Trivento Reserve Malbec – Black Cherry ‘Splosion

When I was a kid, my mom used to make this Jello dish that had black cherries suspended in the Jello. It was a big thing back in the 1970’s to suspend things in gelatin. But this is one I remember in particular, because I kind of liked it. And it had a very distinguishable smell to it that is ingrained in my olfactory memory. When I smelled this wine, it reminded me of that dish and the black cherry aromas more specifically.

Black cherry is a signature aroma and flavor that you’ll find in malbec and this one delivers that in abundance.

This one, from Trivento, comes from Mendoza, Argentina — the source of most malbec we find in the United States these days. It is 100% malbec, with no other grape varieties added in.

Intense black cherry, strawberry, blackberry and cedar aromas dominate the nose of this wine. The palate is a similar story with concentrated black cherry, blackberry and strawberry flavors with just a touch of spice. It’s definitely a fruit-forward wine. I would have liked a little more vibrancy. The mouthfeel is decent. The finish brings lingering black cherry flavors.

Wine: Trivento Reserve Malbec
Variety: 100% malbec
Vintage: 2014
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 85
Price: $11.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.