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The Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Malbec 2020 Aldi is a $5 Aldi wine imported from Argentina. The $5 price tag may be unique to my local Aldi, the wine seems to normally sell for $7 or $8.
Wine from Argentina typically will show a vineyard location even if it is as general as the Mendoza Valley which is the location of the vast majority of the country’s wineries. So the Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Malbec 2020 Aldi is sourced from all over Argentina.
The interesting fact about the Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Malbec 2020 Aldi is it has been aged in used bourbon barrels. Bourbon barrels are different from wine barrels in a few specifics. Bourbon barrels use American oak staves and the inside of bourbon barrels are charred by fire. A wine barrel can be American or European oak (they are two different species, with American oak having a more open grain), and wine barrels a toasted by flame, to charred.
Bourbon whiskey typically has 40% or more alcohol and the charred wood gives a more extreme oak influence. Wine is seldom above 15% alcohol and the toasted oak offers more subtle flavors of spice, vanilla, and chocolate depending on the type of oak and level of the toast.
Used bourbon barrels, since they have been used for aging bourbon for 1 to 3 years and possibly more are less expensive than wine barrels. Barrels from famous whiskey makers can be expensive but a used bourbon barrel can be affordable. Bourbon must, by law be aged in new oak barrels, so used barrels are of no use to the distillery.
The Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Malbec 2020 Aldi will show decidedly different oak flavors from a Malbec aged in wine barrels. But a bourbon barrel that has aged whiskey for three years has a limited amount of oak influence to give. A new charred whiskey barrel would over-power the wine flavors, but a well-used bourbon barrel will simply add none typical flavors. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Malbec 2020 Aldi Tasting Notes
The color is dark black cherry red. The nose is ripe cherry, cherry wood BBQ smoke, red licorice, caramel, spice, french vanilla, and perfumed flowers. The Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Malbec 2020 Aldi is a fun wine with an explosion of flavor.
This Malbec tastes like blackberry, cherry cough drops, black pepper, caramel, and black cherry. The mid-palate brings a little creamy vanilla, raisin, and blueberry. The tannins are smooth and the acidity does its job well.
The Summary
- The Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Malbec 2020 Aldi may not be a great Malbec but it sure is fun to drink.
- This is a sipping wine, it would pair with BBQ ribs or chicken but is best suited for sipping.
- A killer wine for $5.
