The Gaucho Club Malbec

Grape: Malbec

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2007

Price: $9.99

In the glass: Gaucho Club Malbec is a deep semi-opaque garnet-red color with a firm red core going out into a slightly tinged rim definition and medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: There is an immediate whiff of freshly baked cherry pie, fruit tart and blueberry coulis, followed by phenols, red ripe fruits, crushed ripe red plum skins, some herbs and hints of sweet tobacco and earth-driven minerals over oak references.

On the palate: The wine shows soft, ripe red and spicy black cherry fruit, quite pure black currant character, Morrello cherry juice and hints of oak right behind the fruit. It comes across clean and nicely balanced with the fruits through the midpalate, showing nice tannin structure. The finish is medium-long and has hints of earthy minerality, tobacco and licorice root.

Odds and ends: Argentina continues to be a world leader in producing some of the greatest wines for the money, and Gaucho Club Malbec is no exception. In fact, malbec has energized the Argentinean wine business because it is such a good value. It has won the hearts and minds of bargain-hunting U.S. consumers in particular. This is a real gaucho wine, so it loves to be paired with some Argentinean beef on the grill medium-rare with just a nip of sea salt and crushed pepper.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.