Deep ruby color; red plum, blackberry, cherry, plum, chocolate, oak, vanilla, earthy minerals, smoke, spice on the nose and palate.
Dry; soft, rounded tannins, medium acidity. Medium body. Very approachable, very amiable on your palate. Fruit forward, but genteel, pleasant fruitiness in the mouth dominates the taste impression. Argentine malbec is quintessentially a fulrum between malbec and cabernet sauvignon, and this is exactly that. The tannins are amenable, the acidity helpful to the overall impression, the fruit is rich and delicious. Interestingly, there is no ABV on the label or website. It likely is 14% ABV
Grapes come from vineyards at least 25 years old at elevations from 3,000 to nearly 4,000 feet. Hand-harvested fruit. There is a lengthy maceration. Wine ages in oak for 14 moths. The fruit comes from older vines, thus lower yields. The extended oak aging. The combination makes a wine that drinks like a reserva at an excellent price point.
Trapiche is one of the oldest brands in Argentina (established in 1883) and is Argentina’s largest exporter of premium wines, selling in more than 80 countries. The winery produces wine in all price ranges. Many Trapiche grapes go into grape concentrate, which helps make Argentina the leading grape concentrate producer in the world.
The Argentine Bemberg family purchased the winery in 2010 from the Penaflor Group/Pulenta family, keeping ownership and control in Argentina. Trapiche has almost 3,000 vineyard acres in the foothills of the Andes Mountains and purchases additional fruit from more than 200 independent growers. It has a dramatically beautiful winery and tasting room.
In the U.S., Trapiche is distributed by The Wine Group LLC, based in Livermore, California. Other brands in The Wine Group portfolio include Chloe, Big House Wine Company, Cupcake, Franzia, Almaden, Corbett Canyon, Concannon, MD 20/20, and others. So this should have wide availability.
Trapiche Broquel Selected Barrel Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2021 is rich, spicy, dark fruit easy drinker. Good balance of tannins, acidity, and malbec fruitiness—no excesses. Drinks like a reserva wine. Excellent, affordable example of Argentina’s signature grape. Pair with roast lamb; beef—beef stew; pork; stuffed bell peppers; pasta with mushroom sauce. Cheese—asiago, muenster, gouda, brie, gorgonzola, camembert, cheddar. $11-15