Michel Torino Malbec Don David La Maravilla 2010 750ml

Winery: Michel Torino

Varietal: Malbec

Malbec grapes have been grown for centuries in the Old World, and whilst many wineries had and continue to have great success with these dark and rather demanding grapes, they are famously susceptible to rot and quickly lose their best features should the weather not be as good as they need it to be. As such, it is the New World Malbec wines which have really made this old and respected varietal a household name, and the many single variety bottles we see in our supermarkets and wine stores bearing this grape have been some of the biggest and most pleasing success stories of recent years. However, Malbec is often and was traditionally used as a blending grape, offering its strong tannins and heavy, plummy fruit flavors to milder, mellower wines to boost their character, and many of these blended wines rank amongst the finest in the world. As such, Malbec is a highly versatile grape which has spread across the globe to produce some very different results, each one pleasing, and each one packed with flavor and character.

Region: Salta

The wine region of Salta, found at the extreme north of Argentina, has to be one of the most unique regions for viticulture in the world. With an altitude sometimes exceeding three thousand meters above sea level, and lying only twenty four degrees from the equator, this unusual mix of geographical features manages to provide a landscape and a set of terroirs surprisingly ideal for vineyard cultivation. With exceptional Chardonnay, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat grapes growing here to full ripeness each year, it seems likely that Salta will continue to grow as an important New World wine region, whose wines will continue to win awards and accolades worldwide. Indeed, the two key wine making provinces of Salta - Cafayate and Molinos – have increased their production rates by a considerable margin over the past few decades due to increased demand and interest in Argentinian wines.

Country: Argentina

In the dry, arid deserts of Argentina, wineries and winemakers are focusing their efforts on producing high quality wines for the world market. By experimenting with both traditional and modern methods and technologies, they have found great success with a wide variety of grapes well suited to the conditions of the country, particularly Malbec, Bonarda and Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the past decade, Argentinian wineries have continued to aim high, and this has led to a range of new wines using grape varietals not typically associated with the country. The cooler regions of Argentina are seeing more vineyards being planted with Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir varietals, something that is beginning to produce fantastic results, which are at once representative of the country's wines - with all their fruity and bold character - but are also pushing the boundaries of what we expect from a New World country.