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Today’s wines are both Argentine Malbecs from the Mendoza Region, an area where it’s vineyards are high in altitude. Mendoza is known for thick skinned grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and especially Malbec. The wines coming out of this region are usually great value in comparison to their Old World counterparts. We’ll see more South American wines coming in as US wine consumption goes up, but we’ll also likely see a rise in prices so grab them while you can!

Why two Malbecs? Because I was in the mood for Malbec but, more importantly, I wanted to compare new with old and see how much of a difference aging makes and this week it certainly does. Cellaring, aging, of wines will be something I’ll talk about in the future but the short of it is that some wines do need to be left aside for a few years up to a couple of decades in the case of some Bordeaux wines in order to truly hit their peak.

Before we continue I need to explain my scoring system. It’s a simple 1-10 denoting my recommendation of the the wine with 1 being avoid and 10 being hunt it down now! The score is based of quality of the wine, how it’s drinking now, it’s price, and ability to age. Not entirely scientific but I’ll do my best to stay impartial. With that out of the way, onto the wines!

2015 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec

Score: 6/10

Trapiche was founded in 1883 and has grown to be the largest producer of wine in Argentina and as such will be the most common Argentine wine you’ll see in your local grocery store.  This particular wine was grown at altitudes of 2,460 to 3,608 feet and spent 9 months of its life in a French oak barrel. This wine is one of their mass produced brands and as such you can easily pick this up for less than $10. I actually picked it up from Target for $8, thank you Ibotta.

What can 8 dollars get you? A pleasant but rather forgettable Malbec. It’s a rather simple wine, offering you dark berry and plum right off the nose with some leather and a hint of vanilla, aging in barrel will do this. The palette offers no surprises, you get a slightly tart blackberry and plum with vanilla and slight pepper at the finish. Tannin is present but not overpowering, though the overall experience is a bit harsh. I would let this wine decant for about 2 hours before serving or, if you have the patience, open the day prior and store it in the fridge and the aforementioned harshness largely disappears.

Despite its simple nature it will likely age, in fact if bought now I’d let it hang out for a few months if you can though I wouldn’t wait much past 2020.  If you’re looking for a generic red to have ready for weekday dinner or something you can buy in bulk to serve at a party this can do the trick. It’s worth the buy if you want something to pair with a hearty stew or red meat, or if you’d like a cheap way to experiment with aging.

Winery: Trapiche

Vintage: 2015

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Months in Barrel: 9

Alcohol: 13.5%

Color: Deep Purple

Nose: dark berry, plum, leather, and vanilla

Palette:  tart blackberry, plum

Finish: Vanilla, white pepper

Tannin: Medium

 

Aging: No later than 2020

Price Point: $8-12

2008 Luigi Bosca D.O.C Malbec

Score: 8/10

Luigi Bosca was founded in 1901 and remains Argentina’s oldest family-owned vineyard with the third and fourth generation currently managing it. These wines are bit harder to come by in the US due to their smaller production and for this wine in particular its age, the best place to look would be specialty wine shops. This wine was grown at 3,150 feet above sea level and spent 14 months in barrel, also French. It even has a cellaring recommendation, which is kind of cool. This particular bottle I got from a friend of mine who specializes in aged wines.

At 10 years old wine this wine is in its prime. Off the nose we have a bit of black cherry and vanilla, but linger long enough and you’ll get other dark fruit. The palette offers you more of dried dark cherry and plum finishing with vanilla, showing it’s barrel aging. It’s ready right out of the bottle, though 30 minutes to an hour in a decanter would be even better. It’s a great demonstration of what a decade can do to a wine, it’s silky smooth and readily drinkable.

This wine can likely sit for another year or two but I don’t think it’ll get much better than it is now. If you’re looking for a wine that will compliment a romantic steak dinner that won’t strain the wallet this is it. This would go well with red meats, stews, and even dishes with pork and chicken. If you stumble on this wine buy it, you won’t regret it. This is truly an exquisite wine.

Winery: Luigi Bosca

Vintage: 2008

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Months in Barrel: 14

Alcohol: 14.5%

Color: Deep Purple

Nose: Black cherry, dark fruit, vanilla, leather

Palette:  dried dark cherry, plum

Finish: Vanilla, white pepper

Tannin: Medium low

Aging: Can keep for 1 or 2 more years

Price Point: $19-30

Conclusions: So how did the young kid fare against the old man? Not particularly well. We can see here that aging can make a difference. It also may be the hipster side of me but I also see the difference between wine done as a small batch versus that produce for en masse consumption. The Trapiche is not a bad wine, but it isn’t a memorable one like the Bosca is. I have little doubt that Trapiche’s higher end offerings would compete more favorably, but for today I have to give the win to the Luigi Borsca.