Great Wine Values: Argento Malbec Mendoza, Argentina

Malbec is a French grape — a close cousin of merlot, in fact — but very little is grown in Europe. The vast majority of the world's malbec vines are in western Argentina, in high-desert plateaus and foothills that are drier and sunnier than its native zone on France's Atlantic coast, allowing this grape to ripen more fully

and to yield darker, stronger red wines. The low land and labor costs of the Argentine Mendoza region have made its deep purple malbecs an affordable staple for decades, particularly in the most slurpable price tier below $10. However, this variety is capable of making superior wines when it is farmed and crafted with more care, as with this splurgier bottling from Argento. This producer's wines feature more food-friendly sensibilities than most bargain brands. Its fresh berry-cherry flavors bring together both red and black fruits with a vibrant tang. Malbec's signature scent of violets is on display, but is also joined by a thread of earthier and more savory aromatics, reminiscent of a classic roasted beet salad.

Great Wine Values: Argento Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, $12.99 (regularly $15.99, sale price through Sunday.) PLCB Item #6779