Malbec may be one of the five classic Bordeaux grapes, but Argentinian winemakers have made it their own. There is some eminently drinkable and reasonably priced Malbec from Argentina. In a recent trip to Bevmo, we saw Lalande Malbec in their 5c sale; which made the cost $8.95 per bottle. (The regular retail is $18.95) We purchased a couple of bottles to see if this was one of those great bargains.
The nose when the bottle was first opened was a muted mix of floral notes with hints of raspberry. After ninety minutes the smell intensified but gained no further complexity.
The flavour was of blackberry and cinnamon, but with no great intensity. The finish was wrapped in a layer of tannins, but the fruit was still present. The second glass, taken ninety minutes later, had the fruit notes further forward and the finish lingered longer in the mouth.
In summary, Lalande is an enjoyable sub $10 bottle showing the spice characteristics one expects from Malbec. It is worth trying but is not one of the truly great Malbec bargains that we have found.
