Rigal The Original Malbec from Asda Cote du Lot 2011

Rigal Malbec from the Cote du Lot 2011 IGP was on the shelves in Asda - a place that surprises on the few occasions I shop there, it was a mere £5 so worth a shot!

We opened it that night and on pouring it - its youthfulness was obvious, it was a deep purple with a wide purple rim and aromas of young black fruits burst from the glass, the fruits smelt a little baked as if they came from a hot vintage or at least a hot area of France, and on investigation it turns out that the Cote du Lot (of the Lot valley) is a newly formed area for an IGP in the Cahors region and with it goes alot of vine/wine rules that they must adhere to so as to maintain a certain quality..... anyway back to the wine.

The aromas were not particularly inviting, but on the mouth I was pleasantly surprised, the black fruits were the predominant flavour as expected ( black cherries especially, but also blackberries and blackcurrants), there was good acidity and  body, the alcohol I had expected to be high ( hot baked fruit - high sugar content which translates into high alcohol) but it was not out of balance. There were some spicey tones though the oak influence was clumsy and chunky I felt and these had a slightly bitter aftertaste, but there was a sweet long finish and a green herbal leaf edge. The tannins were ripe but slightly chalky and made me feel that this was not a wine to be kept. The winemaker is Matthieu Ressiot of  Rigal, part of the JeanJean group.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised, this Malbec, a grape that is found alot in New World Argentina, having come from France originally, was fresh, fruity and easy drinking. The alcohol level was lower than expected ( 12.5% vs 14-15% for many Argentinian Malbecs), but the aromas of over baked fruits were not a pleasant start, maybe when we have a glass of what was left it will be better..... worth a try!
To update - aromas improved within about 45-60 mins - and we enjoyed the rest of the bottle!