Cowra Estate Malbec 2020

Malbec is slowly moving out from behind multi-varietal blends and going solo. This is a good thing. Here, we see the grape as it grows in Cowra, not its usual stomping ground (that’s Chardonnay’s role) but it certainly makes an impact especially at a $17 price tag. Cowra Estate is owned by the Geber family who also own historic Château Tanunda. Blueberry, plum, savoury prune aromas and lots of dark fruits led by black cherry offer an attention seeking introduction. It makes for pleasurable drinking with solid savoury appeal. Medium bodied and filled with plummy notes and gentle spice it moves easily, gravelly tannins leading the way against a background of fruit and oak-induced, cinnamon-spiced chocolate. Fab drinking right now.

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

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.

Wine writer and critic