As I continue to take an occasional look at Malbec this spring it’s time to shift away from Argentina for a moment. There’s no question that Malbec really thrives there and many fine examples exist. However you can usually find a little bit of Malbec wherever Cabernet Sauvignon and the other Bordeaux varietals are grown. The trouble is outside of Argentina not many folks are bottling it as a single varietal. It’s too bad because the ones crafted with care often make for interesting wines. Today I’ll look at a current release of California Malbec from Alexander Valley’s deLorimer Winery.

The deLorimer Winery 2006 Malbec was produced from fruit sourced in Alexander Valley. The vineyard site sits more than 300 feet above sea level and it was planted in 1985. This offering is 100% Malbec. Fruit was handpicked and barrel aging took place in French oak over a period of 30 months. 400 cases of this Malbec were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $24.

The unmistakable deep, dark hue of Malbec is immediately striking. Black mission fig aromas lead the nose of this wine and are joined by little bits of vanilla bean and toasty oak. Rich, ripe, dark berry fruit is present in copious quantities throughout the palate. Black pepper and nutmeg play key roles as well. Rhubarb, cranberry and earth all emerge on the finish which shows significant length. This Malbec has firm tannins and excellent acidity.

This wine is pretty nice on its own, but it’s really primed to pair with food. Roasted meats will work particularly well. This is a really well balanced wine that will age gracefully over the next 6-8 years. That said it’s delicious now and there’s no particular reason to wait on this one. It may not be from Argentina, but it is a very fine example of Malbec.

One of the great things about Malbec is that you can often get a reasonable example of it for a pretty decent price. Like everything else though there are also Malbecs at higher than entry level price points. In fact these days a good wine shop stocks Malbecs at almost any conceivable price. Today I’m going to look at a single vineyard effort that falls into the super premium category.

The Trapiche 2007 Icons Malbec Vina Adolfo Ahumada is a single vineyard effort. All of the fruit for this wine was sourced at the La Patria vineyard. These vines sit close to 1,100 meters above sea level in the Mendoza region of Argentina. This offering is 100% Malbec. This wine was aged over 18 months in French oak. It has a suggested retail price of $55.

Boysenberry, black raspberry and spice box aromas fill the nose of this 2007 single vineyard Malbec. Blackberry and cherry flavors dominate the palate which is loaded with lots of fresh, ripe, rich, appealing dark berry fruit. An undercurrent of spice is present as well and leads to the finish. Pencil lead, espresso, earth, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, and pomegranate are all part of the finish along with lots of crushed cherry. The final notes linger persistently for an impressive overall finish. This wine has terrific structure and features firm tannins and solid acidity.

If you’re going to drink this Malbec over the next couple of years, it’s wise to decant it. It’s tight out the bottle right now and an hour or so really allows it to open up and express itself. However you could just as easily lay this down for 4-6 years and drink it in the 4-6 after that. Time will treat this wine well. This is an impressive Malbec worth every penny of its suggested retail price. A good wine to taste if you want to see the heights Malbec can achieve.

I’ve been tasting through quite a few Malbecs lately and I’ll present some of the noteworthy ones here every week or so for a couple of months. Argentina’s Michael Torino Estate makes several tiers of wine. One of those tiers is Cuma. This word means clean and pure in Aymara a local language that predates the Inca’s. This range represents their organic offerings. Today I’ll look at the Malbec from that tier. In addition to Malbec they also produce a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Torrontes in that range.

The Michael Torino Estate 2010 Cuma Malbec was produced from grapes certified to be organic. The fruit was sourced in the Cafayate Valley region. This offering is 100% Malbec. This wine has a suggested retail price of $12.99.

When you pour this Malbec it’s impossible not to notice the beautiful purple hue that’s tinged with bits of red. Aromas of sweet red and black jam along with vanilla bean fill the nose of this 2010 Malbec. The word juicy is the first that comes to mind when tasting this wine. Crushed red cherries and black mission fig flavors fill the palate. An undercurrent of spice kicks in and leads to the finish which shows off a bit of sweet dark chocolate and continued spice. Sufficient acidity keeps things in check.

There are a few things I really like about this Malbec. One is the overall juiciness of the wine. The other is the purity of fruit which is persistent from the first sip until the last. It’s loaded with flavors but nicely balanced and easy to drink in the best sense of that expression. The bottom line is that it outclasses its price-point.

Everyone is always on the hunt for values, and these days it seems that’s truer than ever. Argentina is a country that has been providing value driven wines for a long time now. Seemingly at every conceivable price-point there are wines to be had that over deliver on what you spend. When it comes to red varieties, Malbec is a great source of diversity and value. There are a myriad number of Malbec styles and designations from all over Argentina in a wide array of prices. Over the next month or so I’ll be looking at a diverse array of Malbecs. Today I’ll start with a couple that will fit into any wine budget.

First up is the Astica 2010 Malbec. This wine was produced using fruit sourced in the Cuyo region of Argentina. The fruit for this release was hand harvested. This 2010 Malbec has a suggested retail price of $5.99.

A big and immediate whiff of vanilla bean opens the nose of this Malbec. Raspberry, cedar and a touch of eucalyptus follow. Cherry, plum, and raspberry notes are part of the palate with both fresh and dried fruit characteristics playing a role. Towards the finish the fruit flavors take on a fleshy feel and they’re joined by continued vanilla, hints of cranberry and white pepper. This wine has good acidity and is made for enjoyment in its youth when all of the appealing upfront fruit flavors are at their peak.

Today’s second wine is the Falling Star 2009 Malbec. The fruit for this selection was sourced in the Mendoza region.  Half of the fruit was fermented at high temperatures while the other half underwent traditional fermentation. This offering is 100% Malbec and has a suggested retail price of $5.99.

Dark jam fruit aromas as well as toast and vanilla are part of the nose on this 2009 Malbec from Falling Star. The palate of this wine is incredibly juicy with super appealing black fruit flavors. Blackberry pie and blueberry are of particular note. The finish has more than reasonable length for a wine in this price-point. The dark fruits continue and they’re joined by hints of clove and white pepper. This is a sturdy Malbec with lots of crowd appeal. BBQ season is fast approaching and this wine is an excellent one to have on hand for your own entertaining as well as to bring to a friend’s house. For less than $6 a bottle it’s definitely a bargain and a wine you might want to consider a case buy on. It has more flavor, depth and value than similarly priced “critter wines” that aim for a similar spot on your wine rack. Consume this wine over the next two years to get the most of its youthful bravado.

Both of these wines are fine examples of the value available in entry level Malbecs from Argentina. That’s just the tip of the iceberg though. Stay tuned as I continue looking at a variety of Malbecs over the next handful of weeks.

Malbec has entered a phase in this country were most wine drinkers are well aware of it and more than likely have also tasted it. Many people drink it regularly as it’s become a go to choice for a lot of folks. And with it’s easy to like characteristics it’s easy to see why. But most of the Malbec people are drinking leans towards one style; wines whose most prominent feature is juicy up front fruit. Nothing wrong with that if you like it and there are bargains to be bad. But there are many other faces to Malbec. Today I’ll look at one from Trapiche.

The Trapiche 2008 Broquel Malbec was made from fruit sourced at vineyards with 25 years of age on them. These vines sit between 900 and 1,200 meters above sea level. This wine is 100% Malbec. Fermentation took place in concrete vats over a period of 25 days. Barrel aging followed over 15 months in a combination of French and American oak. This wine has a suggested retail price of $18.

Boysenberry, blackberry and a wisp of vanilla are all apparent in the slightly reticent nose of this 2008 Malbec from Mendoza. There fruit flavors throughout the palate also lean towards the darker end of the spectrum with continued blackberry as well as black raspberry. Mineral, earth and a solid wallop of black pepper are all part of the finish along with dark, dusty baker’s chocolate notes. This wine has soft, lush tannins and solid acidity.

This Malbec from Trapiche is more austere than the average with tighter structure. While this wine is delicious today it’ll continue to be very enjoyable for the next 3-5 years. A nicely made Malbec.

I’ve gone back to the wines of Valentin Bianchi relatively often. There’s a simple reason for that, I find they tend to over deliver on price and quality. There are certainly other producers who do this as well. But what impresses me with Bianchi is that they do it within each tier of their offerings. Today I’ll look at a release from the entry level Elsa tier.

The Valentin Bianchi 2009 Elsa Malbec is a single vineyard offering made from fruit sourced at their Doña Elsa Estate vineyard. This selection is 100% Malbec. The Elsa Malbec was fermented in stainless steel and then saw a minimal amount of oak aging; one month of bottle aging followed prior to release. 15,000 cases of the 2009 vintage were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $8.99.

Dark berry, plum, vanilla and thyme aromas come together to form an appealing nose for this 2009 Malbec. The dark fruit theme continues in the palate where black plum flavors take center stage. Other dark fruit flavors chip in as well to a lesser degree, along with white pepper and a bit of cardamom. This Malbec has soft tannins, solid acidity and a medium length finish.

For $9, or a bit less if you shop around, the Elsa Malbec provides plenty of drinking pleasure. Year after year this is wine is a more than solid choice in entry level priced Malbec. When you’re looking for some tasty wine and a good deal to boot, keep Valentin Bianchi in mind, I do.

Malbec stands as the signature grape of Argentina. Lots of other varietals flourish there but Malbec is the varietal that they do like no one else does and perhaps can. That said not every Malbec from Argentina is good. Consistency can be particularly difficult to achieve in the budget category that a lot of readily available Malbecs fall into. With that in mind I decided to take a look at one from Graffigna that I really enjoyed a previous vintage of.

The Graffigna 2007 Centenario Malbec was made from fruit sourced in the Pedernal Valley of San Juan. This selection was produced using 100% Malbec. Hand harvesting was employed. Fermentation took place in stainless steel. Oak aging was accomplished over 12 months in a combination of French (50%) and American (50%) oak. After the lots were blended the wine was bottled aged for an additional sic months prior to release. The suggested retail price for this wine is $13.

Effusive blackberry Jam aromas are supported by gentle wisps of crème fraiche in the lively and fresh nose of this 2007 Malbec. The palate of this wine is loaded with blueberry and plum flavors among others. It really brings to mind a bowl of juicy, dark berry fruits. Sour berry compote, white pepper and minerals are all part of the medium length finish. This selection has soft tannins and sufficient acidity.

This offering from Graffigna shows off the exuberance that makes Malbec so pleasing and accessible to lots of folks. Additionally, this wine has a fair amount of structure. Most importantly for me though this wine shows a consistent amount of quality from the previous vintage. Considering that this wine is most often available for right around $10 this is a very good value.

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