Quality flight: Mendoza Malbecs

This beat-up palate is brought to you by allergy season.

Set-up
While Malbecs from Argentina don’t show up often on the actual Master of Wine exams, I thought this would be a good place to practice quality levels within the same region. Malbec is not native to Argentina, but the area is more well-known for the grape than in France, where the grape has historically had to make up at least 70% of the wines of Cahors. Before the winter freeze 1956, Malbec used to play a more significant part in the blends of Bordeaux and some research suggests that the clones used in Argentina are decedents from the Bordelais vines rather than from Cahors or the Loire.

Located in the fat west of the country, Mendoza is the largest and most-important wine-growing region in Argentina (about 70% of its annual production). Luján de Cuyo is a subregion within Mendoza that features higher altitudes and more temperate weather.

Without tasting, I would expect the wines to display ripe plums, dark fruits, perhaps some floral, but above all, ripe (not cooked) fruits clearly indicating New World. I would think the palate would show medium acid, but higher tannins. Basically, I think of Malbec as a Merlot with more going on with the palate – acid and grip. I would suspect that the Altos would be more about upfront fruit and a quick finish, the Felino to show more interesting things on the nose, and a more defined palate, and the Bramare to build upon that, perhaps displaying some minerality? Plus oak.

The wines
Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2009 (Mendoza) $13, 14.2%
Felino ‘Viña Cobos’ Malbec 2009 (Mendoza) $20, 14.9%
Bramare ‘Viña Cobos’ Malbec 2008 (Luján de Cuyo) $39, 14.9%

(Note the Bramare is a shiner – the front label says Cabernet Sauvignon and the back label says Malbec. It is indeed a Malbec.)

The Altos showed pepper and plums and a smokiness at a medium intensity. The palate had firm tannins, medium(-) acid and a medium(-) finish, with the simple taste of sour dark fruits. Both the medium(-) finish and linear flavor profile indicates that this is a high-volume production wine, and the lowest in quality in the flight.

This Malbec is the “main production” wine according to the Altos Las Hormigas website. The grapes are from different sites, vinified separately before the final blend. Stainless steel fermentation and aged for three months in the vats with French and American oak insertstaves. Annual production: 700,000 bottles.

The Felino displayed more dark plums, a slight bit of vanilla (oak?) and dry earthiness and a slight burn from alcohol. The vanilla softened the impact of sour dark fruits on the palate, and firm tannins were still on display. The length was a bit longer here (medium) and were carried by the tannins and fruit, indicating a better quality wine.

American winemaker Paul Hobbs is a partner in the Viña Cobos Winery which produced both the Felino and Bramare.The wine is 100% Malbec. The vineyards are from the smaller appellations of Luán de Cuyo, Maipú, and Valle de Uco at an elevation of 2,300 to 3,770 feet, yielding 4.3 to 4.6 tons per acre. Fermented in stainless steel with a native MLF in barrel that took four months to complete. It was then aged eight months in American and French oak, 21% new. Annual production: 262,320 bottles.

The Bramare had an overt use of sweet vanilla oak with plums and a slight floral perfume. The use of oak could indicate a more expensive wine. The oak made the attack smooth and sweet but the palate of this wine had the highest impact of acids, tannins, and flavors of vanilla and plums. Despite intensity, there was nothing angular so the wine was in balance. The use of oak and the balanced and clear flavors on the palate shows that this is the highest quality wine in the flight.

Bramare’s fruit was from the prime subregion of Luán de Cuyo with an elevation of 3,000 to 3500 feet. Yields here are 2.0 to 3.1 tons per acre. Stainless steel fermentation with MLF in barrels with native yeasts completed in three months. Eighteen months in 22% new American and 15% new French oak, the balance in used oak. Unfined and unfiltered. I couldn't find production numbers.

Observations
On the second round, when I tasted them blind, there was a distinct yeasty character on the Felino that I didn’t pick up before. Lees stirring on a red wine in Mendoza? Maybe a result of the MLF? That was the factor that helped me decide between the Felino and the Altos (the sweet oak on Bramare gave it away quickly).

What surprised me from this tasting was that despite high alcohol, I didn’t perceive it as much on the palate. I’m not sure if that was due to the fact that they were all in the same zip code, the fact that I’m in the middle of allergy season and everything hurts anyway, or that it was all in balance. I wonder if there was more RS leftover to soften the blow and my damaged palate didn’t pick up on it this time around. May have to try a few of these again…

Latterals: The Spicy Reds

Sight
All three wines exhibit a medium to medium+ intensity of ruby possibly suggesting intense wines of higher extractions. Wine #2 has a more pronounced watery rim, which could indicate a higher level of alcohol.

Aromatics
On the nose, all three wines have medium to medium+ intensity of aromas, with many notes of baked and jammed fruits, which indicated these wines came from a warmer climate. Aromatics on wine #1 include dark cooked berries, spice, and some smokiness. Wine #2 has more aromatics of red jams. Wine #3 smells of figs and port. Wines #1 and #2 have light aromatics of vanilla, suggesting oak influence.

Palate
On the palate, all wines show higher levels of alcohol and all lack high acidity, supporting the view that these wines come from a warm to hot climate.

Wine #1 has spicy fruit on the palate with medium- acidity, medium+ alcohol, and medium- burlap tannins. This wine is probably most prized for its structure.

Wine #2 is dry, though seems sweet on the attack suggesting very ripe fruit. The wine has medium acid, high alcohol, and a medium+ finish of fruit and vanilla, and heat from alcohol. This wine is definitely from a hot climate.

Wine #3 is also dry but seems sweet on the attack, suggesting very ripe fruit. The wine has medium acid, medium+ cottony tannins, and a medium- finish of cooked figs and dark fruits.

Conclusions
Wine #1 is a Malbec from a warm climate (Mendoza, Argentina) because of its firm structure and spicy fruit. The firm structure would also suggest Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, but neither would would not exhibit such spicy fruit, and Nebbiolo would not have such a saturated color. The Malbec also distinguishes itself from the Shiraz and Zinfandel because it is lack of overly ripe fruit.

Wine #2 is a Shiraz from a warm climate (Australia) due to its high alcohol, soft texture, and very ripe fruit. This description could also fit a warm climate Grenache or Merlot, but Grenache is typically not as saturated in color. I rule out Merlot because I would expect more cocoa and espresso characteristics to accompany the ripe fruit aromas.

Wine #3 is a Zinfandel from a warm climate (California). The tell-tale aromatics of figs and port lead me here and the medium+ amount of tannins is likely from oak influence, a common technique used for Zinfandel. The firm structure could also suggest Malbec, but I would expect spicier fruit from Malbec.

The wines
Wine #1: Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 2009 (Mendoza, Argentina), $13, 14.2% abv
Wine #2: Woop Woop Shiraz 2009 (Australia), $13, 14.5% abv
Wine #3: Joel Gott Zinfandel 2008 (California), $18, 14.4% abv

How’d I do?

Altos Las Hormigas, Vineyard Selection Reserva Malbec 2007 (Mendoza, Argentina) $19, 14.6% abv

Tips for pairing wine with procrastination:

1. Do choose a wine that is widely available, either via your own cellar or at the wine shop. Since you really should be writing the chapter that’s due this evening (I’d like to point out that there is technically still three hours of “Sunday” left), you shouldn’t be opening something you’d linger over. Plus if it turns out you open a bottle you dig, you can always go back for another when you don’t have a deadline looming.

2. Do choose something on cheap & cheerful side. Again, since you really need to churn out four more pages (single spaced), don’t be getting into a wine so profound that it distracts you from your storyline.

3. Do choose something that might turn you on. Some writers talk about making a soundtrack to get them into the mood to write. Like that background music, you need to pick a wine that balances your need for it to fade into the background (so you can concentrate on nailing dialogue) with keeping your mojo flowing.

4. Do choose a wine that is versatile enough to pair with anything lurking in the deep recesses of your refrigerator. Staring at a blank Word document long enough will cause you to wonder if the caramelized onions you made this morning will taste good wrapped around pickled okra. Or is that just me?

5. Don’t choose a wine high in alcohol. For obvious concentration reasons.

So the Altos Las Hormigas wins on all points but the last one. It’s absolutely saturated in a purple-y ruby all the way to the rim with lots of staining tears. Yet the nose is not super-explosive, and it’s dominated by blackberries and dried black cherries with granite and a hint of florals. It’s medium (+) in body with velvety tannins, medium amount of acid, and flavors of bright blackberry and more granite on the palate.

As for the alcohol, I didn’t really smell it or taste it harshly on the palate. Just to be safe (as the book is not just going to write itself), I recommend pairing this wine with Procrastination Pizza. Tonight I’ve chosen Mystic Pizza, but you may feel free to substitute your favorite frozen pizza here.

Transparency: this wine is imported by my employer.