The 2024 Vástago de Gea Malbec from Mendoza arrives with the usual back-label poetry, including the helpful observation that the wine is “ruby colored with purple hints.” Purple hints? Like someone took it to the salon and asked for grape-colored highlights? I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean, but I appreciated the visual. Somewhere in Argentina, a winemaker is apparently giving their wine a stylish makeover.
First taste was… fine. Not bad, not amazing, just hanging out in the middle of the road. Medium puckeryishness. (That’s tannins for people who swirl their glass while saying things like “mouthfeel”). Medium jammyness, medium body. It wasn’t one of those Malbecs that comes in swinging with giant fruit and tannins like a WWE wrestler. Just a decent red doing its job. Think dependable coworker, not office superstar.
Night two was actually a little better. Smoother, slightly more jammy, and overall a little more relaxed after some time in the bottle. I paired it with a frozen parmigiana, because apparently I was feeling fancy but not too fancy. The wine and the parm got along just fine—nobody stole the spotlight.
At $6.99, this is one of those wines that makes sense in today’s economy where a Sunday roast cost as much as a used Honda. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s perfectly drinkable, won’t embarrass you in front of dinner guests, and gets bonus points for the imaginary purple highlights.
