Today is World Malbec Day, as it was on April 17th of 1853 that the President of Argentina commissioned a French soil expert to procure Malbec vines that would transform the wine industry in his country. It is very appropriate that I introduce you to our latest arrivals.

In October of last year I was standing in front of a tasting booth for Bodega Noemia, at the New York Wine Experience, and I explained to their Sales Manager, Bernice Maulhardt, that I had sent an e-mail to the winery expressing interest in representing them in Bermuda. She said that she was sorry but only a month ago she had agreed to work with an importer here; but then she looked at my name tag and said “but you are Michael Robinson and you are him”. So there lies a lesson to always check your junk e-mail file!

The Rio Negro Valley in the Patagonian Region of Argentina lies over 600 miles south of Buenos Aires and 300 miles east of the Andes. A mere seven inches of rain per year and very low humidity makes for an area free of diseases and where the air is unpolluted, pure and pristine. It was here that Italian Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano and winemaker Hans Vinding-Diers found a very old, ungrafted Malbec vineyard that they purchased and now farm biodynamically. One well known wine writer calls Noemia “The Southern Hemisphere’s most remarkable wine estate”.

Their entry level Bodega Noemia “A Lisa” Malbec 2012 rated 93/100 in Wine & Spirits magazine. The Wine Spectator printed “This red mixes crushed black cherry and dark plum with overtones of game, grilled herb and olive. Ripe and savoury”. Although Malbec dominates at 90 percent of this blend, it does include nine percent Merlot and one percent Petit Verdot. $31.45.

Bodega Noemia “J Alberto” 2012 is a field blend of 95 percent Malbec and five percent Merlot that was picked in the cool, early morning and transported to the winery in cooled trucks to preserve the “soul” of the wine. Indigenous fermentation was started with naturally occurring vineyard yeasts. In accordance with the strict biodynamic calendar the wine was racked on the low moon day of December 18th 2012 and bottled unfiltered on the very favourable fruit day of January 2nd.

I know that biodynamics sounds a little bizarre, but I have seen the results over many years and am a firm believer. For instance “racking” is the process of moving wine from one barrel to another in order to clarify it and if it is done when the gravitational influence of the moon is low and the weather is fine (high pressure), minute particles suspended in the wine are more settled, and any Bermudian only has to look at their bottle of shark oil to understand how pressure affects a complex liquid. Tim Atkin MW gives “J Alberto” a 94/100 and calls it “scented, sensuous, appealing, elegant and refined”. $42.

Bodega Noemia 2011 Malbec is made from a tiny 3.3 acre vineyard planed in 1932. The vines are Massal selection, meaning that each one is from a genetically different single shoot and very unlike the commonly used clonal plantings that are genetic copies of each other. They are ungrafted and from the pre phylloxera period. The combination of subtle oak, fine tannins and old vine concentration is very appealing, as are the flavours of orange peel, red and black fruits and subtle cinnamon spice. This wine continues the climb to perfection with a rating of 95/100. Only 5,860 bottles and 70 magnums were produced. $97.85.

I am not saying that my task is complete, but with the recent arrivals of Kumeu River from New Zealand, CUNE from Spain, Mollydooker from Australia and now Bodega Noemia from Argentina I do feel that we have decided to say enough of talk of recession and let us offer you the absolute best from around the world. May you have a wonderful Easter.

This column is a paid advertorial for Burrows, Lightbourn Ltd. Michael Robinson is Director of Wine at Burrows, Lightbourn Ltd. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm or on 295-0176. Burrows, Lightbourn have stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George’s (York Street, 297-0409). A selection of their wines, beers and spirits are available online at www.wineonline.bm.