Wine of the week: Familia Zuccardi Malbec Serie A 2019

This Argentine red from a quality producer is top-notch $12 malbec – even for those of us who are scared off by cheap malbec’s frou-frous

Argentina’s Familia Zuccardi has been making great cheap wine even longer than I have been writing the blog; their private label rose for Whole Foods has been consumed by the case for more than 20 years.

So it’s no surprise that the Familia Zuccardi Malbec Serie A 2019 ($12, purchased, 13.9%) is all I wish entry level malbec would be – which means not sweet, not smoooth, and not cheap and ashy tasting in the back.

Instead, it has some spice in the front, a fair amount of varietally correct and ripe black cherry fruit, a full mouth feel, and what one tasting note called an almost creamy finish. And yes, there’s just enough of a suggestion of tannins so that the wine is in balance.

In fact, the Serie A is for people who think red wine is either too bitter or too rough and that it needs to be appreciably sweet to be enjoyable. This is fruity, not sweet, and it’s a terrific difference.

Pair this with barbecue as the weather warms up, and even burgers. It’s a big enough wine that it will taste better with food.

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