My friends Neil, Lisa and their son Matthew treated us to dinner for two at a Chelsea restaurant for my 40th birthday last year. Half a year later to the day I got the chance to enjoy the experience. 

The restaurant is at the westernmost part of the Kings road and famous for its steaks. As I was booking going through the wine list, I found dinner's perfect wine partner, Malbec. Dinner was superb, delicious food, good wine and well presented as you would expect in a Pierre White restaurant. 

We left on a high, with that happy feeling of having achieved something, disconnecting from a busy week at work. What a different does it make celebrating your birthday in mid June rather than the usual mid December with some of the coldest and shortest days of the year. We finished dinner and went for a walk on a beautiful summer evening. Thank you Lisa, Neil and Matthew for an amazing dinner, hope all is well and we can catch up again soon. 

And the note: cot is the grape that makes Malbec, high in alcohol and tannins. Originary from Cahors in Southern France. Once widely planted around Bordeaux, most vines were lost to the 1956 frost and not replaced. Today it comes to life in Argentina where it's its most planted grape, hugely popular in the US.

Appearance: ruby red colour
Intensity: full bodied, high in alcohol (14.5%)
Flavours: plum with a little blackberry and vanilla (aged in oak for 8 months)
Best enjoyed: with steak or any red meat
Serve: at room temperature

TIP: it can keep for 3-5 years, let it breathe for 30mins to an hour before serving

None of the big supermarkets stock it. Where can you buy it?

The Fine wine company is the most reasonable at £9.48 per bottle buying 6
http://www.thefinewinecompany.co.uk/tomero-malbec-2011-17843.html

Drinks Direct at £9.49 per bottle buying 6
http://www.drinksdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Tomero_Malbec.html

Exel wines at £10.23 per bottle buying 6
http://www.exelwines.co.uk/details/stockcode-AGMD0014B11X

Great western wine sells at £10.95 per bottle also based on 6
http://www.greatwesternwine.co.uk/wines/argentina/tomero-malbec-valle-de-uco-mendoza.html

Eclectic tastes at £11 per bottle buying 6
http://www.eclectictastes.co.uk/shop/product-329-tomero-malbec

Hugh Johnson and Terry Theise in separate books put Mosel wines at the top of their favourite wines' list. Hugh Johnson recommends good Mosel wines as "wines to keep" as having high acidity content they get better and better with time. Most people only think of red wines for aging and as I enjoy keeping good wine for celebrations or special occasions, let this be one of those I thought. 

It wasn't meant to be. As i was carrying the shopping home the carrier bag broke and that same bottle of wine (out of four) went rolling down about 10-12 steps. The screw top got loose which only means one thing, ready to be enjoyed now. And what a find, I will be buying a case and can only wonder what it'll be like in a few year's time.

Low in alcohol (8.5%) and high in acidity which makes it good for cellar keeping (easily 10-30yrs). 


Appearance: light straw in colour
Intensity: high with a medium sweet finish
Flavours: dried peach with candied lemon peel and a hint of mango
Best enjoyed: by itself (low alcohol content at 8.5%) or with fish, chicken or Thai food
Serve: ice cold
TIP: keep it for 10-20 years to let the flavours develop strength

I am buying a case online, here is what i found:

RannochScott has it at £13.99 per bottle
http://www.rannochscott.co.uk/shop/info_2_rs3569.html

Jeroboams has it at £15.20 per bottle (10% discount on a case of 12 is currently unavailable)
http://www.jeroboams.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=176252&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=&product&itemDisplaySection=

Available at Waitrose or online via Ocado for £15.99
http://www.waitrosedirect.com/product/loosen-wurzgarten-riesling-kabinett/047615
http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Dr-Loosen-Urziger-Wurzgarten-Riesling-Kabinett-2009/34137011