The Evanta Malbec 2019 is a $4.49 Aldi exclusive sourced from vineyards in Argentina’s Mendoza region. Considering that Aldi had to pay an importer and ship the wine from Argentina, this Malbec falls well within Charles Shaw/Two Buck Chuck range.
The Evanta Malbec 2019 is a store brand (Aldi), and store brands have price advantages over standard retail wines. No marketing and advertising, along with paying for the wine upfront, all contribute to lower costs. I sometimes think that there is not any way that a wine this cheap can be good. More often than not, I am pleasantly surprised at the quality of super cheap wine.
Then I am reminded that people from countries with a wine tradition where they have a bottle of wine with every lunch and dinner rarely pay more than a few euros for the wine.
That is something that I, as a somewhat typical wine drinker, forgets. A wine that enhances the daily meal, that has those characteristics to improve the meal, do not always work well as a sipping wine.
Not all wine is produced for the same purpose; a food wine and a wine made for sipping or an alternative to beer or a cocktail can be the same but do not have to be. I have yet to taste the Evanta Malbec 2019, but very inexpensive wine does far better as a food wine than expected.
Mendoza in Argentina is generally excellent for Malbec, and decent grapes to produce a young, inexpensive wine should be plentiful. Finding room in the budget for a $4.49 wine is nearly impossible—some oak flavoring is generally expected in a bottle of Red wine.
The Malbec grape has plenty of tannins, and tannins can add the texture and structure that replaces some of what oak aging provides. A Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot without oak flavoring can seem somehow off. A Malbec without oak is ok; added oak is good but not mandatory.
I do not have any details concerning the production of the Evanta Malbec 2019. At the $4.49 price point, I imagine the main production detail was “keep it simple.” The alcohol content is 13.9%.
Evanta Malbec 2019 Tasting Notes
The color is a dark, opaque black cherry red. The nose is blackberry, slightly smokey, a hint of mint, lightly herbal, and black coffee. The nose is interesting, and it makes you look forward to taking a sip.
The Evanta Malbec 2019 has a rich flavor; it is not complex, but it is tasty. It tastes blackberry, toasty vanilla, and an oak barrel flavor that is not expected in a $4.49 wine. How the oak flavoring got into the wine does not necessarily indicate that oak barrels are used. But at this price, the added flavor is appreciated.
There isn’t a mid-palate; what is upfront runs along the whole body of the wine. The continuation of flavor shows black pepper, light spice, and tart cranberry.
The tannins are soft and sweet, while the acidity is balanced.
The Summary
- In a blind tasting, you would never guess the Evanta Malbec 2019 sells for $4.49.
- It would pair well with pizza, burgers, or good carry-out food.
