Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Medium body, black plum, brooding black pepper spice and an easy, mineral-laced finish

Chill the bottle to serving temperature of about 16–18°C (60–64°F). If the bottle is warmer, place it in an ice bucket for 10–15 minutes; if too cold, warm gently in your hands for a few minutes. Use a wine thermometer if available to confirm temperature.

Chill and prepare bottle

Cut and remove the capsule, wipe the neck with a clean cloth. Use a waiter’s corkscrew to extract the cork smoothly. Smell the cork briefly for any off odors (musty or moldy) to check for cork taint.

Open the bottle

If you prefer slightly more aeration, decant the wine for 20–40 minutes to help the brooding black pepper and dark fruit aromas open up. For a lighter approach, simply pour directly into glasses.

Decant (optional)

Pour about 3–4 ounces (90–120 ml) into each red wine glass. Tilt the glass and observe the color at the rim and center: expect a deep garnet to plum core with a subtle rim hue indicative of medium body. Use a neutral plate to compare clarity if desired.

Pour and observe

Gently swirl the glass to release aromatics. Put your nose near the rim and take a few short sniffs, then one deep inhale. Look for aromas of black plum, dark brambly fruit, brooding black pepper spice, and an easy mineral note (think crushed stone, wet slate). Note any secondary aromas such as baking spice, or light oak-derived vanilla if present.

Swirl and nose

Take a moderate sip, let the wine coat your mouth, and breathe slightly to lift aromas (chew the wine mentally). Expect medium body, ripe black plum fruit, concentrated black pepper spice, moderate acidity, and fine-grained tannins. Focus on the balance between fruit, spice, minerality, and finish. Note the mineral-laced finish — a subtle stony persistence after swallowing.

Taste and evaluate

Top up glasses as desired and enjoy with the recommended pairings. If sharing among multiple people, offer a small spittoon for those evaluating many wines.

Serve and enjoy

Use small sips of filtered water and plain bread to neutralize the palate between tastings, helping you perceive the mineral and pepper notes more clearly.

Palate cleansing between sips

Arrange the cheese, cured meats, toasted bread slices, grilled mushrooms, and dark chocolate on a small board. The aged Manchego complements the wine’s tannin and black fruit; cured meats emphasize savory and pepper notes; grilled mushrooms echo the wine’s earthy-mineral character; a crack of freshly ground black pepper on a bread-and-cheese bite will mirror the wine’s brooding pepper spice.

Taste sequence suggestion: start with bread and cheese, then try a sip of wine; next add a small piece of meat and mushroom and sip again; finish a tasting cycle with a small square of dark chocolate to highlight the wine’s dark-plum and mineral finish. Rinse with water between cycles as needed.

If evaluating multiple bottles or vintages, take brief notes after each tasting about aroma intensity, fruit profile, pepper spice, minerality, tannin grip, and finish length.

Colomé Estate Malbec (2023), Calchaquí Valley, Salta, Argentina

Filtered water (for glass rinsing and palate cleansing)

Neutral-smelling white plate or small bowl (for visual comparison)

Wine glasses (standard red, tulip-shaped)

Decanter (optional, for aeration)

Small spittoon or empty glass (optional)

Wine thermometer (optional)

Aged Manchego or hard sheep's milk cheese

Slices of dried beef or prosciutto

Toasted country bread or seeded baguette

Black pepper (freshly cracked)

Grilled mushrooms (shiitake or cremini), sliced

Dark chocolate (70% cocoa), small squares

2023 Malbec: Colomé-Estate, Calchaquí Valley, Salta, Argentina.

Make 2023 Malbec: Colomé-Estate, Calchaquí Valley, Salta, Argentina. Recipe in just 45m. Medium body, black plum, brooding black pepper spice and an easy, mineral-laced finish

2023 Malbec: Colomé-Estate, Calchaquí Valley, Salta, Argentina.

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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