My Journey on the Malbec Blend

‘Los Poetas’ is a beautiful blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a small percentage of Tempranillo and Petit Verdot, which sounds awfully familiar to any lover of the Bordeaux blend. However, with this Argentinian beauty, the winemaker Karim Mussi has put a Latin twist on the traditional blend by adding Tempranillo and breathing new life into the Old World classic. Apart from having some of my favourite poets on the label, I absolutely loved the flavours from the very first sip. It’s a beautifully balanced medium-bodied red wine with stunning aromas of summer fruit and hints of spice. Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Tempranillo, give it just the right amount of supple tannins which makes it an easy wine to drink on its own or pair it with meat, such as turkey, pork or charcuterie, or something completely different, like a vegetarian quiche.

Karim Mussi is one of the most celebrated Argentinian winemakers of this century and Philip speaks very highly of him. Mussi, though originally from Lebanon, moved to Argentina at a very young age and grew up alongside his family’s wine business which encouraged him to follow in his father’s footsteps later on in life. And so, 20 years ago he founded his own winery, Altocedro, and has been captivating the world with stunning wines celebrating a strong Argentinian identity ever since.