Malbec from Agrelo, Lujan de Coyo, Mendoza, Argentina.
SRP of $14 and available for as low as $10. Sample received courtesy Ninety+ Cellars for review purposes.
From the bottle:
"Story: If you've come to expect top quality Malbec from Argentina and great value from us, Lot 23 totally over-delivers. The grapes for this wine are hand harvested from 100 year-old vines situated on an expansive vineyard located in the Agrelo district of Lujan de Cuyo, one of the top spots in the world for growing Malbec. After fermentation, the wine is aged for six months in French oak barrels and then kept in bottle for another six months before release.It was a dark and stormy night...but the wine was mysterious and inviting, brooding even, with rich, succulent, dark fruit and dense, powerful spice. OK, enough of the purple prose, but it actually was a dark and stormy night when I drank this wine (and the wine is dark purple). I was planning on popping open a rosé since it was about 90 degrees and humid, but then a storm front came in, the temperature dropped and Malbec seemed like a much better choice. Plus, I had been looking forward to giving this wine a try given how much I liked the other two 90+ Cellars wines I've reviewed: the Lot 35 Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon Crianza and the Reserve Lot 57 Rosso Toscana.
Taste: Deep ruby-purple color. The wine boasts exquisite aromas of black berries, ripe plum and robust spices. It is well balanced with ample structure and mild tannins. In the finish, more dark fruit flavors and hints of wood smoke emerge to leave a elegant and lasting impression.
13.9% Alcohol"
The 2010 Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 23 Old Vine Malbec begins with typical Malbec aromas of blackberry and plum as well as baking spice and a little cinnamon. All these aromas combine to make a very nice bouquet that is more engaging than your typical Malbec. The wine tastes quite good with dark fruit and dense spice. It has lots of oaky overtones, but there's plenty of fruit as well. It ends with a dry, medium-long, spicy finish. Overall quite a tasty wine. Those oaky overtones decrease as it gets more air so it may have actually been even a little better on day 2.
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Taste Rating: 8 Cost Rating: 8
Overall Rating: 8.0
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