I have a mate who definitely, without question, knows about wine.  Mainly from one particular state but has been involved in many a tasting and judging panel over the years.  I will never forget a comment he made a couple of years back.  It was, words to the effect of, “Why would you drink Malbec (as a stand-alone variety)?” Not that he dislikes the variety, he just believes it does better when in a blend.  I have given him straight Malbecs since that day (I can’t remember if I served them blind) and I have still struggled to convince him.  I wish he was around the day I opened and tasted this one.  It would have gone a very long way to convincing him that Malbec does well as a stand-alone variety.

This is a beautiful deep, dense and dark purple colour in the glass.  It smells rich, robust and fruit forward thanks to a combination of plums and dark red fruits.  My first taste made my eyebrows involuntarily and instantly raise.  What lovely, juicy flavours it has! Where do you start with the dark fruits?!  There’s plenty of them in the mix.  Add a touch of black pepper notes to the rich fruit flavours and you have a delicious, smooth wine that finishes nice and long.  Yum!

Region: Margaret River, WA

Price: $30

Source: Sample thanks kindly to https://clandestinevineyards.com.au/ and https://savvycomms.ninja/