Kirkland Signature Malbec 2014

Costco has had the Kirkland Signature Malbec 2014 from Mendozza Argentina in the stores for several months. I blogged about the 2012 version of this wine back in February 2014 and I liked it a lot. I was less impressed last year with the 2013 Malbec. Since the price of this wine ($6.99) makes it appealing to many people, I thought I should give the 2014 Malbec a try.

This is a soft, medium bodied Malbec. While I did not find anything specific that I disliked, I really did not find anything that I really liked either. The wine did not have any depth or complexity of flavors. I actually never finished the bottle and went on to another wine.

So, I have to wonder if this wine is inferior to the 2012 version that I liked or are my taste buds different today than two and a half years ago. One clue is to compare 2012 and 2014 on a vintage chart for Mendozza. I reached for the vintage chart in the February 2016 issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine and found that indeed the 2014 vintage for red wines in Mendozza was rated at only 85 points out of 100, making it the lowest rated vintage since 2001. The 2012 vintage was rated 88 points which is definitely better but not excellent. I do not know how much this affects an entry level wine, but I will just say that it is the vintage and not me. Please feel free to comment on your opinions of this wine.

SC Wine Joe rating = 86 points

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