On recommendation a friend and fellow Malbec lover, I purchased a bottle of Luca Malbec 2011 from Mendoza, Argentina. This wine has everything I buy Malbec for... lots of berry aroma with what I thought was a hint of BBQ. In reading another review, it was described as hoisin and, BINGO! That's what I smell. I love hoisin, so it was no wonder my mouth started watering right away. On the taste, I get pomegranate, peppery spice, espresso and a little bit of tobacco... aka the perfect Malbec profile. Nice long finish with the taste of cola. Wine Advocate rates it 92, International Wine Cellar gives it a 91. And, I believe the ratings are well deserved.
I think it's important to introduce the creator of this wine, Laura Catena, referred to by many as the "face" of Argentinian Malbec. She is a fourth generation vintner PLUS an emergency medicine physician at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center PLUS an author and freelance writer PLUS a mother. Oh, and she's beautiful AND smart, graduating magna cum laude from Harvard, AND she got her medical degree at Stanford. Who says wine isn't good for you?
It's a little pricier than most of my choices, about $30/bottle purchased online at Wine.com. But, if you want to impress dinner guests, this is the perfect choice, because they'll swear you spent twice that. My friend said it was phenomenal with beef tenderloin, but I can imagine it going well with BBQ, Mexican food, spicy Italian and anything charcoal grilled... which qualifies it as a great summer wine for those who prefer reds. At 14% alcohol, it's no lightweight... so, please, drink responsibly. But, if you like bold, full-bodied wines, definitely drink this!
