Bodega Piedra Negra Malbec Reserve 2019
- 93
- $12
- Drink by: 2022-2028
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From the home of the Malbec grape in Argentina comes a wine with some cachet via its maker, noted Bordeaux producer François Lurton of Domaines François Lurton. Mons. Lurton has a restless energy working in and outside France in Spain, Chile and Argentina. An organic winemaker, his signature style is all about a touch of class. Expect some sophisticated, nicely integrated oak handling here, not bad at all for a $12 wine. Floral notes – pungent, pure and bright – led by violet and laden with black and blue berries, sweet tobacco and dark chocolate stamp themselves as Malbec. Tannins are clean and fine. The texture and fruit richness is enhanced by smart, polished oak. The effect is immediately inviting.
This wine is a little different to the usual Argentinian Malbec in that Mons. Lurton believes the grape has two personalities – Malbec and Cot (which confusingly is the name for Malbec in Argentina). He sees the two as being distinctly individual; with Malbec being the clone planted in France following its demise due to phylloxera, and Cot as the superior Argentinan pre-phylloxera variety. He grows and blends both clones/varieties in this wine.
Exclusive to ALDI
Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.
