A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Redwood Creek Mendoza Malbec



By Kori ~ February 24th, 2011.

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2009 Redwood Creek Mendoza Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina.

Our selection criteria include:

  • A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
  • A price tag of <=$15
  • Must be widely available

Redwood Creek is one of the brands in the E. & J. Gallo Winery portfolio. E. & J. Gallo Winery, headquartered in Modesto, California, is the world’s largest family-owned winery and the largest exporter of California wine. Sixteen family members spanning three generations of the Gallo family actively work at the winery. Redwood Creek’s winemaker, Cal Dennison, has been making wine for over 25 years. While the winery is located in California, the fruit for this Malbec was sourced from Argentina.

“The Redwood Creek Mendoza Malbec displays cherry and dark blackberry fruit with integrated brown spice and maple oak flavor notes. The wine has a soft texture but full in structure and fruit flavor. The finish is long and plush.” –Redwood Creek

2009 Redwood Creek Mendoza Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina): Deep red in color. Aromatic with blackberry, black cherry and spice on the nose. More black fruits and spice as well as black licorice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $7.99; Available elsewhere, $6 to $10


Filed under: A Wine for Tonight, Argentine Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Malbec, Red Wine, Wines Under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25

Reader's Comments

  1. Renee Keele | February 24th, 2011 at 7:25 am

    I have seen that wine and often wondered if it was any good. Thanks for the post, now I can check it out and not worry about it being terrible.

  2. Kori | February 24th, 2011 at 9:33 am

    Renee,
    Happy to help. Hope you like it. Cheers!

  3. Cathy | February 24th, 2011 at 10:47 am

    I will try it also. DBF and I have been trying some Argentina malbecs (I read that country is the producer of the best malbecs?) but had no luck – too biting, tannin-y, didn’t like the flavor…maybe this grape is just not for our taste.

  4. Kori | February 24th, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    Cathy,
    Hope you enjoy it. You are correct, Argentina has become well-known for their Malbecs. In fact, this one is made from grapes grown in Argentina even though the producer is a California winery. You might find this Malbec more fruit-forward than some of the others you’ve tried. Cheers!

  5. Karl Summerville | February 25th, 2011 at 8:27 am

    Interesting post. Thanks! I was in Mendoza last year, it is a fantastic holiday for a wino and agree that Argentina is great source of malbec.

    Btw, have you guys heard of lovethis? I’ve started using it to get wine recommendations, pretty useful. Check out my tasting notes and I’d be interested to connect with you guys to find some interesting labels and new producers. Here’s a link to my profile: http://ow.ly/42A6l.

    Keep up the great blog, how do I subscribe?

  6. TheGourmetCoffeeGuy | February 27th, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    Sounds like the perfect wine to go along with steak cooked at home in the near future. Will definitely consider buying this wine, thank you for the interesting post.

  7. Kori | March 1st, 2011 at 9:43 am

    Karl,
    I have not had the pleasure to visit Argentina yet, but I’d love to someday. To subscribe to updates via email, click here: http://winepeeps.com/subscribe-by-email/.

    CoffeeGuy,
    Thanks. Hope you enjoy it.

    Cheers!

  8. Malbeceamos | November 22nd, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    I was really disappointed with this wine. My review can be found here: http://malbeceamos.com/2011/05/30/2009-redwood-creek-malbec/

    Cupcake winery is an American winery doing a much better job at making an affordable, available malbec.

  9. Kori | December 6th, 2011 at 11:28 am

    Malbecamos,
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this wine. I, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised by it. Just one of the things that makes the world of wine so interesting. Cheers!