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The Cuy Natural Malbec 2022 is a $9.99 wine at Trader Joe’s. Santa Julia Winery, part of the Zuccardi Wines family of brands, makes it. Zuccardi and Santa Julia are top-notch wine producers who make excellent quality wine. One of their wines may not be made in your style, but the vineyards and the production will be excellent.
The Cuy Natural Malbec 2022 is not listed on the Santa Julia website and they have another Natural Malbec in their portfolio, which leads me to think this may be a wine produced especially for Trader Joe’s.
I found an internet wine seller from Belgium who sells this wine for about $16 to $17, they also had a little technical information. The organic grapes come from the Uco Valley in Argentina and this wine was aged in stainless steel tanks.
In the Andes, a Cuy is a type of Guinea pig and they are not kept as pets, they are on the menu and are said to be a culinary treat.
The Cuy Natural Malbec 2022 is certified organic, estate-grown and produced, Vegan-friendly, and has no sulfites added. No sulfites added does not mean there are no sulfites, sulfites are natural to wine. It means additional sulfites were not added as a preservative. The alcohol content is 13.5%. The wine also is enclosed in wax which is something seldom seen in this price range.
The Cuy Natural Malbec 2022 Tasting Notes
The color is an opaque black cherry red. The nose is ripe and juicy, there are scents of blueberry, spice, cherry, light sweet herbs, and a floral edge. The Cuy Natural Malbec 2022 is a very tasty wine, not complex but the flavors have surprising depth.
This Malbec tastes like blueberry, cassis, (not sweet) candy spice, and ripe plum. The mid-palate adds some intrigue with strong tea, a slap of exotic spice, and pomegranate.
The tannins are smooth, and the acidity does its job well.
The Summary
- The Cuy Natural Malbec 2022 is a fun wine to drink, fruit-forward, but with balance.
- An organic $9.99 wine from a top producer is a bargain!
