2015 Dona Paula Estate Malbec

TGIF!  It's been a long week, and tonight it's supposed to get down into the 50s which means that it's perfect patio campfire weather!  So of course with a nice campfire, we need to have a nice bottle of wine and tonight it's one I recently picked up at Costco, the 2015 Dona Paula Estate Malbec from the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina.  I have been a fan of Dona Paula for a while, and they make some exceptional Malbec at ridiculously bargain prices, so let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep purple color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, typical of the varietal.  The nose presents a lovely cascade of earthy aromas, green grass, earthy peat over ripe red fruit notes of cherry, raspberry and strawberry.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, but somewhat subdued, with a rush of strawberry and cherry that transitions to some earthy notes of leather and tobacco intermingled with white pepper spice.  The tannins are well structured, providing a nice backbone for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderful Argentine Malbec and a terrific value for just $10.  Like the Gauchos of Mendoza, this wine needs a steak, which is a good thing as I'm enjoying this one with a rare grilled prime ribcap, along with some grilled rainbow carrots and baby bok choy.  Cheers!