Bacchus
Malbec left home a long time ago, at a time when it was less than appreciated. Plantings were being reduced in Bordeaux, as well as being ripped up to be replaced by stronger siblings with more character. So malbec headed south, far , far south to a land of dry heat, cattle, and the tango. South to a land where Spanish was the dominant tongue, and Italian immigrants shaped the cultural landscape. It was here that pioneers like Pascual Toso started what was to be eventually considered a serious wine region. And here, among the miscellaneous ampelogical misfits, malbec found it’s new home.
The wild landscape and dry heat favored malbec, and after a few years, it flourished. Malbec took root with no worry of shatter or rot, and in this distant land, it was out of reach of the deadly louse that reeked so much havok at home. So, without fear of phyloxera, malbec was kept on its original rootstock, limiting yields and producing more concentrated fruit. It was here in Argentina that malbec had the freedom to grow strong enough to produce a wine on its own. No longer third row in a symphony of the bordelais, malbec was now a solo artist. With a few years working out and personal training under Paul Hobbs at Vina Cobos, malbec grew into something so big, it made it’s French counterpart stare in wonder the way young Austrian children gaze at Schwarzenneger.
Now, after proving itself abroad, malbec is slowly getting the respect it deserves. So much would have been missed if this journey had not been taken. Wines of deep purple hues, rich with anthocyanin coupled with bouquets of chocolate and dark plum. Mouth wrapping supple tannins that slowly coat the tongue. Surprisingly beautiful, and refreshingly affordable wines.
One of these wines is Crios by Susana Bilbao. Bilbao is an outstanding winemaker who has been making wine since 1981 and this is a great example of her prowess. Big delicious fruit, with well tamed tannin and enough acidity to make the next sip as delicious as the last. The wine retails for around fifteen dollars and it’s worth every penny. There are less expensive Malbecs out there and some are very good but none of them deliver like this wine.
