malbec Archives : Me, Annie Bee.

Opi Malbec – Weekly Winedown #46

Anna — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:00:21 +0000

I’m really taking the Weekly out of these winedowns at the moment aren’t I? I think I need to change it from a Friday. And maybe from an evening. I’ll be honest, I think a Monday afternoon would work better for me but I’m not sure how much school would appreciate me rocking up to get the kids with an aroma of wine! Anyway, it’s been a chaotic couple of weeks. I’m still trying to figure out how to make two jobs, life, parenting and wifeing work all at the same. Some things are getting neglected (the rug hasn’t been hoovered in ages and I throw Zoflora around like confetti) and my ‘to do’ list is pretty hefty at the moment. That’s my burden, not yours so let’s continue! This week I did a terribly grown up thing. Something that feels even more grown up than buying a house, getting married and having children. I got a Laithwaite’s wine plan. You know the one, where you get sent wine every so often. The deal was basically 14 bottles of wine and two wine tumblers (they’re a thing now) for £54 which BASICALLY works out at £3.85 a bottle. What an absolute bargain. Rory keeps saying things like “Well that’s the wine for Christmas sorted” Hahahahaha…Righto. Tonight I am drinking Opi Malbec from Argentina. I chose this from the box randomly. It usually costs £9.99 a bottle apparently. The label Super simple – white, slightly embossed with the signature of the wine maker on it. No faff just information, as I like it. Opi Malbec blurb Right, there is a LOT of information on the back. Like, the man’s life story which I’m SURE is terribly interesting (I saw the words fishing and motor cross) but I like to keep to around 500 words so I’ll just share the bit about the wine. It has an intense deep red colour; the nose and palate convey harmonious ripe blackberry and plum, underpinned by elegant smoke and vanilla notes from a deft touch of oak. This attractive wine is the perfect partner to red meat dishes, spicy sausage and cheese. Well, I have neither sausage nor cheese but this wine is an actual delight! The nose is, as suggested very brambly. The palate is tart berry, the tannins are smooth and there is a really subtle vanilla/creamy finish. This is the kind of wine that doesn’t need food. It can certainly be drank alone. Name – Opi Malbec Price – £9.99 (or £3.80 if you get this fancy plan) Colour – Red purple Smell – Bramble Taste – Tart blackberries with a creamy finish Goes well with – Autumn and candles that smell of gingerbread Overall score – 4/5

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Weekly Winedown #38 Terreo Malbec

Anna — Fri, 18 May 2018 18:10:21 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy This weekend will see Miss Markle make an honest man of Harry. I hate that term, ‘honest man’ it implies that up until some point tomorrow he was just off galavanting with other women and generally being a bit of a cad, it’s a bit demeaning to be honest. Some of the terms and traditions to do with weddings really are archaic aren’t they yet we (not actually me) bandy them about without thinking. Like when people refer to their hen/stag do as the ‘last night of freedom’. If people really think that they won’t be able to get pissed with their friends ever again, they should probably question why they’re marrying a joy vacuum in the first place. Anyway, I digress, Harry & Meghan are getting wed and I can’t wait. Judge all you will, I don’t give a hoot! I don’t consider myself to be a royalist but I love the pomp and ceremony, it’s also nice to see that being a royal doesn’t stop people whinging about who you do or don’t invite to your wedding as if it’s anyone elses business! The biggest appeal to me though is watching something happy for a change and seeing two people in love marrying one another. I’m such a softie. Let us get ready for wedding celebrations with an expensive (but on special offer) French Malbec. Deja vu? I know it’s a risky move after last weeks Winsom Cousins but I need to right the wrong. The Label Simple and elegant. A square white label with the brand name in purple and the rest in black. Kind of like the front of a menu in a fancy establishment, one that is so fancy it probably doesn’t even take a taste card. The cap is also white, like a magicians gloves. I’m not sure what I make of that though, it makes me uncomfortable. The Blurb “Terreo Malbec is an unique red wine from South West of France. Very deep red colour with shades of purple. Notes of black fruit and vanilla. Great unctuousness in the mouth” It’s one of those fancy labels where they do the blurb in French then put a direct translation underneath, this always strikes me as a little pretentious but in the past, the wines that do this have been good. I particularly like the term ‘unctuosness’ we should use it more in daily life. It’s even nicer in French ‘Grand onctuosite en bouche’. So basically, we’re expecting a rich, intense wine with a hint of vanilla, let’s see! There was so little on the nose, like nothing to declare. A very light scent and everso slightly floral but not a lot more. The taste, intially big – almost unctuous (but not quite) bold red berries in the mouth then nothing. There’s not long taste, it’s just gone. I certainly didn’t get any sense of vanilla at all. It’s certainly not an £11.99 bottle of wine in my opinion, but what do I know? More than Aoife at the very least 😉 Name – Terreo Malbec Price – £5.99 (should be £11.99) Colour – reddy purple Smell – Light, a bit vague Taste – Tart berries, starts big then nothing. Goes well with – A Royal wedding eve Overall score – 3.5/5

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Weekly Winedown #37 Winsome Cousins Malbec

Anna — Fri, 11 May 2018 18:15:17 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy I’ve really been slacking off haven’t I? I’ve been inconsistent, distant, I’ve let you down. I can only apologise for not giving you the attention and the wine information you need. The blame lies entirely with me, my poor time management and my real life family wanting me to ‘parent’ ALL THE TIME. I normally do the Winedown on an evening, for that is when is socially acceptable to drink wine. However, tonight we are out. Not out out – just out at a school social thing (there will be wine – PHEW). As a result I had to do my review at 1pm. I’m not going to lie, it was only a very small glass but I’m feeling ready for bed already! This week we have a French Malbec so say Bonjour to Winsome Cousins Malbec, currently on offer at £6.74 from Ocado. The Label As soon as you see the label it will become VERY clear why I chose this wine. It’s a simple label, white with a clear font declaring the name. Oh, and there’s a moose wearing glasses and a striped jumper. Yes, the label has a hipster moose on the front! I defy you to come up with something that shouts ‘FRENCH’ more than a moose in specs!? The Blurb Expressive bouquet of red fruits. Harmonious and nicely structured. Serve with strong flavoured cheeses and grilled meats. In the past, we’ve been noted that a minimal blurb does not equate to a minimal wine. Remember Sangre de Toro? I’m really hoping the same applies with this Malbec. There’s a lot of expectation on my part, all stemming from that label… The smell is quite ‘ripe’ – like fresh redcurrant or blackcurrant. The kind of smell that makes your tastebuds start tingling before you’ve even taken a sip. The taste… You know when something feels like it’s sucked every piece of moisture from the inside of your face? That. The first taste was like tart plums, almost bitter. The tannins are strong with this one leaving a really dry taste. After a couple of sips my mouth became accustomed to the experience and the wine became surpringly palatable. The wine felt like it could have waited just a little longer before being bottled. It’s not, in my opinion, an £8.99 bottle of wine. It’s average. You’d not be disappointed if you were served it in a pub but might be a bit put out if served it in a restaurant. Saying that, I reckon if consumed with a strong, French cheese (as suggested) it would actually become a very different wine. I am absolutely going to try the rest of the family – the Pinot Noir has a pipe smoking, gilet wearing giraffe and the merlot a tweed clad panda. What’s not to like? Name – Winsome Cousins Malbec Price – £6.74 (should be £8.99) Colour – Dark red with a pinky edge. Smell – Ripe blackcurrants Taste – Strong tannins and tart plums. Goes well with – A chunk of Roquefort maybe. Overall score – 3/5.

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Weekly Winedown #28 Beefsteak Club Malbec

Anna — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 19:18:41 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. Dear reader, I need a break. A break from everything. Not death – nothing that permanent. Just a day or so to breathe. A day where I don’t have to be at a certain place by a certain time. Where I don’t have to remember to feed a small person regularly (three times a day – what’s that about?). Just 24 hours without someone trying to pull up my dress, get in my pockets or honk my boob. Time without children sitting as on top of me as anyone could possibly sit. I’d like a day with pockets of silence, to be able to walk without being dragged in two different directions. To be able to start and finish a task without constant interruptions and forgetting what I was doing in the first place. I imagine sitting without being kicked in the face or shouted at for TV scheduling. A whole night of sleep. To dream the impossible dream! Instead I have Beefsteak Club Malbec, an Argentinian red on offer at £6.49. The Label Red, white and black. We all know I love that. The text looks like it’s been stamped on with wooden blocks and there is a picture of a bull. There’s also a little tale about the beginnings of the Beefsteak Club. It was established in 1705 don’t you know? Well you do now. As labels go, this is unoffensive. The Blurb “A bright, fresh Malbec made from high altitude grapes of Mendoza. Vibrant aromas of crunchy red fruits and plum with a lightly spice finished. Well balanced and smooth with soft tannins to perfectly complement a juicy steak.” WTF is a crunchy red fruit? I have wracked my brain (granted there’s not a lot to wrack) and I’ll be damned if I can think of a crunchy fruit. Do you know of any? I can’t get away from the idea of that weird freeze dried fruit you get in cereal. Interesting. The nose (oh yes) is nice, like rich dark chocolate. The really dark stuff that you can only have one piece of. It was a fruitier palate, than I expected but a decent depth of flavour too. The finish was kind of licorice/oaky/woody. Lightly spiced and quite pleasant. This Malbec is a good all rounder and I can imagine is DOES go well with steak. I have no steak. Tonight Rory is out so I am having my Christmas ‘Do’. As a SAHM, my Christmas do is me drinking wine at home, alone, watching Elf. Actually not entirely alone. It’s a synchronised Elf watch. I am so hardcore. At least my wine is good. Name – Beefsteak Club Malbec. Price – £6.49 Colour – Rich red Smell – Subtle chocolatey Taste – Fruity with a woody finish Goes well with – Steak, apparently Overall score – 3.5/5

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Weekly Winedown #7 Luis Felipe Edwards Favoritos Malbec

Anna — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 18:50:23 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. This week has been half term and you know what? It wasn’t entirely unbearable! Unfortunately I can’t take credit for that. I haven’t suddenly upped my parenting game and become an amazing school holiday mum with crafting, baking and educafunal (you’re welcome) trips. Rather my cousin came to stay for the week (who, it turns out, is way cooler than even Rachel, Sorry Rachel – Aoife’s a fickle sort) and Aoife had two play dates in a week. The pressure was off me, I just had to make sure food was made and things were passed to them when demanded. You know, the only bit of parenting any of us were actually prepared for! We played in the paddling pool, we went out for coffee, we visited horses, went to the Meanwood Family Festival and drank beer brewed from a new, local microbrewpub, The Meanwood Brewery. I would strongly recommend anyone local to here check out their story and try their wares! We achieved and tonight I’m feeling pretty smug about my first ever successful school holiday. For this weeks wine choice I have ventured back to Chile. I was truly taken in by the Carmenere and so am hoping that a Malbec from Chile beats one from Argentina. (I’m probably never going to let that go – Sorry). So today I will be unbottling Luis Felipe Edwards Favoritos Malbec – £6.66 (hopefully this isn’t an ominous sign) The official blurb “Favoritos Malbec is richly-flavoured, smooth and juicy, packed with blueberry and blackcurrant fruit. A great wine with pizza, pasta bolognese and of course a juicy steak! Favoritos are Edwards family favourites for any occasion. Classic wines we like to drink at home with friends and loved ones.” Sounds a bit tart doesn’t it? Also, a wine to drink ‘at home with friends and loved ones’. Pfft. My favourite wines are the ones my loved ones DON’T want to share with me! Rory doesn’t like wine so luckily that’s not an obstacle I’ll have to hurdle tonight! It’s also ‘great with pizza, pasta and steak’. As today is National Fish & Chip day, I am going to pair this wine with a big filthy pizza, we’ll see how much of an all rounder it really is! The label is clean and neat. It contains nothing but fact. Straight and to the point. The precise requirement of any label. The smell was interesting, kind of wet and woody. This isn’t a bad smell, it’s a warm the cockles kind of smell. It does taste a little sharp but smooth too. It’s a rich ‘full’ taste. Remember when I declared a wine a bit ‘thin’ a few weeks ago? Well this is ‘thick’ but, in this instance, thick is good. It’s a very berry and a little peppery taste. It’s a bloody good glass of red! Name – Luis Felipe Edwards Favoritos Malbec Price – £6.66 Colour – Red, the dark kind I like Smell – Wet and woody, like nature but not quite camping. Taste – Rich, tart and fruity (oi, oi) Goes well with – Life and a successful half term. Overall score – 4.5/5

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Weekly Winedown #3 Otra Vida Malbec.

Anna — Fri, 05 May 2017 20:17:33 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy.Apparently my review last week wasn’t as successful as I’d hoped. Apparently the whole chewy/swimming pool thing wasn’t taken in the fond way I intended and it wasn’t enough to make people want to try it “To say I’m not a fan of red wine, after reading your review this week I definitely won’t be trying it” Rory – last week I meant both in a very positive way, I don’t like ‘thin’ wine, I feel robbed and you’ve got to admit that warm smell of swimming pool is quite a nice, comfortable kind of smell…..Just me? OK! Moving swiftly on! This week I struggled to decide which wine to go for, as I’ve said before I’m always drawn to French and it’s hard to break habits. I got Rory to choose a country to make my choice easier. He chose Argentina so I chose Otra Vida Malbec, £5.65 from Ocado, because I liked the label. I’ve been getting my wine from Ocado simply because it’s easier to get when my shopping is delivered, I know that some towns can’t get deliveries from there but I really can’t go back to using Asda. They became so bad! “We’ve not got the bread you wanted so we substituted it with this sock. We’re also out of squash so we substituted that with the bread you initially ordered and we told you we didn’t have it”* Really Asda, sort your schizz out and I’ll consider coming back to you! Anyway. Back to it . I bought the Otra Vida because I liked the label and the price. The official blurb on the wine reads thusly “Otra Vida – Another life in Argentina, “La Otra Vida” is a relaxing and pleasurable time, away from the rigours of daily life and work. Whichever way you like to enjoy life, enjoy it with Otra Vida. Wine of Mendoza, Argentina, Smooth, medium-bodied Malbec that perfectly combines plum and red berry flavours, Suitable for vegetarians” Seriously. That’s it. That’s all it says. I’ll be honest, I’m not holding out much hope for this one. It’s focusing a lot on ‘taking time out’ and not a lot on flavour and stuff. It’s either terribly confident in itself or just hopes you drink enough that you get so swept away from the rigours of life you could be drinking turps. Here goes…..The colour isn’t what I’d normally hope for, it’s kind of light red. Not pink but not rich red like heavy velvet curtains, more like cheap halloween fake blood red. The smell is bitter and sharp. A slight hint of wet dog. It made my tongue feel funny just smelling it. And now for the taste…..It isn’t as bad as all indicators suggested it would be. It’s fruity, like dark berries, the ones they put next to cheesecake but you never eat because they’re a bit tart. It’s a little bitter but also a bit sweeter than I’d usually choose (I know this makes no sense but it does) I normally really enjoy a Malbec because it’s quite full bodied, this one isn’t. It’s a wine for when you’ve got friends round, it’ll go with any food simply because it’s wet and you’re thirsty.I feel like I’m being unnecessarily harsh but it is being pretty harsh itself. I think I was spoilt with last weeks surprise wine! Today the wine is an apres Ikea whilst numbing feelings of complete dismay, anger and frustration because Seth has decided, once again, that walking is for losers. Maybe this is why I was hoping for more from it, because I’ve been looking forward to it all day? Tomorrow is a whole new day and I’m sure it will be better. Besides, the more of this I drink this wine the more I feel I’m drifting “away from the rigours of daily life”. Name – Otra Vida Malbec Price – £5.65 Colour – Light red. Smell – Sharp and earthy. Taste – Bitter berries with a sweet aftertaste. Goes well with – Despair and apres shopping. Overall score – 2.5/5 An all rounder, largely unoffensive. Does exactly what it says on the tin (label) So that’s this weeks Weekly Winedown, just like wine they get better the more you ingest….. Where last week I learnt you shouldn’t judge a wine by it’s label, this week I also learnt I shouldn’t judge a wine by it’s label.What’s in your wine cellar/flask this week? I need suggestions. *This might not be an entirely accurate recollection of events. The Tale of Mummyhood

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