Name: Doña Paula Malbec
Brand: Doña Paula

What Kind of Wine Is Doña Paula Malbec?

Doña Paula Malbec is a dark wine with a deep, inky, purple-red hue. Like a passionate encounter on a warm, steamy night, this wine is known for its intense, piquant, and honeyed aromas. And the best part about the Doña Paula Malbec Wine? It’s made from Malbec grapes grown in Doña Paula’s own vineyards that sprawl an impressive 700 + hectares! There’s no compromise on quality—the wines they produce are a true reflection of the vineyard from which they arrive.

These crisp, young, and fragrant wines honor women from Argentinian viticulture (the harvesting and cultivation of grapes). The wine has a velvety mouthfeel to it, featuring a soft and well-balanced texture. Just a sip in optimal conditions will transport you to the Argentinian countryside, marked with crystal clear lakes, sprawling greens, and snow-capped mountains on the horizon.

Doña Paula Estate Malbec Review

Winery — Doña Paula
Country/Region — Argentina, Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo
Type — Argentinian Malbec
Aroma — Sweet, With Notes Of Red Fruit And Violets
Grapes — Malbec
Taste — Light Tannins, Berries, Mint
Alcohol Content — 13.5%
Sugar — Dry
Pairing — Grilled Beef, Barbecued Tenderloin, And Cheese

Doña Paula Malbec is a popular wine among people from many countries. The mouthfeel, aromas, and freshness of the wine make it a delight on its own. Pair it with some cheese and a grilled hamburger, and you have a perfect date with yourself!

Positives

Sweet With A Robust Body
Citrus Tones
Delicious
Good Bargain

Negatives

May Be Too Spicy Or Dry For Some

Check Price on Vivino.com

Tasting Notes

The Malbec varietal benefited from its voyage halfway across the world (from France to Argentina) to thrive, and quickly became one of the world’s best grape varieties. And one of the estates that benefited from this holy matrimony of Malbec with Mendoza is the Doña Paula Malbec. Its lovely dark fruit and bramble spice fragrance uplift the heavenly concoction of this undiluted wine with a matured, tannic composition.

Appearance

Before your nose picks up the aromas and your taste buds experience an explosion of flavor, the appearance can tell you a lot about the wine’s character. Doña Paula Malbec is known for its unique color — a deep violet red. Just like the dark glass bottle enveloping it, the wine is a hue of black fruits and violets. Observe your wine against a white background and tilt your glass at a 45-degree angle so you can appreciate its brilliance and maturity. The simplistic yet classy label represents the wine itself. A bottle of this royalty sitting on your table is the perfect crowd-puller. And in case you’re wondering, the branding “Paula” is for all the Argentinian ‘Paulas’ who spend day and night in viticulture.

Aroma

As soon as you pour a glass of Doña Paula Malbec, you get to savor its intensely spicy and sweet aroma. This classic wine is a medley of nostalgic scents. To appreciate the initial aromas, you must take the glass close to your nose and draw in the fruity tones of plums, black cherries, and licorice. Swirling the glass will release additional aromatic notes of herbs, minerals, and spices.

Taste

The aroma signals what’s to come — full-flavored, with the sweetness of ripe red fruits and accompanied by subtle floral hints of violets. Think light tannins with bright bursting flavors of fruits such as raspberries and a touch of mint. The sweetness that you taste from this exquisite wine brand is purely from the grapes themselves, with a residual sugar value of a mere 2.7 grams per liter. Dry and barely sweet, you can use it in several cocktail recipes. The acidic value is 5.58g/l, which is attributed to the natural tartness of the fruit. It’s the perfect dinner wine.

Finish

Beautifully subtle yet complex — the wine is full-bodied, smooth, and firm with a nice bold finish. I found fish to be a great pairing. The seafood flavor did not overpower the taste of this wine. It has the perfect balance of slight woodiness but with very marked tannins. One sip and you know that it’s an authentic Argentinian Malbec.

Rating

My review focuses on several aspects of the wine and would be rather incomplete if I didn’t add that it’s a relaxed wine. Doña Paula Malbec is a more feminine version of Malbec that is suited for everyday drinking. If I were to choose a drink to calm my tense nerves, it would be this one. It was an excellent experience that offered a pleasant and soft mouthfeel. It’s light and tasty, fruity and sweet in the end, with a woody aroma. This striking red drink is worth enjoying at night with half-cured cheese and apple with cinnamon.

Doña Paula Malbec Food Pairing

Imagine yourself sitting on your porch, with the evening breeze brushing across your face. You’ve had a long day at work, and you’re tired. Pour yourself a glass of Doña Paula Malbec and indulge in some Gouda on the side. That, for me, is ideal. The wine goes best with grilled beef, lamb, and poultry, and hard cheese. Try a hamburger or barbecued pork. Yummy!

Do you want a more specific pairing? A lean cut of meat like pork tenderloin and some pearl barley makes for a subtle bite. While you’re at it, add some spicy cherry compote — or a cherry chutney — on the side. The wine plays the role of mediator with its strong personality and body that incites the blend by adding form and minerality. The perfect pairing is that in which the sum of the combination holds more significance than the parts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Makes Doña Paula Malbec?

Doña Paula Malbec is a beauty spearheaded by Marcos Fernandez, the head winemaker at the Argentine winery, up until 2020. Under Fernandez’s leadership since 2014, the winery won a sustainability certificate for the first time. But, in January 2020, he stepped down from his role for other professional opportunities.

From 2020, the wine-making team supervises the harvest while leadership responsibilities were bestowed upon the wine growing director Eduardo Alemparted. The team also has support from the wine growing department of Santa Rita Estates. And consultant Nick Goldschmidt continues his advisory role with the winery. Rest assured, the wines are in the efficient hands of an excellent team using the best wine-making machinery.

How Is Doña Paula Malbec Made?

The winery at Doña Paula makes sure to handle the Malbec grapes with utmost care. The grapes are harvested in March. Once in the winery, they are de-stemmed and softly crushed. Then, they undergo the process of pre-fermentation cold maceration, or a cold soak, to preserve the primary aromas without interfering with the overall taste. Cold maceration is an aqueous extraction (of compounds from the fruit’s flesh and pulp), in contrast to the alcoholic extraction.

The cold maceration method ensures that the wine is fruit-forward and complex, without affecting the quality of the ingredients used in the wine. It also increases the intensity of the wine’s aroma and color. Then, the juice is brought to a lower temperature and traditional fermentation begins. The post-fermentation maceration takes approximately 10 to 15 days. After maceration, malolactic fermentation is conducted.

Where Is Doña Paula Malbec Made?

The vineyard spans across a massive 700 hectares of land and is situated at 1050 meters above sea level. Nestled in the Andes Valley, the vineyards are all located in Mendoza. Doña Paula Malbec is cultivated in El Alto Vineyard, situated in Ugarteche in Lujan de Cuyo’s southern region. The soil is poor clayey and ranges from sandy loam to clay loam, with a varied stone composition.

The climate in this area ranges from warmer days to cooler nights. The average temperature variation is 57.2°F (14°C), and the average annual rainfall is 250mm. The yield is around 10 tons per hectare, and they use drip irrigation. It is also noteworthy that their vineyards are managed using sustainable agricultural methods.

How to Serve Doña Paula Malbec?

Wine temperature is crucial to the overall smell and taste. If your wine is served at the wrong temperature, chances are it might lose some of its aromas and flavors. Regardless of the color, wine temperatures vary with style and complexity. The recommended temperature for serving Doña Paula Malbec is between 57°F and 64°F (14°C and 18°C). A typical red wine glass is ideal for your Doña Paula Malbec. The glass must be tulip-shaped to concentrate the aromas. And avoid holding the glass by its bowl as it can transfer the temperature from your skin to the wine.

How Much Does Doña Paula Malbec Cost?

Keeping in mind the superiority of the grapes used and the careful collection and processing of this beautifully tasting wine, Doña Paula Malbec price is surprisingly low, falling between $9 and $17 a bottle.

How Long Does Doña Paula Malbec Last?

A bottle of Doña Paula Estate Malbec has five servings, so if you’re a table of 5, it’s going to last you a meal, or halfway through the meal! On a serious note, the wine is best consumed right after buying. You get to enjoy the young and fresh flavors. An unopened bottle of Doña Paula Malbec wine would last twenty-four months at least (it could also extend to 2–3 years past the expiration date) when stored in the proper conditions. Once opened, refrigerated wine lasts a few weeks. Keeping it sealed with the cork and in an upright position will make sure it remains potent for a while. But, I suggest you drink it soon because opened wine will decline in quality quickly.

How Many Calories Does Doña Paula Malbec Have?

Doña Paula Malbec calories amount to 24 calories every ounce. Of which, 4 grams per ounce are carbohydrates. The total amount of sugar is 2.7 grams per liter, which is almost negligible. Besides, Doña Paula Malbec alcohol content is average, making it an overall guilt-free indulgence.

Conclusion

Malbec grapes first arrived in Argentina when a group of winemakers consulted French agronomist Michel Pouget to suggest a grape that would improve Argentinian wine quality. After that day, there was no looking back. If you haven’t heard of it yet, don’t fret. It was only a couple of decades ago that the affordable price tag and approachable profile attracted American wine drinkers.

Doña Paula Estate Malbec Review (2023)