The Skeleton Malbec 2014 is sourced from grapes grown in the Mendoza region of Argentina. Mendoza is located in the middle section of Argentina on the eastern side of the Andes and Mendoza produces the majority of Argentinean wine. Skeleton Malbec is part of Skeleton Wine Co. who also import a Austrian Red and White wine under the Skeleton label. The Skeleton Malbec comes in a one liter bottle, which is 1/3 larger than the typical wine bottle (750 ml). So, if you are planning a Halloween party, 3 bottles of Skeleton Malbec equal 4 standard bottles of wine. The alcohol content is 13%.
The color is dark, barely see-thru purple with an almost clear halo. The nose is fresh, ripe blackberry, with blueberry, plum and a light floral edge. This Malbec has a plush mouth-feel, ripe fruit flavors upfront with some structure and spice kicking in on the mid-palate. It starts with rich blackberry, a hit of refreshing blueberry, a little licorice and vanilla. The mid-palate adds black pepper, Altoids spice and raspberry. The tannins know their place and the acidity is in balance. The finish is fairly full and does linger for a while.
The Skeleton Malbec 2014 is a very solid, value priced Malbec, it is not one of those wines that are released around Halloween that you buy for the label and when the holiday is gone, you never consider buying again. The Skeleton Malbec brings good value in any season. This is a medium bodied, tasty Malbec with enough interesting things going on in the glass to keep you reaching for another sip. To be honest, I would probably buy any wine with skeletons on the label, but this is a skeleton wine that I would break out for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter (or a plain old Tuesday in June).
