On the plus side, it's still cold enough to appreciate the warming, medicinal tones of Malbec that always provide comfort from the cold, and this was my call. After de-thawing and showering long enough for this to open up, there was a lovely aroma of dark plum and cinnamon on the nose grabbing attention. The palate is full and very firm with plenty of ripe dark berries along and a finish with surprisingly heavy notes of oak and freshly ground coffee.
This is as lovely, poetic, and evocative as a Levi Stubbs vocal performance. I know it's a massive faux pas to do the music correlation on this site, and it's something we all try to avoid, but sometimes bending principles and living a life of contradiction feels good. It's the difference between living and existing. Just like this bottle.