Archive: Argentina: Malbec
Alamos 2007 Malbec Mendoza Seleccion ($20). Lipsmacking and easy to like, offering ripe black fruits accented with milk chocolate, leather, baking spices and light floral aromatics, with a lush finish. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2009-11-16)
Aleph 2002 Malbec Mendoza ($20). Racy red berry and plum fruit flavors are accented with toasty oak, baking spices, and a touch of candied orange rind. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. (Wine Tasting 12/05)
Ambas 2008 Malbec Mendoza ($6). Quite a nice surprise at this price, offering pretty, medium- to light-bodied blackberry and currant fruit with pepper and toast accents. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2010-02-27)Arido 2007 Malbec Mendoza ($10). Seriously a bargain, with appealing savory and mineral notes balancing the smooth red berry, toasty vanilla and baking spice aromas and flavors. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2010-02-27)
Bodega Catena Zapata
2004 Malbec Mendoza Alamos ($10). Jammy black cherry fruit is accented with warm spices, vanilla bean and toasty oak. Simple but tasty, and a great way to spend ten bucks. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05)
2002 Malbec Mendoza Alta ($45). Easily the most expensive Malbec we’ve ever tasted, but darn good. Smooth and elegant, with smoky blueberry, blackberry and plum fruit balanced with espresso and toast. Long, focused finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. (Wine Tasting 12/05)
Bodegas Caro 2008 Amancaya Mendoza ($20). Plush, smooth and toasty, offering ripe plum and berry fruit laced with chocolate, allspice and herbal notes. A blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2010-04-29)
Bodega Norton
1999 Malbec Mendoza ($9). This is yet another of my cheap red favorites. Medium bodied with low tannins, this smooth ripe red features soft plum and cherry fruit, with a yummy mocha note. Nice finish, too. (Weekend Wine, 04/01) Locate this wine online or in your area.
1996 Malbec Mendoza ($9). You old Wine Skinny regulars may recognize this pick from the last print newsletter. If you didn’t try it then, try it now. For all newcomers to the Skinny – this is just a great wine. Full of chocolate, cherry, coffee and berry, it introduced me to the great world of Argentinean wines and Malbecs. Rush out and buy some while it’s still available. (Robyn’s Picks, 6/99) Locate this wine online or in your area.
Bodegas Escorihuela
2007 Malbec Mendoza Don Miguel Gascón ($12). Sleek blackberry and ripe plum fruit is medium-bodied but rich in flavor, with toasty vanilla and a touch of bittersweet chocolate on the finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2008-11-10)
2006 Malbec Mendoza Don Miguel Gascon ($12). Silky blackberry and blueberry flavors are accented with spicy oak, cocoa and a touch of vanilla. Ready to drink now and over the next year or two. (Bargain Wine 10/07) Locate this wine online or in your area.
2004 Malbec Mendoza Don Miguel Gascón($13). Absolutely delicious, with aromatic, lush blueberry and juicy blackberry fruit laced with earthy vanilla bean and bittersweet chocolate accents. Long, fruity finish. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
2004 Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon Agrelo High Altitude ($10). Deep, chocolatey aromas introduce black plum jam and fresh blackberry fruit, with appealing smoothness and lipsmacking finish. A great value — even the bottle is heavy and impressive. (Your guests will never suspect the bargain price!) Ready to drink now. (Weekend Wine 10/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
Bodegas Salentein
2004 Malbec Uco Valley Pr1mum ($63). Lush and full-bodied, with silky, ripe dark cherry and currant fruit accented with licorice, molasses and mocha notes that linger on the full finish. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2009-01-06)Bodegas Terrazas de los Andes 2004 Malbec Mendoza ($10). We’ve liked this wine in the past and still think it’s a great bargain. Concentrated blackberry and cherry flavors show some oomph, with leather and earthy notes. Picks up creamy chocolate notes on the fruity finish. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05)
2006 Malbec Uco Valley Finca El Portillo ($11). So easy to like, with slurpable ripe blueberry and black plum fruit accented with touches of mineral and vanilla. Ready to drink now. A great BBQ wine! (Weekend Wine 08/08) Locate this wine online or in your area.
2004 Numina Uco Valley Spirit Vineyard Gran Corte ($41). A blend of Malbec (70%) and Merlot, this blend from Argentina offers an interesting combination of dried black currant, espresso and fruitcake notes that mingle on a slightly dusty finish that picks up a touch of dark chocolate. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2009-01-06)
Domaine Jean Bousquet 2004 Malbec Tupungato ($11). Ripe and fruity, with toasty oak accenting pretty black plum and raspberry fruit, finishing with a wave of milk chocolate. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05)
Dominio del Plata 2006 Malbec Mendoza Susana Balbo ($27) is a Vine Connections import, just like yesterday’s La Posta Malbec, and it’s a beauty. With lush waves of aromatic blackberry, black cherry and raspberry fruit that picks up hints of dusty chocolate, anise, spicy vanilla and toasty oak on the long, rich finish. Very nicely balanced, with well integrated tannins. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2008-10-20)
Duomo S.A. 1998 Malbec Mendoza ($NA). The juicy red cherry is almost matched by the bittersweet dark chocolate and espresso notes, and the tannins are a bit rocky now. I’d be interested to give this Malbec (a varietal that I really like) another couple of years in the bottle and see what happens. (Weekend Wine, 05/00) Locate this wine online or in your area.
Familia Rutini
2006 Malbec Mendoza ($19). Smooth, aromatic blackberry jam flavors pick up appealing anise and smoky black pepper notes through the lush finish. Easy to like and pair with food. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2009-04-17)
2004 Malbec Tupungato Trumpeter ($9). Pretty plum and raspberry fruit pick up creamy, toasty vanilla on the finish. Simple but appealing. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
2003 Malbec La Consulta Felipe Rutini ($20). Plush blackberry and cherry fruit picks up a subtle earthy note on the generous finish, along with spicy dark chocolate. Very versatile with food. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
Finca del Origen 2008 Malbec Uco Valley Gran Reserva ($23). Just a baby — and should age nicely! Bright and intensely flavored, with violet aromas accenting focused blackberry and raspberry flavors, picking up baking spices and mocha. Give it a minute to breathe and it smooths out nicely. Drink now and over the next 3-4 years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2010-02-27)
Graffigna
2004 Malbec San Juan ($10). Slurpable plum, blueberry and dashes of mocha and spice. Easy to like, and a good value. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
2003 Malbec Pedernal Valley G ($17). Ripe and concentrated, with black cherry and plum, spicy dark chocolate, and fresh herbal notes. Nicely balanced, with a generous finish. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
Navarro Correas
2007 Malbec Mendoza Coleccion Privada ($11). Smooth, ripe blackberry and cherry flavors are accented with smoky vanilla and fresh herbs. An easy drink. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2010-02-27)
2003 Malbec Mendoza Coleccion Privada ($10). Good medium-bodied plum and red berry flavors and aromas are laced with exotic spices and smoky oak. Easy to drink, if lacking in some of the richness and depth and chocolate we were hoping for. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 02/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
Ricardo Santos 2003 Malbec Mendoza La Madras Vineyard ($18). Beefy blackberry and cherry fruit is laced with aromatic coffee and dark chocolate notes that linger on the finish. Ready to drink now and over the next three or four years. (Wine Tasting 12/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
Tamari 2007 Malbec Mendoza Reserva ($14). Quite good, actually, with aromatic, spicy plum and blackberry fruit accented with chocolate, a touch of mint, and warm baking spices. Long, ripe, focused finish. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2009-03-16)
Terrazas de los Andes
2000 Malbec Mendoza Reserva ($15). Blackberry, plum, tar, spice and red pepper flavors combine to make a very good wine at a value-packed price. Full-bodied and flavorful, this wine packs a powerful taste punch. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. (Winery Spotlight, 02/03) Locate this wine online or in your area.
1999 Malbec Mendoza Gran ($38). Sweet cherry, concentrated spice and licorice bouquet. Complex and full-bodied, with ripe fruit and a meaty texture. Picks up mocha, mineral and toasty vanilla oak through to the finish. Very good. Ready to drink now and over the next three years. (Winery Spotlight, 02/03) Locate this wine online or in your area.
Layer Cake 2008 Malbec Mendoza ($15). Big and full and slurpably good, offering lush blackberry jam, black cherry, tangy spices, dark chocolate and a long, smooth finish. A lot of bang for the buck. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2010-02-27)
Luca 2001 Malbec Altos de Mendoza ($37). A pretty, elegant Malbec, with focused blackberry and plum fruit layered with toasty oak, nutmeg and mocha notes. Moderate finish. Ready to drink now. (Wine Tasting 12/05) Locate this wine online or in your area.
La Posta 2006 Malbec La Consulta Pizzella Family Vineyard ($18). Effusive red berry and cherry flavors are accented with aromatic anise and dark chocolate, with a plush, lingering, spicy finish. Really delicious and a good value. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area. (2008-10-19)