Crios Malbec is a name most red wine drinkers have run across once or twice. Produced by Susana Balbo in Mendoza, Argentina, the wine is inexpensive, usually scores in the 86-88 point range, and represents a pretty typical profile of what Malbec is all about. Generally a pretty safe bet as a good wine for the money, we’ll take a look here at the 2011 version, which we sampled last August (yes, we are way behind in our reviews –clearly too much wine in our house). You’ll find this is pretty consistent juice, so I would expect the 2012 and 2013 to be very similar. We’ll verify that of course!
Wine: 2011 Crios Malbec Winery Location: Mendoza, Argentina
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: August 2014
Tasting Notes: Dark purple/red out of the bottle, the wine presents an explosive nose of dark fruits with earthy tones, spice and oak. There’s a lot going on. On the palate this is full bodied and remains complex. Black cherry dominates, in an almost macerated, cherry syrup flavor. This is jammy juice. There are hints of currant, spice and some savory aspects too. A little earthy funk, so typical at the back end of a Malbec, comes through here. It was better after sitting in the glass for an hour. Overall this is a pretty amazing inexpensive wine.
Price Point – You can find this for just over $10, might be a little more.
Would We Buy It? – At $10-$12 this is an absolute no brainer. It’s got depth and complexity and presents far above its modest price point. We’re adding it to the value list in the $10-$20 range.
This is a good, staple, delicious wine for the money. If you like Malbec you’ll really like this value. Some people don’t like Malbec, in fact some people REALLY don’t like Malbec, but that seems to be the exception. Give it a try.
A votre sante!
I am going to find out where I can buy it because, in general, I like Malbec.
Let us know how you like it!