Kaiken Ultra Malbec 2007: Manna From Mendoza

On Saturday night M.C. Ice (my husband, for the new readers) and I finally opened a bottle of wine sent to me by Vina Montes Winery for review. And what a night it was....

All I can say to the folks in Argentina is thank you, thank you, thank you. This is the most heavenly bottle of Malbec that I have probably ever experienced and three days later I'm still thinking about it (if you read my blog regularly, you know that I'm honest about wine sent my way, even if I don't dig it, so please trust me -- this wine is the real thing).

As background, the Kaiken Ultra Malbec is from the Mendoza region of Argentina, which is the heart of wine production in the land of Evita (man, I loved that musical when I was young...except that my sister and I would listen to the record and sing, and she always made me play Juan Peron and various other undesirable roles, while she got to play Evita. Sucks being the younger sis!). Two-thirds of Argentine wine comes from this area in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains. The region has some of the highest vineyards in the world -- some at 3,500 feet. As a totally nerdy aside, apparently the producers here have some sort of competitive vine arms race going on, where they are constantly trying to farm higher and higher vineyards just because they can. Whatever does it for you, I guess...but I digress...

With an easy climate, great soils, a long growing season, and the Andes to provide a ton of water for irrigation, Mendoza is an ideal place to make fabulous wines. The region churns out a load of vino, so some of it isn't all that great, but the wineries, like Kaiken, who take time to care for their vines can make outstanding wines that aren't just fruit bombs and oak, but rather sexy, velvety, complex, and damn good.

Kaiken is the Argentine brand of Vina Montes, which is based in Chile. According to the Winery, "the name is a Mapuche Indian word for a Patagonian goose that is found on both sides of the Andes, in Argentina and Chile." Kind of odd, but who am I to judge.


Without further ado, let's get to it (well, maybe with some ado -- we decanted the wine for about 1.5 hours before drinking and I'd recommend you do the same to really experience it at its best. Just pouring it into a glass and leaving it open to air for an hour will suffice, BTW):
The Wine: Kaiken Ultra Malbec
Where It's From: Mendoza, Argentina
The Grapes: 90% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Price: $25.00

Color: Malbec carries color like a champ. The Kaiken is black-purple with a slightly watery, deep maroon rim. I noticed when I leaned the glass on its side that there were some small bubbles in the bowl -- probably some CO2 added last minute to keep the wine fresh.

Smell: Malbec is generally not noted for its subtle fruit, so the overwhelming whiff of black plum, blackberry, boysenberry, and black raspberry was not surprising. It gave such a fresh fruit bowl sensation to the wine, kind of reminiscent of a summer farmstand. Layers of vanilla bean, coffee, dried savory herbs, nutmeg, and brown butter were intoxicating, fresh, and nothing short of divine. The bouquet was so fragrant and heady that I could barely stop inhaling long enough to sip (damn, I wish I had another bottle right now!)

Taste: Could it get any better than the bouquet? YES, it can. That bowl of black fruit tasted like warm pie filling with a tinge of vanilla. Although the wine didn't smell like flowers, it tasted like violets and orange blossom tea. I don't want this to sound gross or detract from the lusciousness of it all, but there was a savory character present too -- like bacon fat with black pepper. I'm a pescatarian, but even I can appreciate the smell of a strip of bacon on the griddle, and it was all over this wine. Espresso notes were in the ridiculously long finish. The wine was so lux, it was almost like having a dessert course.

Lovely though these descriptors are, I do admit that many other Malbecs have this juicy, savory profile. But the Kaiken stood apart because its texture was so unique. The addition of the Cabernet Sauvignon added a firmness that made this wine outstanding. The high alcohol was perfectly balanced by a lively acidity that gave the wine a backbone and sharpness that reminded me of the experience of drinking an Italian espresso in a cafe in Florence -- a perfect, warming drink that makes you feel alive and appreciative of the wonderful scenery around you (M.C. Ice was looking even better than usual after this wine...no, it had nothing to do with the 14.9% alcohol in it! Just the experience of it all). What a wine!

Food: We opened the Malbec after dinner and had it with a cheese course. It overwhelmed our cheeses, but I would imagine that with grilled meats and vegetables this would be an excellent pairing.

Drink or Down the Sink?: Drink, and drink often. This wine could sell for $50 a bottle, but since it's only $25, I'll be getting it again. The Kaiken Ultra Malbec joins my list of great New World wines that showcase the best of their origins and are unapologetic about it. Kudos to Kaiken and keep up the great work!