Trapiche Gran Medalla Malbec 2019 Information:

Tasting Notes: The wine has a rich, deep red, almost purple color, with an aromatic, heady bouquet of plums and dark cherries, with lots of bold fruit forward notes of plums, ripe berries, dark cherries, and raisins on the palate, and a lovely, lingering smooth yet slightly spicy and wood note finish. This wine pairs exceptionally well with roasts, grilled steaks, and hard cheeses. 

Founded in 1883, Bodega Trapiche is one of the oldest brands of wine produced in Argentina, and is a well-respected, award-winning winery (Wine Enthusiast - The New World Winery of the Year, 2019; WRW&S - The Most Awarded Winery, 4 consecutive years; and Drinks International - 50 Most Admired Wine Brands, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019.) 

(Debra) first "discovered" Trapiche Gran Medalla Malbec 2019 during World Malbec Day 2022 in late April 2022 hosted by the Argentine Consulate in New York and Wines of Argentina, and was intrigued and impressed by the wine tasting to want to learn more about this wine, and how it would pair with food. 

The vineyard notes that "Gran Medalla is the result of the blend of our best terroirs. The parcels are selected from our own vineyards located in Los Árboles, Gualtallary and La Consulta, in the Uco Valley Region, Province of Mendoza." 

2019 was an especially good year for Argentine wines, and the Trapiche Gran Medalla Malbec 2019 is a gorgeous, elegant wine, which exhibits lots of character. Grown in loamy to sandy loamy soils, at the foothills of the Andes Mountains, and hand harvested with bunch selection, destemming, and berry selection. Fermentation with wild yeasts and maceration during a minimum of 25 days at 25 - 27 degrees Celsius/77 - 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Natural malolactic fermentation. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months, followed by bottling, and bottle aging, before release. 

As this is a rich and powerful red wine, we paired a bottle of the Trapiche Gran Medalla Malbec 2019 with grilled certified Angus Beef Rib Eye Bone-in Steak, roasted potatoes, and grilled portobello mushroom caps with melted gorgonzola, that really complemented the structure and brought out the layers of flavors of the wine. 

For the steak, we simply added salt and fresh coarsely ground pepper before grilling. For the portobello mushroom caps, we mixed 0.50-ounce Balsamic Vinegar and 0.50-ounce Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a plastic bag, added the mushroom caps, and let them soak up the vinaigrette before grilling. Once grilled, we added a generous slice of Gorgonzola, and returned them to the grill to let the cheese melt. For the potatoes, we par-baked two large potatoes, quartered them, then tossed them in a plastic bag with 2 tablespoons Trader Joe's Whole Grain Dijon Mustard and 1-ounce Extra Virgin Olive Oil, added salt and freshly ground black pepper, placed the potatoes in an aluminum foil bundle and grilled them until golden and fully roasted. 

This bright, big, and bold wine had lots of dark fruit notes, minerality, intense tannins, and a great mouthfeel that worked well to complement the steak as well with the "meaty" portabella mushrooms. This wine clearly can stand on its own, but as a companion to food, it is exquisite. While we enjoyed drinking the wine now, it can easily cellar for another few years, that is if you can wait that long...we could not. Next time, we will pick up two bottles... one to drink now, and one to cellar. 

Until next time, cheers! 

Trapiche
Mendoza, Argentina
Telephone: +1-844-437-7761
Website: www.trapichewines-usa.com
Website: www.Trapiche.com.ar
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrapicheArgentinaInt/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/trapichewines/ 

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