I was very excited to try this wine, the Alamos Malbec 2021 vintage, when I bought it in Kroger the other day. It cost me a decent $11, and had a 13.5% ABV. I was surprised to learn this wine came from Mendoza, Argentina until I found out later that most Malbec grapes come from Argentina. I had never had an Argentinian wine before.
After a little research, I found that this wine actually scored a 91 from critic James Suckling. It is described as having notes of "blackberries, dark cherries, blackcurrants, and baking spices." It is said to be round and juicy, which I like in a wine, with creamy tannins and a chocolatey finish. I do not know what blackcurrants or creamy tannins taste like, but it sounds delicious.
Upon opening, I noticed the dark purple color of the wine in the glass. I served it at room temperature and with an aerator. The initial aroma was rather heavy on the alcohol, but with strong notes of raspberry and red fruits. The taste was more of the same, a bold fruity wine with notes of raspberry and blackberry. It had a medium body and was rather astringent due to high tannins. However, I would say that the tannins were rather creamy; it certainly was not as bad as other tannin bombs I have had. I would not say it was jammy though, which I was a bit disappointed by.
According to page 125 of Wine Folly, Malbec comes primarily from Argentina. This same variety is known as Cot in France. They have bold fruity flavors such as red plum, blackberry, vanilla, sweet tobacco, and cocoa. I did not notice a chocolatey finish to this wine, but I think it would be utterly delicious alongside a serving of chocolate.
I did end up enjoying this wine, and would be interested in trying other Malbecs out there. I tried a little bit of this wine with a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie and found it to be a fantastic match. The tannins of the wine really complimented the sweetness of the chocolate and the fluffiness of the cookie.
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