Saint George Sweet Malbec Winemaker's Selection from Jordan, a sweet red made from Malbec, deep and dark with ripe black fruit and cocoa, sweetness balanced against the variety's natural structure rather than sitting on top of it.
Tasting Notes
Sweet reds are rare and difficult to make well, because sugar without structure turns flabby. Malbec is a sensible choice for the style, since its depth of colour, dark plum and blackberry fruit and firm tannic frame give the sweetness something to push against. Expect concentrated black fruit, cocoa and soft spice, a rich texture, and a sweet but balanced finish. Best treated as a dessert wine rather than a table red.
Quick Facts
- Grape: 100% Malbec
- Origin: Jordan (clay, limestone and basalt soils)
- Style: Sweet red, full bodied, Winemaker's Selection, certified organic
- Viticulture: Certified organic, yields held under two tonnes per hectare, no herbicides or chemical fertiliser
Food Pairing
Chocolate fondue, dark chocolate desserts, and blue cheese.
Serving
Serve at 14°C, slightly cooler than a dry red, in a small pour.
About the Producer
Saint George is the wine of Omar Zumot, whose father Bulos founded the family drinks company in 1954. The name comes from the church of Saint George at Madaba, beside which Omar planted his first vineyard using vines brought from France. The estate now farms three sites: Madaba on clay and limestone, Souf in the mountains of Jerash at 1,150 metres, and the principal vineyard at Sama al-Sarhan on the Syrian border, where basalt thrown out by the extinct volcano of Jabal Druze layers the soil and changes every half metre. All are certified organic. Sheep graze between the rows, irrigation comes from carp ponds that enrich the water with nitrate, and yields are held below two tonnes per hectare, around a quarter of the world average.
