Not so long ago, we reviewed the Alamos Chardonnay and now we’re taking another look at Alamos for their Malbec.  Check out the Chardonnay review for a little background on Alamos, as I’m going keep this review short and get right to the wine.

The 2008 Alamos Malbec isn’t 100% Malbec.  There is a little Cabernet Sauvignon and a little Bonarda added for complexity.  Like the vast majority of Argentine Malbec, this one comes from the Mendoza region.  The grapes came from vineyards in the Uco Valley and in the Luján de Cuyo area south of the city of Mendoza.  Part of the wine spent time in French oak and part in American oak before blending and bottling.

This wine smells like an Argentine Malbec should smell.  Pungent black pepper, lush blackberries, soft violets and a wet strop of leather.  The fruit is bountiful on the nose and there’s great complexity with the spice, floral and earthy aspects.  The palate is smooth and full, showing intense blackberry and plum with black pepper on the finish. The tannins are smooth too, but the acid is slightly stronger than I would like.  It’s a very enjoyable wine, but not quite exceptional.  It’s close.  The aromas work harder for this wine than the flavors.

Wine: Alamos
Variety: Malbec
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $13.00

Find Alamos Malbec with Snooth

Disclosure: This wine was provided as a sample for review.