Colores del Sol Malbec

Wine: Colores del Sol Malbec.

Grape: Malbec

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2010

Price: $8.99

In the glass: Colores del Sol Malbec is a completely opaque dense purplish color with a pitch-black core going out into a deep violet rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose: A lot of pungent notes jump out of the glass, but predominantly black fruit character with crushed black cherries, bramble, warm blueberry pie, spices, licorice, pepper and hints of coffee grounds, mocha and dark chocolate over soft minerals.

On the palate: This wine certainly makes an entrance with a massive concentration of black-peppered fruit, cherry crush, sloe fruit and loads of licorice-laden berries. The acidity is quite striking, because it creates a great melange with the fruit and the tannins through the midpalate, thereby giving the wine a powerful backbone and a good sense of balance. It carries through to the finish, which lingers for a good 20-plus seconds with hints of toast, coffee and anise.

Odds and ends: Colores del Sol, which means colors of the sun, is from vineyards in the Mendoza, which is known as the largest area of vineyards planted in the world. There are many elevations that incorporate into the Mendoza, but this wine comes from some of the highest planted ones -- all above 3,000 feet -- giving the wine a dry and exotic touch, whereas malbec from the valley floor can be more fruity and less complex. The bottle further stands out for its pretty packaging. Argentina continues to produce top class, good value wines and this Colores del Sol is no exception . Because of its relative youth, open the wine a good hour before serving. Try it with a tri-tip cut of grilled meat. Drink it now through 2015.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.