Price: $7
Maker: Prestige Wine Group (importers), Princeton, MN
Varietal: Malbec
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork
Alcohol: 13%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Malbecs aren’t all that common in the crush of Cabs, Merlots, and Shirazes on the typical shelf, so we couldn’t resist giving Conquista Malbec 2005, a product of the Mendoza, the wine capital of Argentina, a try. It definitely qualifies as affordable, and we’re happy to report it’s quite drinkable, too. Its aroma is a pleasant blend of ripe berries and leather. The wine is light to medium bodied, with plummy notes blending into oak with soft tannins. If we can find a flaw in this wine, it’s that the flavor seems a bit thin despite exhibiting good structure. If you haven’t tried a Malbec, I’d compare this one to a lighter but still fruit-forward Merlot.
This is a pleasant enough wine for well under $10 – if you want to offer your guests a varietal that is a bit less common but your budget is limited, Conquista Malbec 2005 is a good choice.