August Wine of the Month

Recoleta Malbec 2018. Mauricio Lorca.  Mendoza, Argentina £11 

Since his decision to leave behind a promising career in medicine Mauricio Lorca has set about attempting to prove that top quality Malbec’s can be produced in Mendoza without the need for oak ageing. His range is packed full of delicious wines that display a purity of fruit that is not often associated with Argentine Malbec, fully utilising the natural freshness of his grapes, owing to the high altitude at which he cultivates his vines. 

From his small base in Luján de Cuyo, he runs a no-frills operation based on passion and a serious work ethic that comes across in the quality of his wines. 

The ‘Recoleta’ – named after the cemetery in Buenos Aires in which Eva Peron is buried – is an elegant, easy-drinking style Malbec, full of dark brambly fruit and a soft finish. 

This is a refreshing, subtle Malbec that really delivers.

Recoleta Pedro Blanco 2018. Mauricio Lorca. Mendoza, Argentina £11 

We’re sticking with the same winemaker for our white wine choice this month. For a long time, we looked to introduce a really good entry-level white to the range, but we wanted something a bit different, not just another Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay blend, and this didn’t come easy. So, when Mauricio Lorca told us he’d purchased a vineyard in the east of Mendoza planted with old vine Pedro Ximenez, our eyebrows were raised. To be honest, we were expecting something clean, zippy and fresh, but fairly neutral on the nose.

What a pleasant surprise, then, to find a wine offering a delightful flurry of inviting aromatics – lots of juicy-ripe citrus fruit, yes, but also lifted herbaceous notes, dried flowers and summer straw. This lovely little wine is more like an Albariño than a run-of-the-mill Pinot Grigio, with lots to get stuck into, great balance and structure and an excellent finish. Nice one Mauricio!”