Terroir is basically the countless variables that contribute to a wine’s sense of place. Everything from the soil-type, seasonal rainfall, slope, aspect, climate, micro-climate, degree growing days, clonal grapevine selection etc…are all factors that directly affect the grapes which in turn directly impact the final wine. Terroir is the ‘je ne sais quoi’ of the wine world because it embodies everything that can’t quite be easily quantified, simply explained or definitively conclusive when describing a wine.

Don David Malbec – ND John Wines

Pähkinät ja mantelit ovat klassinen lisuke juustolle ja viinille. Tarjoa ne sellaisenaan tai paahda uunissa niihin kaunis väri ennen tarjoilua. Suolaa halutessasi. Argentinian Malbec, rich and filled with berries, plum jam, the fine, perfumed acidity of redcurrants, with the elegant scent of violets on the nose, plus the sweetness of vanilla and a smear of dark chocolate. This bottle of Don David Blend of Terroirs Malbec is made using grapes from two different altitudes within Argentina’s Calchaquí Valley, which is high-altitude region located in the northwestern Salta Province. When grown at higher elevations, Malbec develops incredible complexities and elegant nuances, as noted when I tasted Bodega Colomé’s Malbec wines which are from the same region. The fact that this Malbec is a blend of two different terroirs, simply enables the winemaker to add more depth to the wine. Eager to get tasting, I popped the corked and poured myself a glass!

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The historic Catena Zapata vineyards (first planted in 1902) are planted with the Catena family’s proprietary selection of Malbec, the Catena Cuttings. In 2018 the Catena Alta Malbec is sourced from Lot 18 of the Angélica vineyard, Lot 4 of the La Pirámide vineyard, Lot 1 of the Nicasia vineyard, Lot 6 of the Angélica Sur vineyard and Lot 9 of the Adrianna vineyard. The resulting wine has an appealing deep cherry colour with baked summer pudding fruits, creamy wood and floral overtones. Bright acidity and silky tannin give a nicely balanced wine in a restrained style with integrated fruit, wood and structure and good length. A wine for turkey or game birds and Camargue red rice. (Patricia Stefanowicz)

El Esteco Don David Reserve Malbec - Vivino 2020 El Esteco Don David Reserve Malbec - Vivino

Kun haluat tarjota pientä naposteltavaa viinilasin kylkeen tai juustot nautitaan aterian päätteeksi, varaa juustoja yhteensä 150 g ruokailijaa kohden.Ota juustot ajoissa jääkaapista ja avaa kääreet. Juustojen maut ja aromit tulevat parhaiten esiin, kun ne ovat lähes huoneenlämpöisiä. Punaviinit taas ovat parhaimmillaan 16–18 asteisina tarjoiltuina, joten viilennä viiniä noin puoli tuntia jääkaapissa ennen tarjoilua. I highly recommend enjoying this bottle of Don David Blend of Terroirs Malbec alongside a leg of lamb well-seasoned with mint and other fresh herbs.