Tasting - El Ganador Malbec 2015

Name: El Ganador Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Vintage: 2015
Price: $12 Sale $7.95

Winery Review: 87 – Beverage Testing Institute
Garnet color. Aromas of black cherry, plum jam, rich dark soil, and violet honey with a lightly tannic, lively, dry medium-to-full body and a tingling, complex, medium-long black cherry, rich garden soil, crushed plum, and cinnamon toast finish with medium tannins and moderate oak. Dense, dark and chewy with earthy complexity, balancing the luscious jammy fruit qualities of new world with earthy qualities of old world wines.

My Review: My first taste of a big, bad Malbec was not as over-bearing as I thought it would be; in fact I really liked this wine so I bought it.  The color is as black as grapes can get I suppose.  The nose revealed a heavy black cherry with darker jamminess intertwined.  The taste was alot less tanic than I expected, only a slight step up from the Pinot Noir but with a distinct oaky toastiness.  The initial impression was graceful tannins followed by a slightly sweet jam with slight acid towards the end that gives way back to the initial impression.  Very complex and I especially liked the bit of unexpected acid as this is a baby Malbec, though that may just be my preference.  If acid is not your thing, just let it age a bit.  I will enjoy my bottle of it with a big red-meat dinner later this weekend.

Tasted without food.