Malbec wines: Get ready to tango

Spanish Jesuits planted the first vineyards in the Andes in the 16th century, said Stephen Meuse in The Boston Globe. But “export-grade fine wine” didn’t arrive until French immigrants transplanted Malbec vines to the region 300 years later. In France, winemakers in Bordeaux use the red varietal primarily in blended wines. But all-Malbec wines from the higher-elevation vineyards of Argentina recently have begun to achieve “international stardom.” Consumers looking for bargains should consider “a little tango” with these wines, all priced at about $12:

Altos Las Hormigas Mendoza Malbec 2006 Startlingly good for a wine so inexpensive.

Bodega Norton ‘Lo Tengo’ Malbec 2006 The holographic label is a conversation-starter, “but the real surprise here is the deliciousness of what’s inside.”

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Nieto Senetiner Mendoza Malbec Reserva 2005 Not much texture, but “wonderfully agreeable.”

Terrazas de los Andes Mendoza Malbec 2006 Oaky, “blocky dark-red fruit.”