Tag Archives: Argento

Wine of the week: Argento Malbec 2015

argento malbecThe 2015 Argento Malbec isn’t Hall of Fame quality, but remains quality cheap wine

The good news about this vintage of the Argento Malbec, a red wine from Argentina, is that it’s worth drinking. The bad news? That it’s not quite as tight and as fresh as the 2014, which made the $10 Hall of Fame in 2016.

In one respect, this vintage difference is a good thing, which shows that the producer lets the grapes determine the quality of the wine and doesn’t make every vintage taste the same using post-modern winemaking technology. Which, of course, is what happens to so much cheap wine these days, and not for the better.

This version of the Argento malbec ($10, sample, 13.5%) is still more than acceptable $10 malbec, especially since most grocery store malbecs taste like blueberry Kool-Aid spiked with poor quality grain alcohol. The wine has the requisite blueberry and sweet spice flavors, sort of tannins in the back, and some (chocolate flavored?) fake oak that surprisingly boosts the whole. It’s just softer and not as bright as the 2014 was, so it will likely be dropped from the Hall of Fame next January.

But if you’re stuck in the grocery store and need a red wine that won’t insult your intelligence, you can do a lot worse than this.

Wine of the week: Argento Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Argento Cabernet Sauvignon 2014Argento cabernet sauvignon — $10 wine that is varietally correct, and how often does that happen?

The Argento cabernet sauvignon does something that almost no other $10 cabernet can do – deliver legitimate cabernet character. Or as my old pal Rick Rockwell (who likes wine but knows better than to obsess about it) said, “I can’t believe this wine is this good for $10.”

The Argentine Argento wines regularly surprise me. The chardonnay is quite pleasant and the malbec made the 2016 Hall of Fame. The Argento cabernet sauvignon ($10, sample, 13.8%) isn’t quite as impressive as the malbec, but will not disappoint anyone who wants an affordable cabernet that is neither too fruity nor too rough or too bitter.

Look for fresh red fruit, but not so much that it overwhelms what is a simple yet well made wine. There are enough tannins, plus real oak (hard to believe in a wine of this price), and even something herbal. The latter makes a huge difference, transforming this from just another grocery store wine into something worth drinking.

Pair this with red meat; we drank it with Lake Geneva Country Meats bratwurst, and it did nicely.

Wine of the week: Argento Malbec 2014

argento malbecThe Wine Curmudgeon can think of no higher praise for the Argento Malbec: I don’t like malbec, and I would not only buy it, but serve it to my friends.

That’s because the Argento Malbec ($8, sample, 13.5%), an Argentine red, is everything most grocery store wine isn’t: It’s not cloying, it’s not too soft, and it’s not smooth in that mindless way that so much wine in supermarkets is. In fact, grocery store wine has no right to be this well made, based on how much junk I taste every year, and part of me still doesn’t believe it was this good. But sometimes, Big Wine (Argento may be near 1 million cases a year) gets it right.

Look for fresh black fruit, a little spice, and the soft tannins that separate malbec from merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Plus, the almost cherry aroma wasn’t like the Jolly Rancher cherry smell that makes me want to dump other wines down the drain. Pair the Argento malbec with any red meat, and especially a hearty winter stew, as well as sausages with red sauce. Highly recommended, and the perfect wine of the week for the introduction of the 2016 $10 Hall of Fame on Friday.

Mini-reviews 75: White wine for summer

white wine for summerReviews of wines that don ?t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the final Friday of each month. Th month: white wine for summer.

? Josh Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ($10, purchased, 13.5%): The Josh Cellars reds are some of the best values in the world. Unfortunately, this California white is nowhere near as well made as the reds — thin, bitter, and stemmy, and what seems like fruit chosen to hit the price point and not to make better wine.

? Argento Chardonnay Reserva 2014 ($12, sample, 13.5%): Grocery store chardonnay from Argentina that demonstrates how Big Wine can turn ordinary grapes into something quite pleasant when it wants to. Look for white stone fruit and a hint of sweetness that balances everything out.

? Rodney Strong Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ($15, sample, 13.5%): Consistent, well-made, varietally correct California sauvignon blanc that always offers value. Look for citrus and tropical flavors, but none that are overdone, and a clean finish. This may cost as little $12 or $13 in the grocery store, which is the time to buy several.

? Line 39 Pinot Grigio 2014 ($12, sample, 13%): One of the oddest wines I’ve ever tasted, with little pinot gris or pinot grigio character and more chardonnay flavor than anything else. But it’s 100 percent California pinot grigio, and without any added sugar despite a decidedly sweet feel to it. Go figure.

Wine of the week: Argento Malbec Reserva 2011

Wine of the week: Argento Malbec Reserva 2011Juicy black cherry fruit
But not cloying or too sweet
Surprising malbec

Because haiku seems just as effective in a wine review as most of the gobbledygook in tasting notes (though it will no doubt crash Google’s search algorithms).

One caveat: Don’t confuse the reserve ($13, sample, 13.9%) with Argento’s regular malbec, which is two or three dollars cheaper, very ordinary, and probably not worth the effort.