An Odd Couple: Malbec, Tacos

I would only eat Mexican food in Argentina out of curiosity. Nevertheless, I ate it Sunday paired with Argentine wines. An odd coupling, but fun to try something different.

Really spicy salsas kill the taste of a good wine, I noticed, but tacos, burritos and quesadillas work as well as bread and cheese, as long as they are salsa-free.

The tasting was Silverlake Wine's first of 2010. Tastings take place there every month, and the place buzzes as people get to know each other. Most of those I met live in Silver Lake, and the wine shop is a handy place to meet.

But the tastings are serious, and so commentary on Argentina's wine industry accompanied the five tastes. What I like about the tastings is that wines are brought to you, so you don't have to line up at the counter. And each taste comes in a fresh glass.

Sunday's five wines started with a sparkler, an extra brut 2007 that blended Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The name alone makes you want to buy it, that is, if you have a taste for the exotic. It is Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu, and it's from Ernesto Catena.

Next came Tahuan Malbec Ernesto Catena Selection 2006, a deep, pink-toned red, dry and elegant with restrained fruit.

We tried a Malbec blend, Ca' de Calle Reserva 2008, composed of 75% Malbec, 20% Tempranillo and 5% Syrah. This too was from Ernesto Catena, whose wines dominated the tasting. 

The priciest wine poured ($29.50) was his Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu Malbec 2005, another elegant, restrained wine.

But my favorite was a Malbec more like those I am accustomed to drinking in Buenos Aires, the sort of wine you might have in a cafe or a parrilla restaurant, or that Portenos would serve with  really good barbecue at home. It was Altocedro "Ano Cero" Malbec 2008.

Full of fruit and easy to drink but classy and well made, it was the least expensive wine of the tasting ($16.50). Ano Cero means the year zero, but this wine rates many more points than that.

Its place of origin was La Consulta in the Valle (Valley) de Uco, Mendoza. The winemaker was Karim Mussi Saffie, who blended 15 % Tempranillo with 75 % Malbec.  

The food rated high points too. It came from Taco Zone, which parked a van-drawn kitchen outside the wine shop. Malbec is everywhere in Argentina. But mobile tacos-- I have yet to see anything like that down there.

Silverlake Wine Company,  2395 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90039. Tel: (323) 662-9024. 

Comments

[Hampers]

Thanks for sharing the review of Malbec. It's one of my favourites. A little pricey but if you say it's your favorite, I'll have to have it.

[carter]

Glad you reviewed that tasting. Was going to attend, then things happened, and I obviously did not.
Good Malbec is just so good, and Mexican food is one of its very good marriages, as is lomo at Carlito's Gardel!