The Los Andicos Malbec 2015 is a $6.99 ALDI import exclusive sourced from vineyards in the Mendoza Province of Argentina. Mendoza produces most of the wine coming out of Argentina, it includes some of the highest altitude vineyards in the world. Because of the lofty altitudes, the vines receive hours of intense sunlight and the higher elevations keep most of the pests and diseases away from the plants. Malbec, which had been a grape widely used in Bordeaux wines (before phylloxera, a plant disease caused by aphids) made it too much of a risk to grow in great quantity. Luckily, the Malbec vines do very well in Argentina. The alcohol content is 13.5 %.
The color is a dark opaque black cherry red with a pink halo. The nose is blackberry, ripe cherry, toasty vanilla and a hint of pepper. This is a medium bodied, dry Red wine with rich fruit flavors. It tastes of plum, blackberry, cherry and a balanced mix of exotic spice. The mid-palate shows a jolt of creamy blueberry and a splash of black pepper. The tannins do not bite and the acidity is well-balanced by the body of the wine (and the body of the wine is velvety smooth). The finish is full but fades before too long.
The Los Andicos Malbec 2015 is a pretty decent 7 buck Malbec. Malbec is a grape and Argentina is a country that produces high-quality value-priced wine. There is plenty of solid competition on the wine shop shelves for good, cheap Malbec, but this unassuming ALDI’s house brand delivers a well-made wine at a very affordable price.
