2003 Famiglia Bianchi San Rafael Malbec

I've had three bottles of the 2003 Famiglia Bianchi Malbec ($23) over the last few months and this has become a hidden gem for me.

Most Malbecs today hail from Argentina, although it has its roots as one of the six Bourdeaux blending grapes. In fact, it is becoming more common to see South American wines that make single varietal (or close to it) from grapes that have traditionally been used for blending.

This is a wine that benefits from a little air after opening. The first smell and taste is a bit on the peppery side, with fairly strong tannins. This is probably a result of aging ten months in oak. Some of my colleagues have detected a hint of smoke, while I smell fig, ink and dark fruit. This wine reminds me of some Calfornia Cabernets, only a little more tannic. After ten or fifteen minutes this wine really opens up, revealing it's layered depth - cherry, fig, a little cream and still just a hint of pepper.

I can't even compare it to the wine below - this is in a different class and well priced at around $20.