Orfila, Uco Valley (Argentina) Malbec 2018

 How do you characterize a taut line of acidity that runs through a wine that isn’t overpowering, but can’t – shouldn’t – be ignored?  Done well, it holds the wine together, not only to give a crisp finish, but also to structure the fruit in the foretaste and even, seemingly, anchor the aromas as well.  “Sappy” is one way, in the sense of sap flowing through a tree.  “Piano wire” is sometimes used.  But after I had sipped this wine two or three times, another analogy came to mind: Remember the first time you heard Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” and just after Freddy Mercury’s three-stanza, a cappella chant, there is this keening chord coming out of nowhere for maybe six seconds before Brian May explodes into one of rock’s greatest guitar riffs?  Yeah, like that!  Orfila’s wines were recently introduced into the U.S., and this one certainly offers great quality for any price, especially $20.  Though not a perfect wine, this is a spirited one with rich, slightly tart blackberry and black cherry flavors with a lot of zippiness that remains after the swallow, but with enough body and fruit to contain it.