Luca Malbec, 2008. Mendoza, Argentina

Me and my buddy Jared were over at the Prohibition Gastropub on Queen St. East - a place best known for grafting duck confit onto Quebecois-style poutine - when I asked him what would come to mind if I shouted 'Malbec!'

     "Argentina"

     "What else?"

     "Big."

     "Big how?" 

     "Big fruit."

I forgave Jared his blunt answer and the possible innuendo associated with that 'big fruit' comment. There was duck confit poutine involved. It tends to narrow the visual focus to a circumference about the size of a poutine ramekim and atrophy the vocabulary. [...]

Anyhow, I've been asking anyone who drinks wine and will give me the time of day what they think of Malbec and everyone seems to love it for its size. I'm not sure what that means. If you take a look at any restaurant wine list (one that ranks their wines from lightest to heaviest body) you'll find Malbec next to Merlot. Merlot is not considered a big wine. It's medium bodied, fruit-forward and absorbs a lot of punches from serious wine aficionados, whoever these people are.

So what makes Malbec different? For one, it's been brought to its present superstar status by winemakers in Mendoza, Argentina. Argentina's pretty appealing. Believe me. I think about it on occasion. They are appealing thoughts. Viticulturally speaking, Mendoza has a lot going for it. These are some of the highest altitude estates on the planet, climbing up the eastern slope of the Andes. The 2008 Luca Malbec, for example, is made from grapes grown in the Uco Valley, 3,800 feet above sea level. Desert conditions and high altitude lead to greater day-night temperature differentials. This has two effects. One, wines become more flavourful, aromatic and jammy. Two, intense exposure to ultraviolet radiation increases the concentration of a compound called polyphenol, which prevents heart disease. In other words, drink Argentine wine with duck confit poutine.   

Malbecs from Argentina are generally known for their rich and inky colour, with prominent flavours of chocolate and blackberry and a minimum of bitter tannin. Two great producers I've tried before are Weinert and Catena. Luca is made by Laura Catena and is dedicated to low-yeild terroir-based single estate wines. Reviewers rate this wine in the 90s. 

I have one bottle of Luca in the closet. I also have some filets. I don't keep filets in the closet. That's unhygienic.   

Beef Tenderloin with Chimichurri Sauce and Roasted Vegetables

Argentina's cuisine revolves around the grill. The best, I mean the very best, steak-house I've ever been to is this old Argentine Gaucho place in Barcelona. They had their meat flown in direct from La Pancha or someplace. The grill was long enough to have about ten guys stand shoulder to shoulder. It looked like one of those wall formations in soccer. You know, to block the free kick. I have no grill at home. Just as I have no suitable place in which to store wine. Urban living can get you down. So I am falling back on the pan-sear - four minute in the oven at 350 fix. Feel free to use your grill and take a bottle of Malbec from your perfectly calibrated wine storage cellar. If you have these tools available, I hate you.  

What you'll need tonight:

2 filets (any other tender grilling steak will do - ribeye, striploin). 

Chimichurri Sauce

- 1/4 cup olive oil

- 1/8 cup red wine vinegar

- 1 garlic clove minced

- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 

- 1/2 white onion diced

- 1 tomato diced

- 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika

- chili flakes and salt and pepper to taste

Oven-roasted Vegetables (adapted from 'The Oprah Magazine Cookbook' with introduction by OW herself. A gripping read.) 

-200 grams pearl or cipolini onions 

-300 grams baby carrots

-150 grams of wild mushrooms (cremini, shitake, oyster)

-4 sprigs of thyme 

-2 tablespoons of olive oil 

-2 tablespoons of butter

-1/4 cup chicken brother

-2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

-2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped fresh herbs (basil, tarragon etc.) 

- salt and pepper  

1. Assemble the chimichurri ingredients in a bowl at least a few hours ahead. Refrigerate. There are hundreds of variations on chimichurri. Some are more herb oriented. Some add lemon instead of vinegar. There seems to be only one rule. A combination of oil, acid and herb. 

2. About 45 minutes before serving, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch (definition: plunge veg. into boiling water and then cold water to stop the cooking process) onions for two minutes. Drain in colander and let cool. Trim ends and skins off. 

3. Preheat over to 450. Put onions and carrots into a roasting pan with sides. Add 4 sprigs or thyme, some salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Toss to coat onions and carrots. Roast for 25 minutes, tossing veg. several times until tender and caramelized.

4. Lower oven temperature to 350. Season and drizzle olive oil over beef tenderloin. Sear in an oven-proof frying pan for about 3-4 minutes per side and then place in the oven for another 4 minutes. Let rest under a tent of tinfoil. 

5. Quarter or slice mushrooms. In a large deep skillet over high heat, melt butter and saute mushrooms until tender. About 4 minutes. Add roasted carrots, onions, broth and vinegar. Cook, tossing veg. with spoon until liquid has evaporated. Add chopped herbs and salt and pepper. 

6. Plate the roasted carrots, onions and mushrooms and position tenderloin on top. Be good and generous with the chimichurri.  

How did the 2008 Luca Malbec ($31.95) Match Up? 

This wine lives up to its reviews. It was very rich on the palate. Thick and concentrated, smooth despite its high alcohol content, which is why - I assume - most people think of it, and other quality Malbecs, as big wines. It's absolutely huge in flavour, chocolate being the main element that I picked up with mint and dark mocha and fig on the finish.

It's a great drinking wine. But I found the structure a little too subtle for Beef Tenderloin with Chimichurri. It's just my opinion. The richness of the tenderloin seemed to need a little more traction or grip from the wine. A wine with footholds, which is to say more earth, less cocoa. Perhaps a cheaper Rioja or old world syrah. I felt a definite need for architecture, which sounds pretty vague. Jared and me were trying to come up with a good way to describe the Luca Malbec 2008 and decided it was like an 18-year old girl. Intoxicating, blooming, eye-catching, but almost floating off the ground in the uproar of its own spectacle. You can certainly enjoy such an experience. But I needed a wine with angles, anchors and not so much smooth silk. Our analogy started to fall off the rails 

at this point and get into those nefarious places that men like to go while drinking.