Warming reds feature in the final part of Mary Dowey's autumn wine course
It's exactly the right time of year to dive into the two grapes featured in this final instalment of our autumn wine course. Zinfandel and Malbec both make berry-rich, spicy, full-on red wines - just the sort of thing you will need some evening soon when winter winds set windows rattling and teeth chattering.
If wine styles were people, these two would be tomboyish sisters - open, friendly, warmhearted, likeable ... but maybe sometimes just a little bit OTT. You look forward to seeing them because they're funky and different - glamorous, even. You enjoy their easy company. They're brilliant fun for a weekend. But you're maybe not sure that you could cope with their upfront personalities for months on end.
Still, in a liquid world swamped with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz - much of it fairly bland - we badly need mild eccentrics such as Zinfandel and Malbec now and again. The first, a speciality of California for close on 200 years, pops up elsewhere occasionally, but rarely with the same strength of character - so I suggest you buy two Californian examples.
Malbec, the great red grape of Argentina, is also important in Cahors in south-west France - but again it's probably best to focus on two Argentine versions. Although still a minor player on the international scene, Argentina is so dynamic that we're soon going to see many more of its wines. Stand by for a torrent of Malbec.
ESSENTIAL KIT
To recap on what you need for a wine-tasting session:
INSIDER INFO: THE MIDDLE PALATE
Professional tasters focus strongly on the "length of finish" of a wine. The longer the flavours linger in the mouth after the wine has been swallowed or spat out, the better its quality is considered to be (provided the aftertaste is pleasant).
But winemakers talk a lot about the middle palate. What exactly do they mean, and is it important? I recently read extracts from a paper given by the respected British taster Michael Schuster which bring this sometimes blurred area helpfully into focus.
Schuster believes that "mid-palate length" is just as important an indication of quality as the length of the finish. He defines this as "a chronological tenacity of flavour whilst you keep the wine in your mouth", and explains how to assess it: "You consider how long the wine continues to hold your attention, to stimulate your taste buds; how long it seems to maintain an inner energy and drive, whilst you explore what it has to offer. With the finest wines you exhaust the liquid on your palate before you exhaust its possibilities. The 'energy current' of lesser wines weakens much more rapidly in the mouth."
I have begun to pay more attention to the mid-palate myself recently, noticing how some wines feel vibrant in the mouth, while others make little impact. Delicate wines can be as impressive in this way as powerful ones. Think about it when you are tasting.
GRAPE 8: MALBEC
CLAIM TO FAME Long-standing speciality of Argentina, where old vines produce some outstanding versions.
PLUS A great meat wine - and a change from Cabernet Sauvignon.
MINUS Can also be too lush for its own good.
CHEAT LIST OF SMELLS, FLAVOURS, TEXTURE Blackberries, damsons, black cherries, chocolate, meat juice, pepper, firm tannins beneath luscious fruit.
WHAT FOOD DOES IT SUIT? Roast beef, beef stews, chilli con carne.
TWO TO TRY
Santa Julia Malbec, Mendoza, Familia Zuccardi 2002. Widely available, usually €7.99. La Remonta Malbec La Consulta 2002. See Bottles of the Week.
Imagine you are in a carpet shop looking for something rich, even slightly baroque, for your bedroom floor - Venetian red, say, or midnight blue. There's an 80 per cent wool twist, a bit short in the pile, but not half bad considering its knockdown price. And there's also a pure wool velvet Wilton, a good deal more expensive but deeply luxurious. These two Malbecs, both soft and luscious with the blackberry character this is so typical of this grape, point up similar differences. Santa Julia is a simple version offering outstanding value. La Remonta is more lavish, complex and lasting - a Saturday night wine, perhaps, rather than a Tuesday night one. Compare and contrast.
GRAPE 7: ZINFANDEL
CLAIM TO FAME Long-standing speciality of California, where old vines produce some outstanding versions.
PLUS A great winter warmer - rich, spicy, alcoholic.
MINUS Can be too lush for its own good and often doesn't age well.
CHEAT LIST OF SMELLS, FLAVOURS, TEXTURE Cherries, blackberries, raspberries, chocolate, pepper, spice, smooth and opulent.
WHAT FOOD DOES IT SUIT? Spicy Asian or Indian meat dishes, spicy sausages, pasta with meat sauce.
TWO TO TRY
Stone Cellars by Beringer Zinfandel, California 2000/1. From Oddbins, €9.99. (Limited availability; if you have difficulty finding this wine, consider Beringer California Zinfandel 2002 instead - from Galvins, Cork; Carry-out off-licences and others, usually €11.99).
Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel, California 2001. See Bottles of the Week.
The trouble with a good many affordable Zinfandels that that they're too damned sweet to tempt you towards a second glass. (The American palate is definitely more sugar-prone than its European cousin.) These two excellent examples both avoid saccharine excess while demonstrating different styles. The Beringer is chock-full of smooth, ripe fruit with a dollop of spice and a mocha overlay - very upfront. The Ravenswood, a little lighter and leaner than in previous vintages, is Zinfandel on its best behaviour - restrained, peppery and firm rather than fruitily voluptuous.