French Malbec. $3.99

Dear Wine Lover,

I can't believe I forgot I had this wine in the warehouse. Last year a great importer was moving his warehouse up north and needed to sell everything he had...and guess what? I bought it all! This particular wine only had 100 cases available; too little for the club, so I am offering it to my California customers only...at $3.99/bottle...that is correct, French 2010 Malbec for $3.99 a bottle.

Funny thing about Malbec is everyone thinks it is an Argentinian grape. Not! In fact, it is one of the five sanctioned grapes of the great French wine region, Bordeaux! And it grows all over the world doing well in most areas.

Here is a nice version from the South of France. The cooler climate adds a great dimension to the grape and creates a wine with wonderful hints of anise and spice, leaving your palate feeling crisp and lean.

Unreal purple garnet in the glass. The nose jumps with spice, blackberries and hints of anise. Wow! The mid-palate shows the same with a certain leanness that begs pizza or tomato based pasta (just had a vision of Italian sausage in a tomato based sauce on penne pasta). The finish is lean and bright with flavors of spice and black fruit emerging.