Argentina’s Signature: Malbec

One of the things I enjoy doing is simply browsing the racks of some of my favorite wine stores like they are the shelves at the library or a local record store; I never know what I might find or what I might learn.  Ultimately, I also never know what bottle could end up coming home with me. 

This is one of the ways I learn about wine: find something that catches my eye and then do a little research, be it through the printed word or word-of-mouth, which is an absolute must when looking to explore new bottles.

You may engage in a similar routine.  And if so, you are probably confronted by new or unfamiliar varietals and blends that seem to spark your curiosity—the grenaches, carignanes, or tempranillos, perhaps.  After all, these do not get equal playing time with the merlots and zins of the world.  This last weekend, however, I sat down with a friend of mine to learn a little more about that shelf at the store that seems to get slightly larger with each passing year: malbec.   

Malbecs are not entirely new to me.  I have tried a handful of them here and there, but I never really knew much about what I was drinking.  Like a lot of people, my thoughts never lasted too long past the immediate enjoyment.  But I wanted this to change, and thus we have last Saturday night: two full glasses of two different malbecs and the desire to both learn and enjoy.

We opened both bottles at the same time for a side-by-side comparison, one Diseño Malbec 2007 and one Santa Julia Organica Malbec 2008.  Both are available locally for under $15.  Although malbec made its name for itself in France, the Mendoza region of Argentina has taken this grape in new directions.  In fact, most—if not all—of the malbecs I see in area stores come from Argentina.  The majority of sources indicate that South American malbec tends to be softer and earthier than its French counterpart, which is typically used as part of a blend, namely in Bordeauxes.

The two bottles were a little disappointing, to be honest.  Initially, we assumed that the bottles needed breathing time to develop.  A good malbec tends to be a bigger wine, one that leads with a full mouth and complex flavors.  These tended to be a little stunted, and after a little time passed, not much changed. 

Initially, I leaned toward the Santa Julia and its berry-fruit flavors and subtle spices, but as I continued tasting the two, the Diseño grew on me.  It was actually the Santa Julia that allowed me to taste the subtle play of the dry, blueberry tones.  And yes, the fruit was a bit earthy. I do think the time expanded these berry flavors, but unfortunately, they never got big enough for what we were anticipating. 

The Santa Julia fell short in its finish.  Where the Diseño had a lingering smoothness, the Santa Julia turned a little as the spiciness subsided to more of a slight sour shadow.  Both had their merits, but side-by-side, where the one accented the other’s highlights, the other revealed the one’s inferiority.  But the one thing that this tasting did suggest is that malbec is worth exploring, and tomorrow is another bottle, so to speak.