Winter Pairing: Beefy Soup and Norton Malbec Reserva 2006

With winter temperatures below normal and snow above average, it’s the perfect time to pair a bold red wine and a beefy soup. I recently tried a delicious Malbec-Bodega Norton‘s Reserva Malbec 2006 from Argentina–with a recipe I concocted (see below) and it was fabulous for this purpose.

According to the Wine Spectator, this wine ranks 90 points. Spectator tasting notes read: “very toasty, offering showy mocha and spice aromatics, but there’s also plenty of flesh, with lush raspberry, fig and plum notes that follow through on the long, polished finish.” The Wine Advocate ranks it 89, noting: “The 2006 Malbec Reserva is a more saturated color and more expressive aromatically. Ripe and rich on the palate, it has ample tannin to evolve for 2-3 years, impeccable balance, and a lengthy, pure finish. It over-delivers for its modest price.” The winery’s notes on the wine describe it as: “Rich red in color with purple hints. Expressive ripe black fruit, violet, spice and tobacco aromas. Very broad on the palate, meaty and of persistent finish.”

I picked this one up at Costco for just $12.99, which is an incredible discount.  It sells at wine.com for about $18.  At my table, it was full of dark fruit–black cherries and more-but also had an herbaceous quality that proved to be a fantastic complement to the rye flavors in my pumpernickel bread and the spices like rosemary in the soup. This match will make your cold winter snow day more of a treat.

Here is the soup recipe: Simmer together a few cups of water, a large Knor’s beef bullion cube, garden vegetables (cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, and sautéed mushrooms), rosemary, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and about a cup of red wine (can be inexpensive). Just as the vegetables are getting soft and ready to eat, cook up a fillet mignon or other beef cut under the broiler. Even if you like your meat well done, cook medium or even rare (it will continue cooking when you drop it in your soup. Cut cooked meat in cubes and drop into the broth just before you are ready to eat. Serve with pumpernickel bread, and Norton Malbec or another herbaceous rich red wine.