by Andrew Chalk
Argentina has redefined the consumer perception of Malbec over the last decade. Sales have boomed as consumers discovered Malbec was fruit driven and red meat friendly. A leading winery in that movement has been Trapiche, based in the center of Argentine wine making, Mendoza.
The importer sent me a bottle of the 2011 Malbec ‘Oak Cask’, one of several Malbecs in the Trapiche product line. It spends nine month in a combination of French and American oak. The result of the vinification and ageing is a wine that is ruby in color and clear in clarity. The nose has notes of cedar, wood and coffee. The taste has a perceptible residual sweetness, strawberry fruit flavors and cinnamon.
Retail price: $10-$12
