Bottoms Up

If there’s one thing I like in a wine, it is over delivery. Diseno winemaker Alejandro Wainer has a reputation for going above and beyond, but this vintage of their signature Malbec stands above the others.

Maybe it was the water, which flows from melted glaciers into mountain rivers, enriching the vineyard soil with minerals. Or maybe it was that this particular autumn in Mendoza was the driest in 10 years. Maybe it was the addition of more old vine fruit in this vintage than in previous vintages.

The 2009 Malbec, which bears a fancy new label with a silver Diseno crest, is rich without being raunchy. On the nose, it has cherry tobacco aromas that translate into mocha-dipped blueberries on the palate. The finish is surprisingly long, and thanks to an acidity rarely found in big red wines, the 14.5 percent alcohol is hardly detectable.

All of this for $10.99. Check it out.