I don't know if any Finns are lurking here, but if so, get thee to Loft! One of our best selling producers is Carlos Pulenta from Argentina and their two ranges of wines, Tomero and Vistalba. We took him to lunch at a restaurant close by our office where we also hosted a small tasting of his wines. I must confess that I am still not too enamoured with the wines. The Tomero Sauvignon Blanc 2007 was correct in aromas but very tropical in fruit. The Tomero Malbec 2004 & Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 were quite heavy, concentrated and meaty. The Vistalba Corte B 2004 was maybe my favourite of the bunch, with the meaty and floral Malbec aromas well in evidence, not as obviously oaky as the others, well structured and attractively salty on the finish. But there was just so much stuff packed into it that I still found it a bit hard to drink. The Vistalba Corte A 2005 was oaky and dense.
I couldn't have the normal menu because of my severe lactose intolerance, so I was happy they put enormous care into making stuff that I could eat - the food was wonderful and imaginative! For starter some Finnish asparagus (apparently the imported ones get too soggy, but these stay crisp) with a false morel vinaigrette sauce (others had hollandaise). It was a perfectly judged vinaigrette for the Sauvignon Blanc, as it wasn't too forceful on the vinegar. Somehow such a style of SB that I didn't particularily care for, coped with the asparagus, too. The main was a simple marbled steak with a hot bean salad. Obvious Malbec food and indeed the Corte B was quite drinkable with it - I almost began to understand the allure of a big wine. The dessert was a lingonberry sorbet - not too sweet, not too tart!
Great service, quite simple but impeccably made food that matched the wines we brought perfectly - I'll be going back for sure. And I was especially impressed by how the chef made sure that even my lactose-free dishes would be a perfect match for the wines. I know I can be a hugely demanding customer at restaurants with my impediment and it is indeed rare that things go so brilliantly.
-Otto