2006 Gascon Malbec

Price: $11
Maker: Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon, Argentina
Varietal: Malbec
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, synthetic cork
Alcohol: 14.2%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Gascon Malbec 2006 is packaged with a simple but elegant label and what looks like a composite cork. Its nose is an enticing blend of spice, vanilla, and berries. This Malbec is full bodied and relatively high in alcohol content, but it’s not a fruit bomb. Cherry and raspberry notes blend with a hint of chocolate, oak, and rather prominent tannins for a long-lasting and dry finish.

This seems to be the only Gascon wine available in the U.S. The Gascon website has but a single page of content, and it’s devoted to their 2006 Malbec. The parent company seems to have some additional products; oddly, their website seems to offer both English and Spanish options, but the language links are broken.