Once again, we’re handing our hearts and palates over to Post Road Liquors. Every Wednesday they give us their favorite wine of the week, and we embark on something new! This week, let’s ease out of rosé season and into the drier and cooler soon-to-be autumn weather with a nice dry organic Malbec. The Ernesto Catena Malbec Animal Natural Vineyards wine will definitely make the change of seasons more enjoyable!

***Don’t forget, head into any of the four wine and liquor store outposts and receive 20% off the weekly wine picks!***

Ernesto Catena Malbec Animal Natural Vineyards

COST – $18.99 – $25.99

GRAPE – 100% Malbec

COUNTRY – Argentina

REGION – Mendoza

TASTING NOTES – It is expressively fruity and fresh. With notes of plums, cherries, blackberries, and currants. These flavors are consistent with the characteristics of this varietal. In the mouth it unleashes its full potential, combining soft tannins with
an elegant and personal structure. The fruity notes mixed with a direct style, clinching the qualities of this magnificent specimen.

TALES FROM A TASTING

I love so many things about this wine- the label, that fact that it is organic, the dry richness that roles onto the tongue with each sip. It’s a keeper, but what I found most interesting was the story behind the Vineyard.

The winemaker, Ernesto Catena, an Italian by lineage living in Argentina has had many successes with his vineyard. With one wine in particular, he went for black gold. Not oil, but a wine that wins on the merits of its taste alone.

Ernesto desired to craft wine that had a “black soul” or Alma Negra in the glass. His goal was to create a deep, dark red wine where the process of making the wine remained a mystery, and the wine would be judged blindly, simply by how it was enjoyed. The wine was names Misterio.

Mysterious wine? That’s pretty ballsy. But when your mantra is, “For work to be fun, intense, and meaningful. Not to fear mistakes, but rather to learn from them because that’s the only way to learn. To perfect not only the wines but also the spirit with which they are made.” you’ve got to have some big cajones.

I love that so much – Not to fear mistakes, but to learn from them. We tell our kids that all the time, but we forget it ourselves. We (or at least I) hold myself back from so much I want to say or do because I’m afraid of making a mistake or being judged. That might be hard to believe as I include a picture of myself wearing a black panther mask, but it is true.

That spirit and passion come through in this organic Malbec wine, and its one I am going to try to adopt once again.

Malbec, originally a French varietal, is one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of a red Bordeaux. Yet, this French grape has found its way to Argentina and flourished. It’s thrived in part because it loves heat and sun. The grape has clung to its animal instincts and survived in a completely different hemisphere from the one where it was originally cultivated. Pretty cool- an Italian, growing French grapes in Argentina and killing it.

If you love Malbecs, this is one for you. For a while, Argentinian Malbecs were always a sure bet – I’ve found that isn’t true anymore. Lately, I’ve had a few Malbecs where that berry flavor is overpowering (for me at least). The dryness of the  Ernesto Catena Malbec Animal Natural Vineyards wine kept everything in balance. That’s why it’s a keeper.

This wine will do well with most dishes. From red sauces to meats, it marries well with everything. I enjoyed it with a whiskey-rubbed dry-aged rib eye and homemade linguine in a whiskey cream sauce. But, that’s a different post…

In the meantime, grab a bottle of this animal organic Malbec and go and make some mistakes. 😉

MENTION THE HAUTE LIFE AT ANY ONE OF THE FOUR STORES AND RECEIVE 20% OFF ANY OF THE WEEKLY WINE PICKS!!!!

Thank you to Post Road Liquors, 44 Boston Post Road Wayland, MA, for recommending this tasty white blend, as well as their expertise!

Stop in to experience the first class service and selection. You can also find the same excellent services at their other locations, as follows:

Upper Falls Liquors
150 Needham Street
Newton, MA 02462
(617) 969-9200

 Needham Wine & Spirits
1257 Highland Avenue
Needham, MA 02492
(781) 449-1171

Auburndale Wine & Spirit
2102 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, MA 02466
(617) 244-2772