Tikal’s “Patriota” is a blend of Argentina’s two most widely planted grapes, Malbec (40%) and Bonarda (60%).  Ever heard of the Bonarda grape?  Neither have I.

If you’re wondering what this wine tastes like with the Bonarda grape blended in, I would put it somewhere between a Malbec and a cool climate Syrah, which is to say it has the rich opulence and smooth tannin of a Malbec with the persistent acid and slight tartness of a cool climate Syrah.  It’s a really nice combination.

This and the other Tikal wines have been getting blockbuster scores for a few years now, so I guess it’s time I gave one a try.  It’s getting cold outside and this is the perfect wine for the change of seasons.  It’s spicy, bold and aromatic – many wines can say that.  But Tikal Patriota maintains a complexity and length that brings it from solid to outstanding and the $15.95 price tag takes it one step further.

Argentina is well known for Malbec values and for those that sometimes find the grape slightly one dimensional as I do, this blend is just awesome.  The wine raters agree, scoring it 90 (Tanzer) and 92 (Parker).

Buy Here: Tikal Patriota $15.95

Wine Advocate 92 points

“60% Bonarda, 40% Malbec; Earth/mineral/underbrush; dense and layered, ripe, mouth-filling, impeccable balance, lengthy.”

International Wine Cellar 90 points

“A 60/40 blend of bonarda and malbec): Bright ruby. Aromas of black cherry, mocha, coffee and violet complicated by sexy oak. The flavors of blackberry, spices, violet and bitter chocolate are juicy and nicely delineated. Offers lovely texture and weight, but with good lift from the malbec component. A very good blend. Bonarda, which often produces rather rustic, blue-collar wine, clearly benefited from Mendoza’s very warm 2009 growing season.”

Argentina is known for Malbec but Cabernet comes in a close second, albeit from a different angle.  Argentinian Malbec is sweet, ripe and often syrupy- a very “new world” style.  Because of the cooler, high altitude climate, their Cabernet tends to be a more restrained style, somewhere between new and old world, which is why it’s featured in many of Mendoza’s high-end blends.  This wine is more Washington than Napa.

Winemaker Susana Balbo’s second wine “Crios”, or offspring, is a perfect daily drinking value at $10.95, which is the lowest price on my Interweb Machine.  Jay Miller of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave it 90+ points, making it one of the lowest priced 90 point Cabernets in recent memory.  Firm and balanced with French roast coffee, this wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered giving it a broad rich mouthfeel.  It lingers particularly long on the finish, showing well beyond it’s $11 price point.

Susana Balbo has been making wine all over the world for almost 30 years, but as her first project as owner and winemaker, her passion shows through on the 2009 “Crios”.  For those looking for a balanced, focused Cabernet, I can think of no better value.

Buy Here: 2009 Crios de Susana Balbo Cabernet $10.95

Wine Advocate 90 points

“Susana Balbo is very high on Mendoza’s 2009 vintage, calling it a “fantastic year”. The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon spent 5 months in seasoned French and American oak. It is purple-colored with a classy nose of cigar box, cassis, black currant, and violets. Medium-to full bodied, it has excellent depth, savory flavors, ripe tannin for balance, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. It will evolve for 1-2 years but can be enjoyed now and over the next 4-5 years.”

In the under $10 price range you will be hard pressed to find better red wines than those from Mendoza, Argentina.  Malbec, Chardonnay and to a lesser degree, Cabernet, thrive there and with over 350,000 acres of vineyards (roughly 8x Napa), there is no shortage of wine produced.  Because importers need to make a serious investment in order to get wines into the United States, there is a sort of natural quality control, that occurs with many foreign wines.

The 2007 Bodega Domiciano de Barrancas Malbec Cosecha Nocturna is definitely at the top of the heap in terms of value at $8.99.  From start to finish, it has absolutely no rough edges, which is exceptionally rare in this price range.  This Malbec pours a deep ruby/purple and has a beautiful bright nose of cherry and raspberry.  Not quite as syrupy as some Malbec, the flavors are juicy, broad and delicious.  The finish is just as good with lingering flavors brought together by a nice acidity that’s sometimes missed in this grape.

I learned more Spanish today in researching this wine, than I did in two years of high school classes (thanks Senora Walters).  So many of the wineries in Argentina have such little focus on the U.S. market that they don’t even have English language sites.  As such, Google Translate came in handy, as I learned that the namesake of this wine “Cosecha Nocturna” pays homage to this winery’s policy of harvesting at night, when the cool temperatures help keep the delicate grapes in tact.

This wine is perfect for those looking for a low priced alternative to California reds, of which there are very few standouts in this price point.  It’s rich, well textured and ripe, leaving me wanting more every time I take a sip.  And that’s the best endorsement any wine can have.

Buy Here: 2007 Bodega Domiciano de Barrancas Malbec Cosecha Nocturna

What do you get when you leave the vintage and the region off the label of an Argentine Malbec?  A dramatically under priced wine.  Apparently because of some regulatory issues, they had to leave off the vintage and region on this wine.  It’s a 2008 from Mendoza for the record.

It’s well known that Argentina makes some of the best values in the wine world, but at under $7, this has to be at the top of the heap.  It’s rich and fruity but not as ripe or syrupy as some Malbec.  I would describe this as a Bordeaux lover’s Malbec.  Tight and focused, with a particularly long finish, this wine easily shows 2-3x its price.

Argentinian Malbec is grown at exceptionally high altitudes – around 3600 feet in this case.  That makes for warm days and cool nights, which is perfect for grape growing.  The perfect climate shows through in the Calatayud Malbec.  I love to keep a case of wine around in this price range to bring to parties.  You can confidently serve it, but you won’t feel ripped off if someone pours it over ice and drinks it with a twist.  Or if it never gets opened and you awkwardly can’t take it back home with you.  You’ve been there right?

Buy Here: NV Calatayud Malbec $6.99

We’ve had a lot of requests for our favorite Malbecs, so here is mine!

Paul Hobbs has been producing highly acclaimed California wines since the early 90′s and after much success in The States, he added Argentina to his portfolio in 1999.  Since then Vina Cobos Malbec and Cabernet have earned huge scores at comparatively fantastic values, especially starting with the 2005 vintage.  This particular wine slots in the middle of Hobbs’ Argentine lineup and is, in my opinion, the best value.

Incredibly dense, inky and almost black in the glass, this wine has Malbec written all over it.  But where Paul Hobbs’ Malbec excels over many others is in the ‘finesse’ department.  Make no mistake, this is a huge, high alcohol Malbec, but subtleties manage to come through even with relatively little time in the bottle.  Give this one 2-3 more years and it’s going to be an absolute blockbuster.  I recently drank the 2005 bottling and it blew me away.  In terms of uniqueness and pure enjoyment, I’d put it against most CA Cabernets at double the price.  I have no doubt that the 2008 will turn out just as impressive.

Malbecs from Argentina have been all  the craze for the last few years, and for good reason.  They offer spectacular value and increasingly good quality from a wine region that has only recently modernized due to investment from pioneers like Paul Hobbs.

Buy Here: Paul Hobbs Bramare Vina Cobos Malbec 2008 $34.95