Tasting notes:

I was delighted to find a really fine Malbec from southwest France holdingits own among the many fleshy super ripe samples from Mendoza andelsewhere in South America. What impressed me particularly about thissample from Maison Georges Vigouroux’s Château de Haute-Serre was thecombination of blackberry compote and cherry jam characters with spicyfreshnotes of white pepper and red apple, complemented by firm, drytannins, and a cedar-like note on the finish. With a medium-weight feel, itrepresents a stylistic departure from the icons of Argentina, but there’snothing lacking in this European Malbec. (Patrick Schmitt MW)