We’ll call this a “birthday wine”, because we opened while celebrating a milestone for Ma.  I’ve seen it shelved and/or displayed in NJ wine stores and must be a relatively mass-produced Argentinian red because it was all over Rochester too.  The Malbec followed a Tormaresca that we had gifted (and written about) previously, and that’s one of the fun things about having more people enjoying a bottle together–with the portions divided, you get to open more bottles and do more sampling at a given sitting.  In any case, we uncorked the Gascon Malbec 2009 to accompany an Asian green salad, grilled asparagus, twice-baked potatoes, and perfectly cooked Wegman’s steaks.  It must have worked well in this capacity, because it was long gone by the time we got around to some fantastic desserts.

Gascon 2009, Argentina.

Here’s the usual run-down from the winemaker: “Don Miguel Gascón Malbec is a full-bodied wine with a deep violet color, showcasing flavors and aromas of blackberry, blueberry, plum, dark cherry, and a hint of mocha. The wine is elegant and rich in texture, with soft, round tannins and a long velvety finish.”

Apparently the growing season in 2009 had some crazy temperatures that resulted in variations to the grapes–their thickness, acidity, vibrancy, freshness, concentration–a host of factors far beyond my taste.  I was just glad it was such a welcome addition to the glad event.