It seems all of a sudden, there's a glut of malbec wines from Argentina coming to our shores.
It is not overproduction on the part of the Argentineans; it is simply the fact that in the past few years, malbec has become the darling red wine of the United States. Another reason is while we can produce decent malbec wines here, they do not have that certain something the grape's Argentinean homeland gives it.
Even the malbec wines from France don’t hold a candle to its South American brethren. In fact, the French district of Cahors produces wine from the malbec grape that is so tannic (astringent) that it must age several years before it is even drinkable.
But what is that magic? We can only guess, but we believe it is the fact the malbec grape-growing region, Mendoza Province, snuggles up against the Andes Mountains and the vines are irrigated by mineral-laden water running off high hills. Whatever the cause, Argentinean malbec wines are nothing short of terrific. In truth, regardless of the price, we have never had a bad or even a poor one.
Don Miguel Gascon 2012 Malbec ($15)One of the most respected names in the Argentinean malbec scene is Don Miguel Gascon. Proceeded by the incredible 2011 vintage, the 2012 vintage is equal to it and perhaps even a bit better.
Being a typical malbec, the wine has an inky, almost black color and displays the aromas of blackberry, plum and black cherries with a hint of mocha in the background. Cherries, plums, cinnamon and coffee are the dominant flavors, along with added complexity provided by a hint of oak.
This wine can prove why the malbec variety is becoming the favorite of many red wine drinkers.
Don Miguel Gascon 2011 Reserva Malbec ($25)This wine is more an experience than a beverage.
After a long and very slow fermentation, this wine was aged 15 months in small French and American oak casks to mature and soften even further. This wine does display some tannin, but it is delicate and not mouth puckering. The finish is about as long as any we have experienced in our many years of writing about wine.
All of this effort resulted in an elegant wine, resplendent with all of the flavors and aromas that make a malbec great.
Alamos 2012 Malbec ($13) & Alamos 2011 Mendoza Seleccion Malbec ($20)Another noteworthy malbec from Argentina come from Alamos. Also located in Mendoza, the Alamos wines are an excellent version of the variety. The major difference between the Don Miguel and the Alamos malbecs is in the eye, or should we say the palate, of the beholder.
The difference is in the winemaking technique. There are many variables in winemaking, and that is what separates one wine from the same grape from another. This is an excellent example of just that.
Gnarly Head 2012 Mendoza Malbec ($12)Hey, how did the gringo get in here? Gnarly Head is a California vintner. As it happens, the Gnarly Head vintners are always on the lookout for wines of distinction, regardless of their origin. As the name indicates, they found this one in the heart of malbec country, Mendoza Province of Argentina. Their choice was superb as this is an excellent malbec and, even though it has an American name, the wine is pure Argentinean.
This is another chance to sample the different styles of the variety available and to dissect the various attributes of each of them since they are reasonably priced and offer a great excuse to have a malbec party.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.[[In-content Ad]]
