Cloudburst, Margaret River (Western Australia) Malbec 2012

Will Berliner, who has already shown his talent with his sensational Cabernet and Chardonnay, has added an equally impressive Malbec to his line up.  Berliner included a small amount of Malbec in his Cabernet Sauvignon previously and clearly liked how it did so he decided to make a small amount of wine (5,000 bottles) exclusively from that variety.  He’s one of the few to make a Malbec in Western Australia and judging from this wine, it could easily be that grape’s new home.  Cloudburst’s Malbec breaks the Malbec mould because it’s not big and bombastic.  Instead, it’s subtle, not just fruit-filled, with a haunting earthy complexity and a meaty, almost chewy texture.  Most surprisingly for Malbec, it has real finesse, in part, no doubt because of the modest 13% stated alcohol.  It’s likely the best Malbec I’ve ever tasted and redefines that varietal for me.