“Malbado” means “the bad one,” but this Mendoza Malbec actually wasn’t so bad. I pulled it from my strategic wine reserve (that is, the rack full of old Total Wine bottles) to uncork in the middle of a winter storm.
Yes, this is a Total Wine private label wine with all the tell-tale signs: Big heavy bottle (it weighs 24.4 ounces empty), silly “foreign” name, $20-ish price point, and a monochromatic etching on the label that makes it look like it could belong to a certain famous Argentine producer (but it doesn’t). Total Wine used to feature this Malbec at their South America-themed classes and in-store tastings a few years ago, and that’s probably when I bought it.
But never mind the where and why–I’m snowed in and thirsty. Let’s pour it up!
A deep ruby hue with some color variegation (purple core and lightly brick-ish rim). A pronounced nose of ripe black fruits with a hint of baking spices and chocolate. Right behind the first wave (berries ‘n oak) is an umami tsunami of grilled steak, grilled tomato, and kale. Toasted grain (Cheerios), sweet almond, cooked dark cherries/plums and a whiff of smoke or flint. It smells pretty great and it sure looks thick and sturdy, swirling languidly and clinging to the sides of the glass.
Hips don’t lie–and neither do legs, I guess. Because the Malbado Malbec tastes even warmer than its 14.5% ABV admits to. It has hugely prominent alcohol–so much that I’d go so far as to call it unbalanced. I actually like big, boozy wines, and I choked on the first sip like a freshman doing a keg stand.
On the palate, it’s dry and full (mostly due to its high-octane format) with medium acidity and a medium-minus finish. There’s not a lot of flavor intensity here–dried black cherries, freestone plum, and a fruit-pit nuttiness with velvety medium tannins. (Those almonds maybe used to be violets, but they’re faded now.) The savory, meaty aromas persist through every sip, and some light cedar/tobacco notes develop as it sits. But the act of drinking it doesn’t add much that’s not already evident on the nose.
As this bottle has languished at home since probably 2021–I don’t drink nearly as much Malbec as I used to–I think it has benefited from some bottle age. It’s powerful, smooth, and rather pleasant to drink once you get over the initial ethanol shock. But it’s already suffering from a disappointing lack of fruit. Check your cabinets, and if you’re hanging on to the 2019 then it’s time to make yourself a hearty dinner and drink up.
Bottle: Malbado Luján de Cuyo Malbec (2019) – Mendoza, Argentina
Variety: Malbec (100%, probably? Total Wine never tells.)
ABV: 14.5%
Suggested retail: $19.99
My rating: 8.1 (out of 10)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
Leave a Comment