Wine Review: Celebrate Malbec World Day with these options

There is a national or international day for almost everything that one can think of. Going along with that, April 17 is Malbec World Day, a day in which Americans and the world celebrate the wine variety.

The malbec has an interesting history. It was once used to beef up French cabernet sauvignon and merlot wines in off-growth years, when the grapes were not up to their usual quality. During the Italian migration to Chile and Argentina in the late 1800s, many of the immigrants brought cuttings of their grape vine to be planted in the New World, one among which was the malbec. When planted in the northern parts of the countries, the malbec thrived there, and that resulted in excellent red wines. Part of the magic was that the grape-growing districts shared similar grape-growing qualities to take advantage of the mineral-laden rain that rolls off of both sides of the Andes mountains and irrigates the vineyards.

Antigal Uno 2019 Platinum Malbec ($3O)
In the heart of every winemaker lies the desire to make that special wine when presented with quality grapes. The grapes for the Antigal 2019 Platinum Malbec proved to be about as close to perfection as a wine grape can get, and the Antigal winemaker Miriam Gómez set out to make the best wine possible from them. The beauty of this wine is the intensity of the color, flavor and aroma. The wine is an inky black in color with hints of ruby around the edges and displays the aromas of strawberries, blackberry, plum and black cherries with a hint of mocha in the background. Cherries, plums, cinnamon and coffee are the dominant flavors along with the added complexity provided by a hint of oak. This is, without any question, a premium wine that sells for an affordable price, and if the reader is familiar with malbec wines, this is a malbec that I believe should not be missed. 

Don Miguel Gascon 2023 Argentina Malbec ($18)
This is another producer of quality malbec wine that beautifully displays what they and the malbec grape are capable of when made by dedicated vintners. Being a typical malbec, the wine is inky, almost black in 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 the added complexity provided by a hint of oak. This is truly an excellent wine with the charm and bearing of a modern classic. This wine can prove why malbec is being adopted by many red wine drinkers along with the variety having a very affordable price.

Trivento 2022 Malbec Golden Reserve ($22)
For a dark red wine, the Trivento 2022 Reserve Malbec is soft, smooth and easy to drink. The wine's very dark color gives the impression of a tannic wine, which it is not, and one having a substantial body, which it does. Blueberries are the dominant aroma with plums, prunes and chocolate easily discernible along with smokey oak, which follow through to a long and enjoyable finish, and in my opinion, this wine is twelve bucks well spent. 

Susana Balbo 2024 Signature Malbec ($24)
When a winemaker puts their name on a bottle of wine, it has to be something special, as is this wine. It is the very discernible aroma of blueberries that is the most obvious feature of this wine with blackberries and cranberries following close behind. All of these flavors and aromas are reprised in the long-lasting finish, and I believe it will be a finish to remember.

Wine columnist Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.