Alamos Malbec Mendoza 2013: Plenty of plum, some blackberry from 90% malbec grapes, twist of pepper and dark cherry from 6% syrah, hint of blackcurrant tang from 4% bonarda; bold, but smooth easy drinker with refined tannin, toasty oak that is not overdone, balancing acidity, chip of chocolate on the finish. Medium body, balanced, tasty; classic affordable malbec from famously dependable maker. Mendoza wine region accounts for two-thirds of Argentina’s wine production; it is semi-arid desert (eight-inch annual rainfall), so vines are irrigated with meltwater from Andes to the west; some of the water is delivered by canals dating from the 1500s. With vineyard elevations ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 feet, Mendoza is one of the world’s enchanting, magical wine regions. $13
