WINE REVIEWS OF TEN MALBECS FROM MENDOZA-ARGENTINA
For the past six years we have been avid fans of Malbec wine from Mendoza, Argentina. This love affair began while living in Santiago, Chile and having the chance to travel and experience Mendoza several times. April 17th is World Malbec day, and in the spirit of the event, we are reviewing in this post ten Malbecs that are determined by the selection of imports available in the U.S.A.
Mendoza lies in the eastern base of the Andes, a place spread out on massive alluvial fans (sandy soil) spewed from the major deep canyons that are fed from high-mountain glaciers. The elevations of the vineyards vary between 3,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level. The climate is variable, being hot and dry during the summer months of December through March, cold and also generally dry, during the winter. During winter one can see periods of light snow fall. Malbec grapes were first brought to Argentina in 1853; the grape variety originated in the Bordeaux region of France.
The vineyards surrounding the city of one million people are numerous, and each year new start ups are coming to market. The wine industry at Mendoza is primarily focused on Malbecs. It is nicely married with great dining in the city, and several of the vineyards feature boutique hotels and fine dining. Mendoza has many bottle shops selling wine that tend to lean towards the bottom of the market for prices and quality. The best ones sell only wine and are not combined with other Argentinean souvenirs. Our favorite Malbec is a specialty barrel-aged variety from the bodega (vineyard) Escorihuela Gascón, from a vineyard at 950 meters elevation, that is aged for nine months; 50% in French oak and 50% in American oak. We have yet seen this brand for sale in the U.S.A. We have only sourced it from Argentina (US$12 a bottle) and select markets in Lima, Peru (US$17 a bottle). It is also for sale in Brazil (US$30 a bottle), and in China (US$114 a bottle).
Wine descriptions are oftentimes overly analogous to substances that have nothing in common with fermented grape juice. I have never tasted tobacco or pepper in a wine, and you can forget about leathery and vanilla too. Pedigree of language through convention can make it too complicated- a threefold pigeon hole classifications of “tastes like staples” (bad), “its alright (but I will not remember it), and “this is really good” generally covers the wine tasting experience. It is a scoring system for the common man- no need for high fluting pretense here, despite this being driven by somebody with a Ph.D. Of course, all these unrelated extraneous adjectives are required to convince somebody to pay four hundred dollars for a bottle of fermented grape juice.
One of the best ways to experience Mendoza Malbecs is to attend an asado in the country side, an outdoor barbecue featuring a massive cut of meat on an iron steak cooking directly over the fire- it takes hours, and in good company it is a great time while sharing several bottles of wine. So in the spirit of Argentina, if you try some of the Malbecs, do while preparing some steak on the barbecue in honor to this great country.
Alberti, Bodega Calle, 2015
Bodega Calle was organized in 2012 under the Elixir Wine Group of the United States, operating two vineyards that had family production dating back 70 and 102 years. This is another example of wine industry going foreigner to produce and import, make it similar to the Layer Cake brand.
A deep red color, hardly any aroma, and an agreeable flavor, on the mild side for Malbecs, making it drinkable, but something we classify as unmemorable- “it’s alright.” It ranks better than Doña Paula, and not as good as Kaiken. We had higher hopes for this wine given they are coming from specific vineyards instead of mixing grapes from different areas. Part of this flavor profile must be Elixir’s belief in what is marketable in the U.S.A. We go to Mendoza Malbec for distinct flavors, not to have something soft that seems to come from Napa, California.
Alamos, 2017
Alamos states that they have 100 years of being a family run vineyard. Their website hardly conveys any information. The bottles says it “cultivated by the Catena family” so this may be doubling up on rebranding from the same vineyard as Catena below.
This is a Malbec with very weak aroma, had to sniff it several time to find it! The color very dark purple-red. The flavor was a surprise coming in tangy, rich, and then an aftertaste that was somewhat sweet. Granted this is a 2017 Malbec, all the other ones we have tasted in this review were mostly from 2016 so that could have an effect with the Alamos being a bit “wild.” Sipping it several times, I could not deem it “really good”, instead, it is “just alright” and for US$13 it is very drinkable.
Catena, 2015
The Catena family vineyards were founded in 1902. They maintain several vineyards. The Catena Malbec we are trying comes from a blend of four vineyards and barrel-aged for 12 to 14 months. They place a fair amount of emphasis on their soil types, including formal studies, but it is unclear if this has translated to making a better product.
The Malbec is a lighter plum-red color. The aroma smells like wine. The taste is both tangy and sweet, maybe a bit acidic. The aftertaste continues for a few seconds no shift in flavor. This Malbec is similar to the one by Gascon, suggesting the older Malbecs of Mendoza have their style dialed in. We give this one an “it’s alright,” but for US$18 a bottle it comes in somewhat pricey for the quality. The tangy aspect is perhaps a bit overbearing.
Doña Paula Estate, Valle de Uco, 2016
An essentially Mexican-owned brand (Santa Rita Group subsidiary of the large corporation Claro telecommunications group) that moved into Mendoza in 1997 near the beginning of the rediscovery of Mendoza Malbec country. Twenty years should provide ample time to develop the product to appropriate standards…
This vintage greets one with a sharp bouquet, presents a slightly lighter colored-plum red, then a smooth taste that is agreeable but lacking the complex aftertaste that marks the great Malbecs. We would call this a weak or flat Malbec, just lacking kick or robust profile. This is what gets you for US$15 in the States. We score this one with an “it’s alright.” Can you hear me now?
Gascon, 2016
The true early leading vineyard in Mendoza wines, began in 1884 by Don Miguel Escorihuela Gascón. With a 135 years of making wine our expectations are high for this brand. We have had it several times in the past, but it has never ended up as the go-to vintage for some reason. Compared to most other brands out there, Gascon is more firmly based in Mendoza being one of the early vineyards.
The Gascon Malbec had a deep purple-red color, a somewhat sharp aroma, and deep flavor that stood out more having recently tried Doña Paula and Alberti. The flavor has that more complex Malbec profile with a notable aftertaste (the “finish” for those clinging to their wine terminology textbooks). The bottle label claimed the flavors also consist of “blackberry, blueberry, dark cherry, and hint of mocha”, which is load of marketing bullshit. It tastes like fermented Malbec grapes. We give this we a “it’s pretty good” rating that is just short of a “really good,” and that is not bad considering the US$13 price tag.
Kaiken, 2016
Kaiken was one of the earlier Malbecs we were introduced to while visiting Mendoza. A friend of ours brother. Later we learned that the company is another Chilean venture, and one that buys grapes from many of the vineyards around Mendoza. We still enjoy this wine for its quality, but resent the Chileans for their near ubiquitous usurping of resources, businesses, and livelihoods in their neighboring countries. The Kaiken website is not exactly clear on the foundation, but it appears that the brand was started in 2011. The Kaiken label is economic, and reliably decent- we have gone with this brand many times in the past.
This deep purple-red Malbec has a somewhat sharp aroma, a rich full flavor that is no mistaking it for any other style of wine, and an aftertaste that is strong but not very refined. The one too comes a bit short of being “really good”, but this is offset by the friendly price tag of about US$13 per bottle. The wine is good enough to ignore the Chilean-ownership, and that it is recent entry to the market show that the Chilean skills in their own wine industry are formidable.
Layer Cake, 2016
We typically shun this brand for it having a very non-Argentinean Spanish name, it is a production clearly made to market in the U.S.A.- the company makes wine in California, Australia, Argentina, and Italy. Owned by the Deutsch Family wine and spirits that was founded in 1981. This product is not much better in inspiration, beyond that of profits, than the Chilean-owned vineyards in Mendoza. It is widely available in the U.S.A. Stores, showing true mass production. The company history does not invoke any romantic feeling about Mendoza. It is a machine. So yes, it is a Malbec grown in Mendoza, and available too much in the U.S.A. (e.g., Costco), and so are are placing in the comparison.
This Malbec comes with a surprise sweet aroma, a deep burgundy-red color, and deep balanced taste that has the exact same aftertaste that lasts sufficiently long to make sipping this wine enjoyable, but perhaps a shave too sweet after a while. It could be more complex in profile, but nonetheless we score this wine its a “really good.” I am annoyed the bottle having a twist off cap- that may work in Australia but it has no place in South American wines. This perhaps has kept the price down to US$14 a bottle. I would pay a dollar more for the experience of removing the cork! We have a wine cork collection- there is nothing interesting about metal caps for collecting. Twist off caps disrespect the tradition of wine making, end of story.
Salentein, 2016
The Salentein website proclaims that they, almost single-handedly implied, are transforming Mendoza wine industry, and yet their about us section does not say when they were founded. Their export network covers many countries of the world, so this suggests large-scale, industrial production. Their press section has a 2013 presentation on 2012 vintage wine, this also suggests they are newcomer to the market. Apparently they were founded in 1995, owned by M.P. Wines, which started in the Netherlands making automobiles. The vineyard is listed as being at 1,200 meters elevation, but we wonder if they are also purchasing from various growers like Layer Cake does. The volume of exporting suggests more than one vineyard supply.
A very dark opaque burgundy-purple, with a subtle aroma that Yani suggested smelt of oak, I was thinking musty. The flavor that is rich and pleasing. The bottle drones on about overtones of “blueberries, red current, violet, and vanilla” plus tobacco notes! We doubt any of that comes from grapes, and it is instead a marketing ploy that works with women. Terms that are just as imaginary as the food-wine pairings that are dreamed up. So enough with silly vocabulary; we like this wine, and give it a “really good” score. Maybe this proves that price matters for quality to a certain extent, this one costs US$18 a bottle
Chakras, 2016
The Chakras label is apparently from “Bodegas Cruz de Piedra.” Online searches yielded very little about the vineyard, except that it started in 1973. They also market the label Cuesta del Madero.
The bylines on the bottle read about energy, the stunning aspect of Andean snow, and hints of vanilla in the wine. The liqueur store had this vintages at 93 points. For US$21 a bottle we were rather disappointed with a tangy cranberry flat profile wine- this Malbec has a one note song. The color is dark purple-red, nearly opaque, and the aroma is somewhere between tangy and staples. For lack of complexity we rank this brand with a “its alright,” but truthfully we are going to avoid it in future selections.
Bodega La Flor, 2016
By Pulenta wines, is a family estate that saw the first vineyard made in 1912 and operated for several generations. The majority of the company was sold to Peñaflor in 1997.
With a more plum-burgundy color than purple-red found in many Malbecs, the aroma first says tangy or somewhat fruity, but then tasting it a surprising smoothness blends with the aftertaste that lingers nicely and finishes with a slight sweet-sour note. Immanently drinkable, we put this in the “really good” category. For US$14 dollars, this one ranks pretty well among the peers we review in this post.
IN CONCLUSION
For a straight relative personal preference we have the following order- Salentein > Layer Cake > >Bodega La Flor > Kaiken > Gascon > Catena > Alamos > Chakras > Dona Paula > Alberti.
Final words on fruitiness and other extraneous foreign material- the wine reviews, the vineyards, and the dogma on describing wines delves into tangent adjectives that ridiculously include:
Black cherry liqueur, black raspberry, tobacco, spice, herbal hint, star anise, earth, leather, violets, cherry, blueberry, red raspberry, spiced mulberry, vanilla, red currant, plum, flowers, sandalwood, peppercorn, kirsch-filled dark chocolate, cola, mixed berries, wild strawberry, cedar, boysenberry, spice cake, clove, licorice, minerality, sage, cacao nibs, sandalwood, Chinese five-spice, spearmint, pomegranate, goji berry, kirsch, cigar humidor, truffle, green olive, eucalyptus, tapenade, nectarine, white peach, chocolate-covered Amarena cherries, spicy plum pudding, balsamic note, Jasmine, chocolate ganache, cafe mocha, etc. Everyone’s BS alarm should be strongly sounding right now instead of little gilt-tongued marketers hoodwink your palette.
Last we checked nobody drinks leather, or smokes their wine. Wine is not bubblegum or a fruit shake. IF ANYBODY TRIES TO SELL YOU THE ABOVE FLAVOR ANALOGIES IN WINE- IT IS SIMPLE, THEY ARE LYING. Fact is, many wines are aged in oak barrels. Did you see the aroma of oak listed above or on the bottle? Yani picked up a hint of oak with the Salentein aroma. It seems more exact terms are needed to describe the flavor of wine, terms specific to wine. Something nobody seems to like use is tangy, acidic, bitter, dry, overly dry, but sometimes a combination of all three is what we mean instead of “peppercorn.” Some poor tasting wines have that metallic flavor that I like to term “tastes like staples.” Problem is the subjectivity in wine tasting, and using the wrong terms in classification. Not enough scientific thinking is being applied. Some new terms should be invented or defined that is specific to wine flavor. And what is wrong with stating the specific density of the wine? Craft beer brewing in many ways is more sophisticated than the general wine industry, partly because they have a far broader range of flavor and styles. Our threefold classification “tastes like staples,” “its alright”, and “this is really good” once calibrated should serve most peoples requirements. KEEP IT SIMPLE, AND ENJOY THE WINE DON’T OVER ANALYZE IT.
If you are ever in a place that has the Escorihuela Gascón label we mentioned at the beginning of this post consider it a must do. In the meantime, the Mendoza Malbec Salentein is the best bet for those typically imported wines in the United States.
For more about wines in South America check out this old post GREAT WINES OF SOUTH AMERICA and try this tasty dessert from Argentina DON PEDRO ideal for father’s day.
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South America seems to refuse to show its inexhaustible creative force.
