heat of Buenos Aires, Argentina is known for great food and great wine.
Alta Vista Wines has entered the chat.
This month, Caribbean Wines and Spirits is giving us an Alta Vista Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Torrentes from the VIVE! range of wines!
If you know a little Spanish you’d easily translate “alta vista” to “high view”. The vineyards which produce the finest hallmark Argentinean Malbec are in Mendoza and are perched at 3,280 – 3,609 feet above sea level. Grapes grown at a higher altitude get more UV exposure from the sun and tend to have thicker skin and produce a more vibrant colour concentration, and much stronger tannic qualities.
In our Malbec we find what I would call the classic features of an Argentinean malbec; it is tannic with an almost rubbery taste that lingers for a while on the back of the tongue. The spiciness is also a signature profile; think ground peppercorns, with a very light hint of charred rosemary. It is the perfect wine for grilled meat; a nice porterhouse or whole slow roasted goat with charred root vegetables (potatoes, butternut squash would be great).
I’ve never known Argentina to be famous for Cabernet Sauvignon, just being honest. I had expected the cabernet to be as densely packed with the sabor del viento de la montaña (the flavours of the mountain wind).It was, but the colour was confusing.
It was very light, not pale but light with little legs, and a curious texture. If you don’t like fruit forward cabernet sauvignon, this is probably not a bottle for you; lots of beautiful layers of red berries and fruits, toasted oak and some spices. This would go well with a lamb burger, or spatchcock grilled (or fried) chicken.
There is a white grape in the April box which is somewhat new to me and as I explore the flavor profile more, I want to replace every chardonnay I have ever tasted with this much more palatable Torrentes.
This white grape is produces a wine with a very smooth texture and moderate acidity. There is a strong essence of peach and apricot fruits on the nose and the mouthfeel is silky. You may get a little lychee, some pineapple and melon on your palette. This is definitely a wine to pair with grilled fish; something flavourful and lean like wahoo, or swordfish. I am even feeling seared scallops with a bit of citrus and garlic would set well with the Torrentes.
Let’s see what Chef is going to cook up for us next week as we head into April’s Tour De Vino!