Two facts conspire to keep Argentinian wines nice and affordable: consumers still don’t think of South America as a high end wine area (which is wrong), and there is an ongoing effort to prop up Argentina’s monetary system.
The High Note Malbec ($12) is from the Valle de Uco, a famous winemaking area south of Mendoza along the western border of Argentina. The winery is owned by the Catena family (similar in Argentina to the Mondavi family in the United States).
This wine carries the full list of Malbec’s positives. It is dark red and well-extracted with a dense mouthfeel and exploding dark fruit flavors reminiscent of blackberries, cassis, and cherries. High Note’s Malbec carries a soft feel because the tannins are very fine and gentle, yet there is still a touch of black pepper on the finish. We had it with braised beef short ribs and a thick reduction sauce. The wine not only stood up to the power of the dish, but it also boasts enough mouth-cleansing acidity to cut through the sauce. High Note’s Malbec is a stunning bargain and worth searching out.
This article appears in February 7 • 2020.
