LCBO Sale Wine of the Week: March 9

Catena 2014 Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)

Sale $17.95, Regular $19.95
Discount (until Mar. 26): $2.00
Vintages #478727 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: Rich ripe black berries with lots of black pepper and a hint of bacon.
Pairs with: Big meats, anything grilled (within reason).
Good for: March Break BBQ in the great outdoors.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink: Now to 2020.

Why we're drinking this
When you want a robust and expressive wine — one that won’t break your bank card — you want Malbec. The grape is the pride of Argentina. The Catena family works their vineyards hard, as they have done since Nicola Catena took a boat to Argentina from Italy in 1898. Four years later he planted the first of the family’s Malbec vineyards. For this wine, the grapes were grown in three vineyards located at four different elevations in the foothills of the Andes. They range in elevation from 2850 feet to 5000 feet, and each vineyard produces fruit that express different aspects of the grape. The final blend is complex and delicious. Great value any time, but even better right now.

Tasting note
Deep ruby-purple colour, almost inky. Perfumed nose of deep dark fruit, black pepper, purple flowers and bacon. Dry but juicy, with a peppery attack followed by lots of fruit: blackberry, cranberry, raspberry, cassis. Savoury with notes of pine and bacon. Wonderful balance of fresh fruit and complex earthy tones. Crisp acidity and medium-weight. Very nice structure; it’s not quite delicate but there is finesse here. A medium-plus finish. A very good wine. Sippable, but best with game meats, big steaks, roasts and other rich fare.

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