2016 Cab-Franc/Malbec Fuego Blanco Wines
Here is a confusing red wine. This is a red blend from Argentina, (so far so good). It is produced by Fuego Blanco winery. (Here is where things get murky). Fuego Blanco is loosely translated as “Fiery White”, “Sexy White” or “Awesome White”. But the wine inside the bottle is R-E-D. What would cause a sexy white winery to produce red wines? Even more confusing is the red blend choice: Cabernet Franc, @ 60% with their high-altitude Malbec, @ 40%. In reading the label, I found this mix quite interesting. Each varietal is one of my favorite reds. And yet, the winemaker splashed them together in a Tango Del Fuego dance; a fun choreography for varietals. The Fuego Blanco winery is sort of new to Argentinian’s Pedernal Valley beginning in 2012. Now it produces several high-altitude varietals. This “White Fire” red blend was a good buy, as well as a good experience. Amazingly, the winemaker captured the best qualities of each grape. This ’16 blend’s nose is floral like spring linden. Its’ clingy legs caught my attention. Each tasting became more complex, starting with black berry, a bit of plum, drifting into white chocolate, and then green tea. It closed with a light tannin finish. The Sex White/ Awesome White Cab-Franc/Malbec combo is a “drink-it-now” red wine, and would fit well with hearty meat dishes. Warning! Do not take the sexy white to bed with you, because it’s a deep red wine that will stain the sheets.
