From: Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: 100% Malbec
Taste: Delicate, balanced and round. There is an intense presence of bright red ruby color in the glass, followed by notes of plums and dark raspberries with touches of vanilla bean, dried herb, and chocolate. Rounded tannins with a strong aftertaste of dark fruits and tobacco lead to a lengthy finish in the mouth.
It’s important to note that Malbec from Argentina tends to be less tannic than those found in Southwestern France. These New World versions are often lower in acidity, juicy, and full of blackberry nuances. Malbec is typically quite full-bodied and inky and contains medium-high tannins. Some Malbec not only pack black & blue fruit notes, but they can be surprisingly spicy, smoky, and even have leather-esque nuances. This particular Malbec is a fantastic meeting point for both styles. This flavor complexity allows for an equally complex blend of food pairing options.
Pairing: This versatile Malbec pairs with everything from easy takeout like burgers, gyros, teriyaki, and beef rice bowls to dishes that require more prep. These can range from pork loin, St. Louis pork ribs, Cuban-styled lechon, lean brisket, and duck to dark-meat turkey. For an amazing vegetarian pairing, go with dishes heavy with beans and rice! Or, the amount of spice here works amazingly well matched with vegetarian Indian dishes, too. Check out our recommended pairing below for an easy-to-make meatball staple lathered in the Argentinian classic chimichurri.
Chimichurri Meatballs
By Ali Slagle
Updated Jan. 22, 2024
About. The viticultural history of the Correas family began in 1860 when Don Segundo Correas built the family’s first winery in Mendoza. For many decades, beginning in the 1930’s, led by Julian Correas, the family was notorious for producing some of Mendoza’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Luis Segundo Correas, the third generation of his family to craft Argentine wine, continues to build on this history at the humble winery space he built in the mid-1970s. All wines here are estate-grown, and their “El Cipres” Malbec is a go-to value for us that simply can’t be beaten.
The winery is situated in Mendoza, Medrano, in the “Valle de las Acequias,” a valley of water canals. It’s called Valley of the Canals because in the 1800s, there was no possibility of extracting water from 180 mts deep, so the water comes from the snow melt of the Andes using channels. Also, nearby are two of the major rivers, Tunuyan and Mendoza, improving the thermal amplitude between day and night, which is excellent for growing grapes.
They produce their grapes in 400 hectares of vineyards distributed in 9 states in Medrano and Barrancas de Maipú, all with traditional watering systems from the snow melt. They believe that the quality of the wines begins in the vineyards and that good grapes make great wines. The vineyards, some of which are 85 years old, are under the care of agronomist Julian Correas, who controls the productivity of the vines to ensure consistent quality. Also, with years of experience transmitted by generations, he designs the pruning (of the leaves and early bunches on the vines) to obtain the maximum results from the vine’s fruit. He supervises the stripping of the leaves to get the right amount of sun and the strictest sanitary control of each of the vines. With all this, he defines which of those clusters, due to its position and quality, will remain waiting (on the vine) for the right time to mature. Taking all of this into account, he then decides when to harvest.
