Susana Balbo Virtuoso Late Harvest Malbec, 2007

I’ve had some Late Harvest Zinfandel before and moderately enjoyed them but a Late Harvest Malbec? I recently sampled a Susana Balbo Virtuoso Late Harvest Malbec, 2007 and thoroughly savored it! Although I certainly respect Late Harvest Zinfandels they tend to be a bit too sweet for me. On the other hand the Late Harvest Malbec was not crushingly sweet. Don’t get me wrong, it is still sweet and should be treated like a dessert wine, it just seemed like this had more layers and complexity.

From arid Mendoza, Argentina, Late harvest-style wines are incredibly rare due to the lack of moisture at harvest time - red dessert wines are almost unheard of. Susana Balbo has created a sweet, super-ripe Malbec dessert wine that is both incredibly balanced and totally seductive.

It is velvety with bursting fruits of ripe black cherry and plum flavors, violets and a hint of spice. This had a long and beautiful finish. Given the milder sweetness (in comparison to other dessert wines) and lower alcohol content this would pair well with fine dark chocolate. Yum!

Sláinte!
TCW