Not your poor cousin’s cheap-and-cheerful malbec, this comes across with grace as well as fruity intensity. Blueberry jam and plum mingle with peppery spice, vanilla and dark chocolate along with a whisper of smoky bacon. Chewy and dense, it drinks beautifully now but could reward with up to 10 years in the cellar. It would be great for highly charred beef or lamb, or for sweet barbecued pork ribs. -- Beppi Crosariol
September 2014