A most interesting ‘bec: blue-purple at the rim with a dark ruby core. Light and extremely fruity in the nose, bright raspberry and strawberry headed firmly into Jolly-Rancher territory, an almost *natural-wine* unseriousness from what most of us are accustomed to being a rather concentrated, rich variety.
Tasting it aligns well with the bouquet: delicate and light, the fruitiness a high note of acidic berry and saccharine with compelling–and comforting–dark bitterness splattered about. But it never goes dark: the structure maintains a powdery potency the expolsive fruitiness over-powers well. Approached as a light, quaffable, un-specific “Red Wine” a full 1 or 2 points lower in alcohol, it has its yummy points–but as “Malbec” it waters-back most expectations. It *could* settle down a bit with age, but there’s a sweetness and unsophistication voting otherwise.
2020 ARIANNA WINES Malbec Paicines AVA San Benito County California 14.3
Stephen McConnell 