2014 Sur de los Andes Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Sur de los Andes Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 2014
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Winery: Sur de los Andes
Varieties: 50% Malbec, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $12 (found it at Wegmans)
Rating: 92 Points
My Rating: 90 Points

The Review: Perhaps one of the most interesting wine regions to watch right now is Argentina. Up until the 1800s, Malbec was one of the main grapes of Bordeaux. However, in the mid-1800s an insect known as Phyllorexa swept across America and Europe and destroyed pretty much all the vines that were planted. Since Malbec was so finicky in France, the growers never bothered to replant it. Conveniently at the same time, Argentina began pumping tons of money into viticulture and winemaking in order to compete with their arch-nemesis, Chile, who had experienced success with wine production. The French were more than happy to help Argentina establish their wines (there weren't wine jobs in Europe at this point), and they saw Malbec as being the perfect grape- one that thrives in sub-optimal conditions. Ever since then, Argentinean wines have been quietly exploding onto the scene, and they now rank 5th in the world in wine production. 

These wines have always been full of flavor (and cheap!), but a disastrous stretch in the mid-2000s concerned some, and the region briefly lost some attention. Not to worry though, Argentinean Malbec has had several of its most impressive vintages in succession these past few years, and these wines are now starting to hit the shelves. I'd encourage you to venture into the Argentina/Malbec section of your store's wine department to take a look at some of these wines. I've even seen some $10 wines that have garnered scores as high as 94! I know I'm excited to start tasting these bold and dynamic reds over the next few years, and I think you should be too.

The 2014 Sur de Los Andes provides an interesting expression of Malbec, as it is a 50/50 blend with Cab Sauv. This wine was big and presented aromas of ripe plum with lots of black fruits (a hallmark of Malbec). There was blackberry, currant, and a bit of blueberry that melded beautifully with vanilla and baking spices- almost like a blueberry pie. The taste showed lots of blackberry and currant on the palate, as well as a little tart black cherry from the Cab Sauv. There was vanilla and a touch of dried leather, which rounded off the palate nicely. The tannins were moderate, and the wine showed a full body.

If you like full-bodied reds for cheap, definitely take a look at some Argentinean Malbecs. They're usually pretty well received by most people, and you can find them everywhere (Wegmans and Costco have great selections). And like I mentioned, these next few vintages that are set to hit the shelves are gonna be phenomenal, so you don't even really have to worry about producer or vintage too much! Just grab something and chances are it's good!

Happy New Year

drink what you like,

db

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