Valentin Bianchi, San Rafael, Mendoza (Argentina) 2012

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 — flying, 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 on looks alone, I absolutely loved the wine, which out-performs “statement wines” from Argentina costing twice as much.