We came across this new Malbec in the Costco wine aisle and figured we'd give it a shot. The price was right at $9.99. A quick search shows online prices ranging from $13-$17 so it appears to be a good Costco price.
The wine is predominantly Malbec (90%) but also contains 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and as the Costco placard indicated, this bottle received a nice 93 point rating from Wine Enthusiast. So we were curious how it would stack up for $10.
The wine started a bit closed on the initial pour so give this one a little time. After some swirling, it started to show itself a bit more and improved over the next 20-30 minutes.
It is a dark ruby on the pour with aromas of spice, cigar box and dark fruit; in the mouth, flavors are blueberry, blackberry, black licorice; the wine is medium plus in body with good acidity; finishes nice.
All around a solid Malbec find for $10. We can't go as far as WE at 93 points, but we feel this one definitely lands in the high 80's. Certainly a wine we'd recommend, and it fits nicely among many of the other Costco Malbecs we've tasted recently, and rated in the same range.
We're still leaning towards the Chento Malbec as a recent favorite, so keep an eye out for any of those bottles that might be lingering around.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 points
Costco item number: 1502885
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Cumberland)
Alc. 14.0%
Andrew says
I think Malbec "had its moment" several years back, so there's now a glut of options available at lower price points. Most are perfectly drinkable and, like the Natal, show a bit of complexity. Wine Enthusiast always seems to be a few points higher than Spectator and the like. This was a great QPR in the context of everyday go-to bottles. Deserving of high 80s to be sure, but that 93 from WE is ridiculous.
Brian B says
In my opinion, Casa Natal outperforms Norton and is a match for Catena, both of which are more expensive options.
Eugene says
Nothing special but not offensive like some 10 dollar wines.
Why does WE give mediocre wines such high scores. Has anyone ever heard that WE ratings are for sale?