Bodegas Septima, Malbec 2010, Argentina
The 17th of April 2012 has been declared ‘World Malbec Day’, and whilst all such invented celebrations need a large pinch of salt for me to swallow them, if you need any excuse to try a Malbec then Malbec Day will do. This example comes from Argentina where the famous grape of Cahors in the southwest of France has its second home. It is made by Bodegas Septima, owned by giant Spanish wine prodcuer Codorniu, and very nice it is too at its modest price: this is a sweet, plummy, chocolate-rich wine with appealing dark fruit and a subtle layer of spice on the nose, and just a touch of Malbec’s cherry-like brightness. But on the palate it is all about sweet, juicy and fleshy fruit, filling the mouth like taking a big bit of a juicy black plum. It is well balanced, with good acidity and fine tannin to give it some crunch and precision too. Crying out for a steak of course, but an easy-drinking and sweet fruited example and deliciously drinkable. 7.99, Wine Rack and in independent retailers. See a list of those on and watch the video for more information.
