March 2008
Malbec: The new merlot?
Long known for the tango, Evita, and the sweeping, fertile Pampas, Argentina has also been cultivating its image as a serious wine producer and competitor to neighboring Chilean vineyards.
Amid its other vinous offerings, no wine has become more associated with Argentina than malbec.
The red varietal, made from the grape of the same name, should please anyone who enjoys merlot for its casual unpretentiousness. Malbec is fruity, medium-bodied and, at its best, fairly complex. Though it originated in France, malbec has found an adoptive new home in Argentina. Fittingly, all but three of the 20 malbecs tested by Consumer Reports sensory experts are from Argentine vineyards.
In our first test of this increasingly popular wine, we saw competence more than magnificence. Most bottles were merely Good overall. A half-dozen entries were Very Good: balanced, moderately complex, and with the spice and black-and-red fruit notes one expects from malbec. (To be Rated Excellent, the wines needed to be a little more complex and even better balanced.) The slightly tannic feel of many of the malbecs was complemented by dark berry and oak flavors, occasionally with vanilla, chocolate, and tobacco undertones.
The price is right for this varietal. Most of the wines we tested cost less than $20, and our Quick Picks all cost from $12 to $16. Catena 2005, the most expensive malbec we tested at $22 a bottle, ranks far from the top, proving yet again that a pricier tag is not always a harbinger of quality.
While simple, fruitier malbecs can be paired with casual snack foods such as pizza and burgers, more complex varieties do best with richer foods, including that other ubiquitous Argentine staple—beef.
The red varietal, made from the grape of the same name, should please anyone who enjoys merlot for its casual unpretentiousness. Malbec is fruity, medium-bodied and, at its best, fairly complex. Though it originated in France, malbec has found an adoptive new home in Argentina. Fittingly, all but three of the 20 malbecs tested by Consumer Reports sensory experts are from Argentine vineyards.
In our first test of this increasingly popular wine, we saw competence more than magnificence. Most bottles were merely Good overall. A half-dozen entries were Very Good: balanced, moderately complex, and with the spice and black-and-red fruit notes one expects from malbec. (To be Rated Excellent, the wines needed to be a little more complex and even better balanced.) The slightly tannic feel of many of the malbecs was complemented by dark berry and oak flavors, occasionally with vanilla, chocolate, and tobacco undertones.
The price is right for this varietal. Most of the wines we tested cost less than $20, and our Quick Picks all cost from $12 to $16. Catena 2005, the most expensive malbec we tested at $22 a bottle, ranks far from the top, proving yet again that a pricier tag is not always a harbinger of quality.
While simple, fruitier malbecs can be paired with casual snack foods such as pizza and burgers, more complex varieties do best with richer foods, including that other ubiquitous Argentine staple—beef.
