Trivento (select) 2005 Malbec; Mendoza, Argentina $8.99
I love Malbec, and I’m always really excited when i find an awesome one for a good price. This is one of those Malbecs. It opens with nuances of strawberry jam, black pepper, plenty of dark cherry, and subtle oak. I was surprised when a great deal of oak carried over to the palate, along with a not so surprising amount of black pepper. Its got nice upfront fruit, more subtle than expected, but the balance of french oak and fruit on the finish is perfect. Technically, its medium to heavy medium bodied, but I could see it standing up nicely to some serious grilled steak, or pork. However, drink it over pizza, or a tomato sauce based dish and your going to bring out a lot more of those fruit flavors. As for cheese, definitely Smoked Gouda.

February 23rd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Thanks! I will definitely give this a try! Seeing “black pepper” in any review is usually a good sign for my tastes.
Suggestion: keeping with the Malbec theme… I recently discovered a fantastic Argentina Malbec. Check out: Tilia, 2006 Malbec. Goes for $8-$12 depending where you shop. Has a nice drawing of a tree in autumn leaves on the front
) According to the bottle, from the Argentinean region of Mendoza.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Tilia, huh? Well, it sure does look interesting, and i do love my Mendoza…; ) Best believe Ill be checking it out! Thanks for the input Adam!
February 27th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
I was recently turned-on to Malbecs, and they’ve become one of my favorites! Interestingly enough, I found a Malbec Rose that I really enjoyed. It had a full flavor, with a bit of the smooth sweet finish you might find in a semi-dry Riesling. It was a delicious find that I would highly recommend!
JELU, 2008 Malbec Rose, San Juan, Argentina. I found it for $15.
March 6th, 2010 at 6:24 am
Ohh La La, a Malbec Rose ; )