By Lawrence B. Johnson

It wasn’t so long ago that Malbec was known – to the extent that it was in the consciousness of wine enthusiasts at all – for its modest supporting role in Bordeaux blends. Then Argentina roared into vinous ascendancy, and Malbec became an overnight star.

As surely every wine lover knows by now, Malbec is the overwhelmingly dominant grape of the Argentine wine industry. But more to the point, highly accomplished producers in Argentina — native and otherwise — are turning out a huge range of terrific wines, many at very attractive prices, made entirely or mainly from this luscious grape.

Witness the two wines at hand: Susana Balbo’s unblended Signature Malbec 2012 and what might be called an upside-down Bordeaux blend: Clos de los Siete 2011, which flips the Malbec factor, so slight in Bordeaux, into the central role.

Susana Balbo’s Signature Malbec 2012 ($24) reflects both the complexity and the pure pleasure characteristic of a wine I’ve come to know through several vintages.

Balbo is something of an Argentine institution. In 1981, she became the first female oenologist in the history of Argentine wine-making. After two decades working as consultant to many international producers and serving as president of the Argentine wine industry’s governing body, she launched her own company, Dominio del Plata, in the Mendoza Valley in 1999.

The Signature Malbec’s blueberry color is borne out on the nose and on the palate in a mouth-filling mix with plum and hints of mint and smoke. An excellent acid frame recommends this wine as a companion for beef or game as well as strong-flavored cheeses.

Ripe tannins contribute to the wine’s ample weight and silky texture. The Signature Malbec 2012 evolved smoothly through repeated tastings from the same bottle over a period of three days – a sure sign that, tempting as it is now, this wine has interesting cellar potential.

Clos de los Siete 2011 ($18) is the latest seductive bargain from a group of seven entrepreneurs – hence “vineyard of the seven” – led by the globe-trotting consultant Michel Rolland, whose client list sprawls from Bordeaux to all points on the compass.

Hardly surprising from a Bordelais like Rolland, this wine built on a foundation of Malbec (57 percent) is rigorously blended.  Two Bordeaux grapes, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, are present in substantial portion, along with a dollop of Petit Verdot. But Rolland also mixes in a good dose of Syrah, which removes Clos de los Siete from the realm of Bordeaux.

The company’s vineyards are located south of Mendoza city, in the Uco Valley, prime terroir even in the bountiful Mendoza region. The reddish-purple wine offers generous body and a flavor blend of rich, dark fruit against a distinctive background of creamy chocolate.  All this within an excellent acid frame that should allow the wine to evolve over several years.

Tags: Clos de los Siete, Malbec, Michel Rolland, Susana Balbo, Uco Valley