Thankfully, A Versatile Wine

Wondering about a Thanksgiving wine? Even with a trimmed down dinner list as small as two people, the wine choice remains a dilemma for most people. But no problem if you approach with the same attitude you had when dining out when everyone selects a different entree. 

You need to go with the best all purpose, versatile wine. Until recently, most experts would automatically suggest Beaujolais, the fruity light-bodied French Red. But honestly, that was a weak compromise, leaving nobody happy.

Now there’s another choice. The go-to wine for this Thanksgiving should be today’s very popular restaurant wine by the glass…Malbec. Before the recent restaurant restrictions, it had become my go-to wine by the glass.  

Malbec is versatile enough to please the red and white wine drinker and it is, or should be, reasonably priced. It is neither too tannic as some other red wines nor too acidic or sweet like many white wines. And you dont need some silly vintage chart with vintage ratings. 

A safe choice for sure.

Though originating in France and made in many countries, Malbec from Argentina has become so popular that it is practically a brand. And as its popularity continues to grow, there’s not a lot of difference between one major brand of Malbec and another. 

That’s a nice way of saying they are many decent, reliable and, well, not terribly exciting Argentinian Malbecs on the market. Still a good choice.

But recently, I’ve encountered Malbec from two wineries new to me that are the real deal and also offer some flavor excitement. And are priced well below the famous brands.

First up: Proemio

Proemio means prologue or first page in old Spanish.

2017 Proemio Red Blend, Estate Bottled, Mendoza, Argentina  $10.99

If this Red Blend is Proemio’s entry level wine, then we are at the door of a super discovery. Made from a single vineyard in Maipu, this is 50% Malbec with equal doses of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.  It is dark and opens to reveal plum and ripe blackberry fruit with lovely notes of sage and violets along with some earthiness. Lively and mouth-filling spicy flavors show smooth tannins with touches of black pepper and leather. 

Seems like the 25% Petit Verdot added some complexity and earthy, leathery notes to turn this one into something very special at this price. 

Based in Mendoza, Proemio is a family owned winery founded in 2001 that is not the typical Argentinian producer. With vineyards in three distinct regions, it features “Icon”which is a Bordeaux blend as the top of the line. Offering several Malbecs, it also bottles a Syrah-Grenache blend as well as a varietal Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Next: Siete Fincas

The name refers to vineyards in seven locations.

2019 Siete Fincas, Tupungato, Argentina $16.00

Dark, almost black in color suggesting it is not watered down, big volume stuff. With ripe plum fruit along with a black pepper edge, the aroma is also slightly floral-earthy. Medium bodied with soft edges, fine grained tannin, but nicely structured with a touch of oak and good length in the finish. Holds up well in the glass over time, a sign it can be cellared for a few years. 

Siete Fincas is also a family winery. Created in 2000 by Edgardo Stallocca to continue the viticultural tradition his grandfather, Juan Stallocca, began in Mendoza in 1904, it has vineyards in several sub regions. 

Other Malbecs:

Best reliable brands:

Norton

Domaine Bousquet

Susana Balbo

Salentein

Finca Flichman

Personal favorites worth a special search:

Zuccardi Q

Pascual Toso

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Author: robywine, norm roby

My career as a wine journalist/critic began in 1975 when my article about California Petite Sirah was published. My focus remained on California as I edited a monthly wine magazine and then moved on to The Wine Spectator in 1982. Over the following years, my column appeared under the banner of “Stormin’ Norman, and I also wrote articles about wine collectors and wine auctions. Without getting into a year by year bio, let me try to summarize here. During my time with The Spectator which I enjoyed immensely, I taught wine classes at a culinary school and at other venues in San Francisco. Before venturing into wine, teaching was my thing, English Lit and Rhetoric. After The Spectator I was the U.S. Contributor to Decanter Magazine, writing mostly about California, but also expanding into Washington State and Oregon. My Decanter years began in 1992 and after buying a summer home in France in 2000, I traveled throughout France and eventually published articles about St. Emilion, Castillon, Bergerac, Minervois, Roussillon, Luberon, Provence, and Alsace. Also, around 2000, my wife began working for Cousino-Macul in Chile, so we tasted and traveled our way through Chile and, of course, managed to fly over the Andes and explore and taste our way through Argentina. As travel lovers, we have also spent many interesting days visiting the wine regions of Spain, Italy, Portugal, Scicily, Greece, and New Zealand. And to come to a close, I was Director of Winesong, a Charity Wine Auction for 20 years, 1992-2000 that benefitted a local hospital. That brought me in contact with wine collectors and to the auction scene. And finally, I co-authored a book, The Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine published by Alfred A. Knopf. It went through 4 editions and sold over 500.000 copies.

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