2004 Monteviejo "Festivo" Malbec Mendoza

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. The 2004 Festivo is dark crimson-colored with a fragrant nose of mineral, spice box, blueberry, and black cherry. Medium-bodied, it is plush on the palate with plenty of ripe, forward fruit, light tannin, and a sense of elegance. It can be enjoyed now and over the next 5 years. It is an outstanding value. Bodega Monteviejo, owned by Catherine Pere-Verge (also the proprietor of Pomerol's Le Gay), is located at the foothills of the Andes, next to Vista Flores, south of Mendoza. The globe-trotting Michel Rolland is in charge of winemaking." (12/07) That's right, the international winemaking superstar Michel Rolland makes this wine, and where you would have to pay tens, even hundreds of dollars to experience his expertise elsewhere, here you can do it for a few bucks more than a couple gallons of "regular" gasoline. With campfire aromas giving way to stratified black tea, eucalyptus and cafe con leche, this is not necessarily the most bombastic Malbec out there, but that is exactly why I like it so much. There is something about the juicy, expressive nature of this wine that I love. Full of black fruits like plum and blueberry, this has sort of a pliable nature that most Malbec-based wines can never claim. Add a bit of earth and spice on the lasting finish and this seems just undeniably drinkable. (Bryan Brick, K&L)