Mile High's "Wine of the Week": January 12th
Cuvelier Los Andes Colección (Malbec Blend) 2010
Regular Price:
$19.99
Sale Price:
$12.99
Sale End:
1/15/2017
Score:
91 Points Wine Spectator
SOLD OUT - PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEK'S SPECIAL
The vast majority of red wine that we consume is too young. But producers race to get their products to market in an effort to keep the lights on and we certainly don’t fault them for it. That said, it is such a joy to drink a glass of properly matured red alongside a well made supper. This week we have a beautiful 2010 Argentine Bordeaux style blend from Cuvelier Los Andes, simply called Coleccion. Malbec is the soul of Argentine red and makes up a healthy percentage of this delicious effort. The sultry scent of warm homemade chocolate chunk and walnut cookies comes through first and then right on its heels you’ll find hints of toasty oak, fresh mint, anise, and ruby port reduction. It is quite an impressive nose, particularly since it’s not utterly dominated by fruit. On the palate, the 2010 Coleccion drinks like a 2009 Saint Emilion with elegant tannins supporting lush layers of black currant, plum, and raspberry puree. It finishes with honest to goodness minerality and the sort of refinement and composure that is only found in mature red wine. This quality of red rarely comes along at such a modest price and when it does you have to jump on it. So, please swing by the shop this evening to taste this delicious red for free at our tasting bar.
On to the Tasting Notes:
My wife mentioned the other day that her favorite gym is crazy busy right now because of the influx of people who set a goal of getting more fit in 2017. More power to those folks. I hope they’re successful because we all know that you’ve got to put good fuel into your body if you want to get good work out of it. And what better fuel could you put into yourself than a well prepared homemade supper and a nice glass of red wine? I’m not being flippant here. I genuinely believe that great food and wine are worth investing in and that doing so will pay real dividends in terms of your overall health and wellbeing.
The 2010 Cuvelier Los Andes Coleccion is a beautiful red that was obviously built with food in mind. It is richly textured and yet medium bodied. There is such symmetry between the fruit, tannin, and acidity that sipping it here at my desk makes my mouth water as my thoughts drift to the sort of food that I could pair it up with. It has such a nicely perfumed nose and such a seamless palate that I think it could work with a wide range of dishes. Impressive notes of cocoa and dark roux come through first with a generous dose of fruit backing them up. Flavors of black cherries, figs, and sun baked plums are offset by hints of tart black currants and pithy blackberries as the wine glides gently over the palate. The tannins, while present, are not aggressive and there’s just enough acidity to keep the wine serious. This delicious effort ought to hold up nicely for another 2 or 3 years if you can manage to forget a few bottles for that long.
Food Pairing:
The Malbec in this blend lends such a nice cocoa and plummy component to the wine. I think you would find that the earthiness of red chili pairs up really well with it. So why not try out some Ancho dusted bone-in pork chops with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts tossed with bacon fat and a touch of Guajillo chili? Maybe you could drizzle the whole plate with a touch of fig and ruby port reduction if you really want to class it up.
You MUST mention this special or print it out to receive the price on the above wine.
This price expires 1/15/2017 at 6pm and is limited to in-store quantities.
No rain checks given. Call (303) 936-0272 to reserve bottles with a credit card.