2009 Secreto de Viu Manet, Chile

I'm in a Malbec phase. Unfortunately, I haven't been in a wine-blogging phase for a while so I'll bring it back with this one right here. Most Malbecs are of good value and good quality, and this Secreto de Viu Manet obviously has both. This one is from the Colchagua Valley in Chile, and not from popular Malbec regions in Argentina like Mendoza. If you are unfamiliar with this valley, it is approximately 80 miles southeast of Santiago.

This wine is a blend between their 50-year old San Carlos Estate Malbec blocks and their 8-year old El Olivar Estate blocks. The color is that intense, dark rich color that is so typical of Malbec. Swirl it around in the glass and there's plenty of dark cherry fruit with pencil shavings, mocha and licorice. Yummy.

Slice up some juicy tannins with a long finish, and this one will round up gauchos from all over who crave a nice pairing with some robust Argentine beef.

Enjoy!