You love a little mystery.
So here's one: which wine-grape, overlooked by the French, is flourishing in Argentina?
The answer is Malbec, a rich, deep, mysterious grape—and one so dark it's almost black.
Wine geeks tell us that the grape originated in the Bordeaux region of France, where it (always a bridesmaid, never a bride) was used only for blending. Argentinean winemakers, tasting potential, fell in love with Malbec during the past decade. They crafted the grape into a wine delicious and surprising, turning heads around the world.
Malbec at its best is fruity, velvety and rich. The best ones age well (like you) and pair fabulously with a certain dark artisan chocolate.
2004 Monteviejo "Festivo" Malbec Mendoza ($11.99)
91 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Monteviejo's entry level wine is Festivo, a 100% Malbec aged for 6 months in new French oak. A dark crimson-colored wine with a fragrant scent of mineral, a variety of spices, blueberry hints, and black cherry. Medium-bodied, it's plush with plenty of ripe, forward fruit, light tannin, and a sense of elegance.
2007 Achával Ferrer "Finca Altamira" Malbec Mendoza ($79.99)
94-97 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Gorgeous aromas of crushed plum and fig lead the way for this very dense, remarkably supple offering, loaded with additional blackberry and boysenberry fruit, all laid over Turkish coffee, violet, pastis, licorice and charred mesquite notes.
Don't cry for me, Argentina.