Valentin Bianchi (San Rafael, Mendoza) “Enzo Bianchi” 2012 ($55, Quintessential): Everybody in the wine trade knows that red wines from Argentina “over-deliver,” but far from everybody knows that this is good news at lower price points…but bad news at higher ones.
To be clear, Malbec from Argentina priced around $12 retail delivers lots of flavor without much tannin, and the wines are extremely consistent thanks to a very sunny, dry climate (caused by the “rain shadow” cast by the Andes). This explains their phenomenal commercial success.
However, when it comes to higher-priced “statement wines” from Argentina, “over-delivering” usually means too much of everything: Too much ripeness, too much sweetness, too much alcohol, too much oak…all at the cost of complexity and versatility at the table.
With that noted, this wine stands as a terrific exception to the rule.
Granted, it doesn’t look like one, as it is packaged in a super-heavy bottle with an ornate label adorned with four Cherubs (which are–for those not 
schooled in art history—winged, naked baby angels), and two of the Cherubs are actually blowing trumpets (not generally a harbinger of subtlety and restraint).
Yet, get this wine into a glass and it shows outstanding class and complexity, with intricate aromas, layered flavors, subtle oak, and moderate alcohol. The blend offers some insight into the wine’s performance: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 7% Malbec. Everybody is supposed to salute Malbec as Argentina’s best variety, and at lower price levels it often is, but I find that Cabernet shows more structure and less gooey ripeness. Despite the fact that I was against this from the start based looks alone, I absolutely loved the wine, which out-performs “statement wines” from Argentina costing twice as much. 95 Points
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