2021 Black Cabra Malbec Mendoza 750 ml

We always love to uncover a great value for under $20. But stellar wine for under $15? That’s a rare thrill. And if it comes backed by critical praise and the expertise of a former Petrus winemaker—that’s the 2021 Black Cabra Malbec.

Argentina is a gold mine for value, and this is striking it rich. The Black Cabra label shares ownership and a winemaking team with the renowned Bodegas Zolo and Tapiz, whose $100+ wines Wine Advocate has called “top-of-the-range.” The crew includes Jean-Claude Berrouet, the winemaker at Petrus for 44 vintages, who has tons of experience crafting bottles that regularly fetch four-digit prices.

Ruby-hued and ready to enthrall, this 100% Malbec boasts fruit-forward density and graceful tannins that had us singing its praises before we even saw the label. Born of estate-grown grapes from the foothills of the Andes, it received Best Buy honors from Wine Enthusiast.

This is the kind of exceptional value we dream about—the kind that creeps into our “wouldn’t it be great if…” office banter, and before we knew it, we'd quickly polished off two bottles alongside a platter of grilled lamb chops. 

The grapes hail from the 100% sustainably farmed Zolo and Tapiz estate vineyards that boast a range of altitudes and terroirs and weave a captivating tapestry of Mendoza. The fruit is hand-harvested and manually sorted twice, and after fermentation in stainless-steel tanks, the wine spends a half-year’s rest in oak, deepening and rounding out its flavors. 

The result is a wonderfully satisfying bottle.