La Posta Pizzella Mendoza Malbec 2019

La Posta’s Pizzella Malbec has been impressive in each and every vintage. With that said, we were truly blown away by the 2019 La Posta Pizzella Family Malbec, and apparently we weren’t the only ones given the wine’s 90+ scores, including 91 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. The scion of one of finest vintages in years, the excitement begins with the wine’s brilliant red and purple robe and heady aromatics. Black cherry, wild berry, dark chocolate, and savory spice tones waft from the glass from the moment the wine is poured. In the mouth, the 2019 La Posta Pizzella Malbec suffuses the palate with dark fruit flavors, hints of sandalwood, spices, and woodland violets. Refined, complex, and endowed with silky smooth tannins which complement its ripe berry flavors, we found the 2019 La Posta Pizzella Malbec nearly irresistible. If one is accustomed to brawny, simplistic Malbec and nothing more, the 2019 La Posta Pizzella Malbec will come as a revelation. Medium to full-bodied, this textured Malbec delivers its largesse with grace and purity before finishing with a flourish. For ultimate enjoyment, we suggest serving the 2019 La Posta Pizzella Family Malbec at cool room temperature (58°-62° F) after at least 10-15 minutes of aeration. Anticipated maturity: 2021-2025. Enjoy!

The 2019 La Posta Pizzella Family Malbec brings joy to the table. Very few Malbecs at any price are as dynamic, superbly crafted, and enjoyable with food, family, and friends as the 2019 La Posta Pizzella Malbec. The Pizzella family’s food-friendly Malbec provides tasty companionship to beef, poultry, pork, pasta, and a wide variety of vegetables. Prime Rib of Beef and Herb Encrusted Beef Tenderloin in the company of mashed potatoes, creamed pearl onions, and roasted root vegetables make splendid companions to La Posta’s 2019 Pizzella Malbec. Consider several of the Pizzella family’s favorite pairings, too. Grilled Quail with a quinoa, currant and pine nut pilaf; Wild Boar accompanied by a sage and dried cherry risotto; and Grilled Polenta served with a wild mushroom ragout all make delicious accompaniments to La Posta’s 2019 Pizzella Malbec. Lentil Quinoa Carrot Cakes with a mild tahini sauce and crumbled feta offers another especially tasty offering. Traditional Italian pasta dishes such as Pasta Bolognese, lasagna, and cannelloni pair beautifully, too. Born and bred to be enjoyed with food, the 2019 La Posta Pizzella Family Malbec truly aims to please. Buen Provecho!

The 2019 La Posta Pizzella Family Malbec makes an ideal accompaniment to many kinds of cheeses. Creamy Harvarti, Munster, Cheddar, and Double Gloucester beautifully complement Malbec’s savory flavors. Aged Gouda and Pecorino Toscano also provide flavorful companions to the 2019 La Posta Pizzella Malbec, especially when served at the end of a fine meal. For more superb wine and cheese pairings or to learn more about gourmet cheeses, join us at www.cheesemonthclub.com. Enjoy!

La Posta was created by fourth generation vintner Laura Catena whose family is practically synonymous with Malbec and widely regarded as the first family of Argentine wine. La Posta fashions several special Malbecs, each from a distinguished, individual family vineyard. La Posta’s Pizzella Malbec emanates from the Pizzella family vineyard in Mendoza’s Uco Valley. The Pizzella vineyard is renowned for yielding wines with rich berry flavors, touches of exotic spices, sandalwood, and smooth ripe tannins. The Pizzella vineyard has received many 90+ point ratings over the years from Robert Parker Jr., James Suckling and others. It has also been the recipient of many Gold Medals at trade tastings.

La Posta translates to “the tavern,” where local farmers meet to discuss their soils, their vines, their quest for superior flavors, and their passions for life. In collaboration with wine pioneer Laura Catena and esteemed winemaker Estela Perinetti, La Posta highlights the hard work and skills of the people behind some of the finest family vineyards in Argentina.

Malbec is one of the original red wine grapes of Bordeaux, France (where it is also called Cot or Pressac). While Malbec plays a purely supporting role today in Bordeaux, adding color and body to the region’s Merlot and Cabernet blends, it remains one of the six legal grape varieties permitted in red Bordeaux (along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Carmenère). However, south of Bordeaux in the region of Cahors, Malbec still reigns supreme. It remains the chief grape used in what historically has been called the "black wine” of Cahors.

Despite its deep French roots, Argentina has come to fore as the contemporary champion of Malbec, where the varietal reigns as the most important grape variety, both in terms of quality and quantity. The best Argentine Malbecs and Malbec blends offer considerable flavor and body at a relative young age, yet they remain age-worthy wines capable of true distinction, especially in the hands of Argentina’s most accomplished winemakers.