Argentina’s Malbec Tasting at VPIWF
April 30, 2010 by Sheila Whittaker
Argentina’s been in the wine-making biz since the 1500′s, and Malbec was introduced in the mid-1850′s. On Friday morning, bright and early, 14 Argentinean producers proved that they know what it takes to make a great Malbec — in any price range.
First up in the tasting was Bodegas Etchart‘s Etchart Cafayate Reserve Malbec 2008 from Salta ($16.96), a dark, juicy, inviting wine that is drinking well now yet able to age for five or six more years.
Valle de la Puerta S.A. offered La Puerta Reserva Malbec 2007 from La Rioja ($17.95). There was a sort of minty freshness in the mouth and good acidity. It was simple, yet well balanced.
Continuing on the great value train, Graffigna‘s Grand Reserve Malbec 2006 from San Juan ($18.95) was a food-friendly, well-balanced wine with cherry-plum fruitiness and a leafy note accompanying the vanilla notes from 12 months in French oak.
Xumek poured its juicy and fun 2008 Malbec ($21.99) from Zonda Valley in San Juan. It had plum, red fruit, dark fruit, and a slight green herbacious note.
From the windy flats of Patagonia, Familia Schroeder‘s Saurus Patagonia Select Malbec 2006 ($22.99) offered the tartest wine in the morning’s line up. It had very mouthwatering acid, but drank fairly smoothly.
From Humberto Canale, also hailing from Patagonia, we sipped the Gran Reserva Malbec 
2008 ($32.99). It offered a stark contrast to the wine before it. It is an interesting, rich wine with balancing acidity. In addition to the usual Malbec plum flavours, this wine had sweet baking spices all over the nose, and finished on a spicy note.
Bodegas Santa Ana brought La Mascota Malbec 2007 from Maipu, Mendoza ($23.99). There was plum, green pepper and a slight sweet spice on the nose, but the acid was a bit high for me, leaving a bite on the finish.
Bodegas Salentein‘s Malbec Reserva 2007 from Uco Valley, Mendoza was made for a big, fat, T-Bone steak. Sweet spices, violets, freshness, smooth yet intense … all for just $22.99.
From Mendoza, O. Fournier brought the elegant power of its Alfa Curx Malbec 2006 ($54.99). It’s such a smooth wine, but it has acidity, almost a saltiness, oak, plum, cherry, and vanilla that all give way to a long finish.
The Afincado Malbec Las Compuertas Malbec Vineyard 2006 from Terrazas de los Andes ($63.99) was delicious, complex and packed with all the things you want in a wine: fruit, acid, tannin, alcohol, and colour. It comes from Lujan de Cuyo, a place that only sees 10 to 12 rainy days per 
year. Dry weather is good for Malbec grapes, and few chemicals are needed for the wine to be successful there.
In Perdriel, Mendoza the people at Viña Cobos call their Bramare Marchiori Vineyard Malbec 2007 the “Arnold Schwarzenegger” wine — powerful and masculine. Blackberry, violets, rich, heavy, spicy — wow. It has a lot going on, and it should for $88.99.
Pascual Toso named Magdalena 2006 after his mother, a woman who cried every day when she moved to Argentina because she missed her home in Italy. So Pascual took her back to Italy and she cried every day when she was there because she missed Argentina. Women! They both ended up in Argentina and he named this blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon after is Ma. It is the winery’s “grand slam wine” because it consistently earns 90+ points from the three big U.S. wine magazines. A fruit bomb nose of ripe plum and cherry is followed up on the palate with a good backbone of acids and tannins. Well-balanced, juicy, elegant, and packed with all the elements of a top shelf wine. $88.99.
Laura Catena, president of Bodega Catena Zapata literally wrote the book on Argentinian wine — look for it in bookstores this fall. Her father, Nicolás Catena, was Decanter’s Man of the Year in 2009. Need any more reason to try their Malbec Argentino 2006? OK. Here are a few: elegance, complexity, and quality. $99.00
The tasting wrapped up with a structured wine that proved Argentinian Malbec is not just for dinner tonight. Bodegas Trapiche showed that its Malbec Manos 2004 has the potential to age. Half of the grapes are hand-destemmed and hand-crushed (hence the name “Manos”), and the wine is given a longer fermentation with a higher percentage of skins in the fermentation. After two years in 75% new French oak and 25% used French oak, this $80 bottle is packed with intense, sweet juice, floral notes and a structure to allow 10-30 of age. It’s already six years old and still very young and dark in the glass. Cellar addition, perhaps?
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Just reading the review made my mouth water. I had an Argentine malbec the night before last with a filet at Ruths Chris in Toronto and it was a great match. I guess I will go out and see what wine I can get into tonight. Great review! Thanks.
Thanks for commenting! They love meat in Argentina and Malbec is sure a good match for that. Just in time for BBQ season! (But I guess every season is BBQ season in Osoyoos…)