Did you see all of the CRAZY World Malbec Day celebrations on April 17th?  People in the streets, parades, free wine tastings, fireworks and food?  No?  You didn’t?  Neither did I.

World Malbec Day sounds like a holiday made up by some trade association tasked with promoting this delicious wine varietal that’s doing a fine job promoting itself.  It’s kind of like boss’s day.  Nice idea, but do we really need another holiday?

Now that I’ve gone on an Andy Rooney style rant about how stupid the holiday is, I have to admit that I actually drank a Malbec on Sunday.  Hypocritical I know, but I’v been wanting to try this one and Sunday was as good as any other day that ends in “y”.  It’s not my fault it happened to be World Malbec Day.

The 2009 BenMarco Malbec is as good as this grape gets for $15.  It’s aged in 50% new French oak (roughly $1000 per barrel), which makes you wonder how they can afford to sell it for this price.   This wine is made by Susana Balbo, who is taking Argentina by storm right now (remember Crios?).  The nose is sweet and fragrant with nice vanilla oak overtones, but the most impressive part of this Malbec is the texture.  It’s silky and has the signature of a truly world class wine.  This is a compelling argument for bottling red wines without fining or filtration.

Argentine Malbec seems to get better with every vintage and if this wine is any indication, 2009 is looking really good.  Maybe World Malbec Day isn’t that silly after all…

Buy Here: 2009 BenMarco Malbec $14.95

Wine Advocate 91 points

“Blended with 10% Bonarda; spice box, incense, lavender, black cherry; rich, plush palate.”

Of note, this wine also received 90 points from Wine and Spirits and 89 from Stephen Tanzer

It’s well known at this point that some of the best values in the world are coming out of Argentina.  Argentine Malbec (or is it Argentinian? I never really know) and, to an increasing extent, their Cabernet over deliver in a major way especially when compared to what’s happening in Napa and France.  But, in the under $30 price range, I’ve found many of the wines to be somewhat one dimensional, with some of the Cabernet having some green notes.

That all changed with Finca Decero’s Cabernet Sauvignon Remolinos Vineyard.  When I took the first sip after splashing it into a decanter, all I could think about is how much it reminds of the 2005 Chateau La Vieille Cure, the 93 point Bordeaux I wrote up last month.  The complexity and rich mouthfeel are impressive, and while ripe, it avoids the sweetness of a California Cabernet, tasting more like a Bordeaux.  I could really taste a sense of place with this wine as well.  It’s from a single vineyard sitting at 3500 feet in the foothills of the Andes.  I had to include this spectacular picture of the winery because I think it will make drinking this wine that much more enjoyable.

Decero means ‘from scratch’ and this handpicked, handmade wine, aged in 30% new French Oak would cost 3-4x if produced in the United States.  It sells for over $20 at many retailers, but LA Wine Company has it for $13.95, which appears to be the lowest price in the country.  How a wine of this quality can be made at that price is beyond me, but drink up while it’s available!

Buy Here: 2007 Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon Remolinos Vineyard

Wine Spectator 90 points

“Rock-solid, with a juicy, muscular core of blackberry, black currant and fig fruit pushed by bacony toast and a lush, hoisin sauce-tinged finish. Has heft, but balanced too. Drink now through 2011. 1,500 cases imported.”

Wine Advocate 90 points

“Aromas of Asian spices, violets, black currants, and blackberry; smooth-textured, some elegance.”

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

Mendoza Malbec has been really hyped in recent years because it’s a somewhat familiar wine to Napa Cabernet or Bordeaux fans and often comes at a much lower price.  As values for domestic Cabernet get harder and harder to find, Argentine Malbec is a great alternative, and the 2007 Pannunzio Malbec is absolutely incredible for the price.

This wine pours an exceptionally deep purple and has fantastic aromas that jump out of the glass.  It tastes thick and rich, in typical Malbec style, but avoids the syrupy sweet taste that some Malbec displays. The texture is really the highlight of this wine.  I can’t believe they can make wine like this for under $10.   I recently drank one of Paul Hobbs’ single vineyard Malbecs and was blown away, but this is 90% as good for 15% of the price!

There are no ratings on this wine so you’ll have to trust me when I say that this could be the best red wine I’ve ever had under the $10 mark.  It’s my understanding that the 2007 vintage is almost sold out, so buy this one while you can!  As far as I can tell, LA Wine Co. is the only retailer in the U.S. carrying it.

Buy Here: 2007 Pannunzio Malbec- $8.99