Barb Wild’s Weekly Pick Is Hillside Winery Merlot Malbec
Barb Wild has been sipping again and in this week’s post she shares a great wine pick, Hillside Winery Merlot Malbec. Check out The Good Wine Gal site, and her previous picks here.
Happy Wine Wednesday! It’s that mid – week moment of sipping something delicious that brings delight to both the palate and the wallet.
Sidebar: I’m curious about how do you taste wine? Do you have a ritual? For some it’s a favorite glass, a swirl, a few sips to check quality and then a favorite chair with a good view and that moment of bliss. For me, it’s 5 pm, I’m hosting happy hour on zoom and despite our social distancing, isolation and pandemic around the globe, I can honestly say “thank you wine!” for which there is no shortage of options.
This week, in support of our local wine industry, I am opening up a BC Wine from Hillside Winery on the Naramata Bench. Now that Naramata Bench is an official sub-appellation in the Okanagan Valley, the rewards of sourcing fruit from the bench are evident in wines from Hillside.
The Wine
Today’s choice is Merlot Malbec 2016. This week celebrated #malbecday so why not open a Malbec from BC. The bottle is high shouldered, brown glass with a screw top. The label is distinct with the tower sketch on the right hand side, the tower that sits on the property today. This blend is of Merlot and Malbec, two classic grape varieties originally from Bordeaux. Here Merlot brings plum (round and soft) and Malbec brings mocha (intense and smooth). This is a very likeable blend.
The Winemaker
Kathy Malone is the head of this winemaking team. She’s been making wine at Hillside for more than a decade using her minimal interventionist approach to making wine. Her talent shows in the elegance and balance of Hillside Winery’s offerings. They just get better and better in my view.
The tasting notes
Merlot Malbec 2016 has a nice, almost rich body, with lots of ripe black and red fruit, along with that classic hint of sage and mineral salt typical of the ancient Okanagan Valley bench land. It also has a nice freshness, a fine texture and good balance with a lingering tart red plum finish. Alcohol is 13.5% which is considered moderate, not high contributing to the nice balance. This wine could age for 2 – 3 years but you could also decant for a couple of hours and sip happily.
What it goes with
I had a late lunch of salt potatoes, prosciutto, an egg sunny side up on balsamic glazed Brussel sprouts. The salty potatoes and ham with the rich egg and flavour of green sweet sprouts was a killer combination with Merlot Malbec. This wine would also pair nicely with ripe stinky cheese, especially a creamy Cambozola or Stilton or you could also consider smokey barbeque ribs or striploin and frites.
How much and where you can get a bottle
I bought this bottle at Save-On-Foods in Fleetwood. When purchasing a dozen bottles you receive 10% off plus an extra $1 a bottle for the 12 bottle purchase. So many bottles to choose from – so little time.
Priced at $24.99 before discounts with a feature discount $3.50 off, plus the discounts on the 12 bottle purchase applied it was great value for such good wine.
Stay safe. Sip on the sofa and remember – life is short. Drink good wine!
