Susana Balbo Críos Malbec 2022 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a delicious Malbec from Argentina that arrived at the LCBO earlier this month in the November 2 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Dominio del Plata, or more commonly known today as Susana Balbo Wines. The renowned winery was founded in 1999 by Susana Balbo, a pioneering figure in Argentine winemaking, as the country's first female winemaker. Overcoming challenges both personally and professionally, Susana Balbo is highly regarded for producing innovative and expressive wines by combining traditional winemaking techniques with modern approaches.

Today, Susana Balbo Wines is a family-run winery located in Mendoza, Argentina, at the foothills of the Andes mountain range. Susana is joined by her two children, José and Ana, who decided to join the team of over one hundred people and help build the family legacy. With an entrepreneurial, revolutionary, and pioneering spirit, the team at Susana Balbo Wines works daily to deliver high-quality wines with a methodic care for detail. They seek to grow the wine industry in terms of investigation, innovation, and sustainability. The philosophy of the winemaking team combines a deep knowledge of Argentina's best soils, an endless curiosity and passion for the art and science behind winemaking, and a strong commitment to sustainable practices. The pillars of Susana Balbo Wines' sustainability initiatives are centered around being economically viable, environmentally and socially responsible, based on ethics and transparency.

Like the 2020 Críos Chardonnay I enjoyed nearly three years ago, this red wine is from Susana Balbo's entry-level Críos line of wines. Críos, which translates to "kids", was born out of Susana's love for her children and desire to forge a legacy for her family, while also helping them navigate their own journeys through life with lessons learned from her lifetime of trailblazing entrepreneurship. Each bottle of Críos wine features the iconic handprint logo, symbolizing the family bond and illustrates the hand as a powerful tool for mothers as they hold, provide warmth, nourish, comfort, and teach the next generation the skills and wisdom to survive and thrive.

To create something and leave an indelible personal mark with the power of your hands, it is necessary to have conviction, vibrancy, and identity. Críos wines are crafted with care to bring out the best of each varietal. With a strong commitment to quality, Susana Balbo chooses the region of Argentina most suited for growing each particular grape, and then nurturing each varietal in order to elevate its intrinsic character. Inspired by Susana’s history, the Críos line of wines supports the community through various charitable events.

Crafted with 100% Malbec, the grapes were grown at high altitude, averaging 1,050 metres above.sea-level. After manually harvesting the grapes, it was fermented with selected yeasts at a maximum temperature of between 28-31°C. It underwent a 15-20 day maceration, along with closed and open pumping over, with délestage at various stages of fermentation. 40% of the wine was aged for 8 months in third- and fourth-use French oak barrels.

The 2022 vintage in Argentina was challenging, yet promising. The growing season began with a cool spring and very little rainfall, and included several severe bouts of frosts which cut yields. Much needed rain arrived at the end of spring and the beginning of summer, which refreshed the vines. After the rain had passed and the weather cleared, there was just enough heat to allow the red grape varieties to reach phenolic ripeness. In general, it was a cool year, which gave rise to wines with clean, delicate, and highly pure aromas. Let's see how this 2022 Malbec from the Uco Valley in Argentina is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SUSANA BALBO CRÍOS MALBEC 2022 - Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina (#162529) (XD) - $17.95
The fragrant, medium-high intensity nose is slightly reductive with attractive aromas of earthy dark berry, blackberry, violet, black cherry, and black plum, with touches of oak spices. It's medium+ bodied on the dry palate with ripe dark berry, black cherry, blackberry, violet, and earthy oak spice flavours. Acids are crisp and fresh, while the fine-grained, lightly textured tannins have lightly structured. Some warmth on the mid-palate. Quite grippy and chalky textured on the lengthy, savoury, and earthy finish. Give it a slight chill and enjoy this recommended buy over the coming year. Score: 88+ pts

Other delicious wines by Susana Balbo can be found at the LCBO, or ordered through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.