It’s from Argentina and It’s Not a Malbec

March 5, 2024

Years ago, I enjoyed a lovely Malbec from Argentina while having tapas with friends at a popular Spanish restaurant in downtown Toronto. That was also the last time I enjoyed a glass of Malbec.

I tried many times to recreate that first experience. The liquid felt full, smooth, and mysterious, if it is possible to describe a wine in such terms.

Perhaps I hit on the perfect food pairing that first time. Or maybe it was the atmosphere created by my friends and the restaurant. Since that night, I have failed to recapture the feeling and taste from that very first glass of Malbec. In fact, I have yet to enjoy a Malbec since.

Fortunately, in October 2023, I came across a podcast called “Wine it up a Notch” (Season1, Episode 10) hosted by Anshu Grover. (She also has an Instagram account with the same name). In this particular episode, Grover discussed the lesser known Argentinian grape, Bondarda. And no, it is not a type of Malbec.

This podcast left me curious about this grape and prospect of a new style of Argentinian wine I might enjoy to replace my Malbec search. When this podcast suggested the wine, El Enemigo La Esperanza Single Vineyard Bonarda, I made my way to my local LCBO (that is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario) later that day, picking up a 2018 bottle.

Produced in Mendoza, Argentina, I would describe this red wine as bold, smooth and without the tannins I typically associate with many red wines. Also, drawing on my fading memory of that long ago Malbec, this Bonarda was quite different. There were notes of black fruits like cherries, black berries as well as hints of vanilla and chocolate (at least in my swirling glass!). It felt easier to drink than that Malbec. To put it simply: I enjoyed every sip of this wine.

Unlike that now ‘mythical’ glass of Malbec from years ago (I don’t even recall its name or where I wrote it down), I think I have now satisfied my need to find my ideal Argentinian wine. In fact, I have happily purchased a few more bottles of the El Enemigo.

Yet, I know I’m still going to be in search of the perfect bottle of Malbec …

(Photo Credit: S.J. Gabriel)