November brings colder weather, longer nights and warmer homes as we hunker down for winter’s approach.
It also means the holiday season, and all its entertaining opportunities, is not far away. Having a selection of wines on hand for get-togethers, whether planned or impulsive, is always a good plan. Now is a good time to stock up on some those wines ahead of the rush.
These Argentine reds deliver great value, with robust flavours that will beat the chill while impressing your friends. Enjoy.
Dona Paula Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Dona Paula2023Estate Cabernet SauvignonLujan de Cuyo, Argentina
Using only estate-grown grapes, Dona Paula produces everything from tasty everyday wines to memorable single-vineyard bottles.
This cabernet sauvignon comes from its entry level estate series. From 25-year-old vines growing in the El Alto Vineyard in Luyan de Cuyo, the grapes were picked in early April before being destemmed and fermented. Following fermentation, the wine spent 12 months in a mix of French oak barrels up to three years old.
The wine is made in a lighter, fresh style, with flavours of plum, spice, blackcurrant, vanilla and cherry. It’s medium-full bodied, with soft tannins. It’s dangerously easy to drink.
Price: About $21. It’s been available at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer, Safeway Liquor, Sobeys Liquor, Wine & Beyond and several smaller retailers. Check your nearest store.
Drink: In the next couple of years. Try it with a meaty pizza, barbecued ribs or the duck empanadas recommended by the winery — there’s a recipe on their website.
Belasco de Baquedano2022Llama MalbecAgrelo, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina
With a successful distillery and winery in Spain, Juan Ignacio Belasco had plenty on his plate. But he wanted more. After falling for malbec, he became interested in starting a winery in South America.
Belasco spent a decade looking for the right spot. He and his son Mikel found what they were looking for when they discovered a family selling a high-elevation property with century-old vines in the Agrelo region of Lujan de Cuyo, about 35 kilometres south of Mendoza and 80 km from the Aconcagua Mountains.
The family was thrilled to find a property with such old vines. They built a new winery in 2008 and continued to make upgrades through the years, including drip irrigation to give them better control of vine moisture levels. They also partnered with high-profile wine consultant Michel Rolland to develop the wines. In 2017, Juan Ignacio passed away, with Mikel taking over the operation of the winery.
Created from hand-picked grapes on 116-year-old vines, the Llama Malbec is inky purple and rich, with ripe tannins and intense flavours of plum, black raspberry, blackberry and blackcurrant. Aged six months in oak and then a year in the bottle, it is smooth and nicely balanced.
Price: About $25. Look for it at Aspen Wine and Spirits, Crowfoot Wine and Spirits, Five Vines Wine, Craft Beer and Spirits, Silver Springs Liquor Store, Valley Ridge Liquor Store, Varsity Wine Merchants, Willow Park Wines & Spirits and Wine and Beyond.
Drink: In the next four years. Enjoy it with prime rib roast. Cork; 14 per cent alc./vol.
Luigi Bosca Cabernet Sauvignon
Luigi Bosca2022Cabernet SauvignonMendoza, Argentina
The Arizu family has been making wine in Argentina since 1901 when Leoncio Arizu launched the business in Lujan de Cuyo.
The winery has been passed down from generation to generation over the past 124 years, with each family member adding to the legacy. For example, third-generation Alberto Arizu played a key role in establishing the Lujan de Cuyo appellation. His son, Alberto Arizu Jr., took Luigi Bosca wines to the world, exporting wines to more than 60 countries.
From the winery’s Insignia line, this cabernet sauvignon shows that there’s more to Argentina than malbec. It is explosively aromatic and bursting with bold flavours of cassis, plum, violet, vanilla, spice, black raspberry and mocha.
Medium-full bodied with broad, silky tannins, it really overdelivers. The oak flavours are nicely balanced by the ripe, dark fruit.
Price: About $25. It has been sold at AB Liquor Outlet, Alberta Liquor Wine & Spirits, Bow Trail Liquor Store, Craft Cellars, Five Vines Wine, Craft Beer and Spirits, Metro Liquor, New Discovery Fine Wines and Spirits, Northmount Liquor, Olympia Liquor, Quick Stop Liquor, Safeway Liquor Southcentre, Somerset Liquor Store and Wine and Beyond at Signall Hill and Township.
Drink: In the next five years. Enjoy it with lamb chops or beef stew. Cork; 14.4 per cent alc./vol.
Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec Cabernet Franc
Trivento2023Golden Reserve Malbec – Cabernet FrancUco Valley, Argentina
Trivento is an Argentine sales star.
In 2020, it became the country’s top-selling wine brand, according to drinks data tracking organization IWSR. Launched in 1996, Trivento is owned by major Chilean wine company Concha y Toro.
With 1,500 hectares of vineyards in 13 locations, Trivento offers both quantity and quality. Its Golden Reserve Malbec, the most popular red wine in Great Britain, leads the charge.
In June, winemaker Magdalena Viani, who handles the five Golden Reserve wines and Trivento’s sparkling wine program, introduced the first red blend in the lineup to a crowd in Calgary.
The wine, which arrived in the province in September, boasts a savoury palate, with lively acidity and flavours of black cherry, vanilla, blackcurrant, blackberry, green pepper and dried herbs. It’s a mix of 80 per cent malbec and 20 per cent cabernet franc. The wine spent 12 months in oak, 70 per cent barrels and 30 per cent much larger foudres, which impart less oak flavour.
Price: About $28. Check for it at Co-op Wines Spirits Beer, Jazz Liquor, New Discovery Fine Wines and Spirits, Olympia Liquor, RB Canadian Liquor Store, Safeway Liquor, Urban Cellars, Willow Park Wines & Spirits, Wine and Beyond and Zyn the Wine Market.
Drink: In the next four years. Try it with a hearty beef stew, lasagna or a grilled T-bone steak. Cork; 14 per cent alc./vol.
Contact Darren Oleksyn at dm.oleksyn@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram or X. Looking for a specific product? Because inventories are always in flux, it’s a good idea to call a store to confirm they have it. A search on Liquorconnect.com can give you an idea of stores that have carried the products.
Dining and Cooking