HAWKSMOOR

[argentine] MALBEC MASTER CLASS

KEY GRAPE VARIETIES - MALBEC

Originally one of the minor blending varieties of Bordeaux, and the main variety in Cahors

Warmer climate: thicker skin →high acidity and tannins

Cooler climate: thinner skins →lighter, juicier

Malbec is a very heavy red and it takes to new oak very well

Associated flavours include plums, currants, dark cherries and raspberries

Hawksmoor | Malbec Master Class

CHÂTEAU DU CÈDRE 2010

Château du Cèdre has become a role model for all of Cahors' brightest young winemakers

90% Malbec, 5% Merlot, 5% Tannat

20 to 50 years old vineyards

– Stony clay and limestone for fine tannins; clay, sand and pebbles for more powerful and dense wine

Altitude under 300 m

Lovely sweet, ripe fruit concentration with a lick of chocolate and espresso and hint of Malbec violets. Smooth and deep on the palate, it has real freshness and a hint of mineral saltiness, though that smoothing weight of ripe fruit and supple supporting oak is nicely set against ripe tannins.

Have it with red meat, veal, game

Hawksmoor | Malbec Master Class

TERROIR & CLIMATE

In the top 10 wine producers (by volume) in the world

Vines planted by Spanish colonisers in the mid 16th century

Semi-desert landscapes, very dry and hot climate

Vineyards at high altitude (as high as 3,000m)

High diurnal temperature variation

Hawksmoor | Malbec Master Class

IMPORTANT REGIONS

Mendoza

The nucleus of the Argentine wine industry

Responsible for over half of the entire wine production of South America

Sub regions: Lujan de Cuyo, Uco Valley, San Rafael

Neuquen and Rio Negro

One of the world's least obvious places for quality viticulture

Mostly flat and is Argentina's coolest wine region

Salta, San Juan and La Rioja

Hawksmoor | Malbec Master Class

CATENA “HAWKSMOOR MALBEC”BLEND NO. 7 2011

If Mendoza had a Royal Family it would be the Catena Zapata dynasty

85% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc

60 years old vineyards

– La Piramide, Adrianna, Nicasia, Angelica Sur (Mendoza)

Altitude from 920 m up to 1450 m

Lovely blackberry and blackcurrant aromas, some very well integrated tannin, a refreshing acidity and a great, elegant structure with subtle notes of vanilla on the finish.

Matches our steaks perfectly, especially the Rib-eye

Hawksmoor | Malbec Master Class

LUIGI BOSCA FINCA LOS NOBLES 2009

A wine that pays tribute to the terroir where the grapes come from

Malbec (predominant) and Petit Verdot (mixed at the vineyard)

90 years old vineyards

– Finca Los Nobles, Las Compuertas (Lujan de Cuyo)

Altitude 1,050 m

Lovely vivid spicy nose with hints of coffee, cherry and violet. The palate is concentrated and bold, achieves vanilla aromas after ageing 24 months in new French oak casks and 14 months in bottles. Balanced and complex. Velvety finish in the mouth

A good match with braised meat, game, pork, lamb, hard cheeses

Hawksmoor | Malbec Master Class

J. ALBERTO 2012

Famous for it's pears & apples productions, in Rio Negro, Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano makes wine

95% Malbec, 5% Merlot

Vines planted in 1955

– Original rootstocks, irrigated up to four times a year.

– Vineyard is certified Organic and Biodynamic

Altitude 250 m

Cloudy, dark raspberry colour; hibiscus, floral, strawberry nose with a match on the palate. It's bright and lush, elegant with zesty fruit, it's a malbec of refinement rather than weight with fresh tannins.

Match with poultry or game but also with the meatier type of fish

Hawksmoor | Malbec Master Class

“A great Malbec should impress through its attractive and deep purple colour, its intense black fruit aromas with a hint of oak, and its sweet mouthfeel, soft as

the bottom of a newborn baby...”

- Robert Mondavi when he visited the Trapiche winery in 1994 -

Hawksmoor | Malbec Master Class