Coen, Uco Valley (Mendoza, Argentina) Malbec 2020

 Full disclosure: I’m prejudiced against Malbec because all too often it produces a plodding, hit-you-over-the-head red wine.  But, that’s why you keep tasting.  This one does not fit my prejudicial paradigm.  It’s a big wine, to be sure, but balanced and, most importantly, fresh.  By that I mean, it’s lively, not plodding.  It delivers the usual array of ripe black fruit flavors but there’s some elegance here — the modest 13.6 percent stated alcohol likely accounts for part of that — and a lovely floral component.  It’s another one for drinking with robust fare this fall and winter.