Santa Julia Reserva Malbec - Malbec Mania! Search For The Best Malbec Under $20

100% Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.

SRP of $12 and available widely for around $10. Sample received courtesy Wine Sellers Ltd for review purposes.

From the bottle:

"The Santa Julia range is symbolic of our respect and care for the natural Mendoza environment, their home since the company was created in 1963. Today, this third generation family of winemakers continue their mission through many programs that benefit the land, the community.

100% sustainable farmed grapes.
Social welfare programs.
Energy conservation.
Use of green fertilizers.
Wildlife preservation.
Vineyard irrigation from pure mountain water and water recycling programs.

This Santa Julia Reserva Malbec is a rich full-flavored wine which has benefited from maturation in French oak for 10 months, giving structure and harmony. Intense plum and coffee aromas combine with spicy, smoky notes and vanilla finish.

13.5% Alcohol"

Today we come to our last wine in our Malbec Mania series (at least for the time being). If you remember we started this series with another Santa Julia wine, the 2010 Santa Julia [+] Malbec, which received a rare "Bulk Buy" rating. Today we're going to back to Santa Julia to try out their Reserva Malbec.

The 2009 Familia Zuccardi Santa Julia Reserva begins with rather subdued, but varied aromas of blackberry, plum, raspberry, a little vanilla, some woodsy, oaky notes, and finally, a bit of coffee. This is a juicy wine with dark fruit flavors. Very smooth but perhaps a bit thin. On the finish nice tannins kick in and then the juicy fruit goes on for a while. Really very nice!

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.