The 2010 Trapiche Varietals Malbec is sourced from several vineyards in the Mendoza grape growing region of Argentina. Trapiche was founded in 1883, in 2002 they were purchased by a US investment bank and their facilities were updated at that time, Trapiche is the leading exporter of Argentinean wines. The Trapiche line includes 11 different Malbecs (they offer a full line of other varietal wines, too), at all price points and the Varietals Malbec is one of their entry level wines, I found it selling for under 7 bucks. The grapes are hand harvested, and the technical notes mention, “Subtle contact with oak,” when they do not mention casks or oak barrels, that usually indicates that oak chips or barrel staves were added to the wine as it fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. This is an economical method for giving the wine oak flavoring, but not oak aging potential. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is dark ruby red with blue/black highlights. The nose is black cherry and plum, along with gingerbread spice and Wrigley’s spearmint gum. It starts with blackberry juice, tart cranberry and plum, juicy and smooth. The mid palate adds some texture and a bit of a rougher edge with white pepper, blueberry and light curry spice. The tannins do not get in the way and the acidity is abundant enough to help this Malbec pair well with grilled meats. The finish is the dark berries and a touch of spice, it starts off strong but fades a little too soon.
The Trapiche Varietals Malbec is a solid, “no issues,” value priced wine, for a couple of bucks more I prefer the Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec, but that is personal preference and no knock on the Varietals Malbec. The Trapiche Varietals Malbec is a fruit forward, smooth and easy to drink Malbec, with just enough spice to keep things interesting. I am amazed at the quality of the wine that the best Argentinean winemakers produce at such a reasonable price.
