Illustration by Brian Rea

A smooth little Argentine malbec-shiraz blend called Fuzion stormed the ramparts of the LCBO last year. At under $100 per case ($7.45 a bottle), shipments sold out within days as people bought whole cases, stressing both customers and staff. The Fuzion craze aptly illustrates Argentina’s fairy tale ascent in the wine world, with malbec the gallant hero. The French first brought malbec to Argentina in 1868. It was an opportune move. The thin-skinned grape doesn’t ripen well in its native Bordeaux, but the inexhaustible sunlight and the cool desert nights of the high, dry Andean plateau in Mendoza proved to be ideal conditions for creating vibrant wines without strong tannins. (Young malbec vineyards are showing great potential in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley for the same reason.) The purest expression of malbec can be found in less expensive, less-oaked renditions—there’s no distraction from its characteristic violet florality and blackberry piquancy. Some of the cheapest bottles are better buys than the $20 labels. While higher priced wines show more depth, complexity and refinement (thanks to more concentrated fruit from older vineyards and coddling in new French oak barrels), they often mask malbec’s lively personality. Argentine malbec has already cracked the $100 ceiling (though such bottles are rarely available here); within a year or two, the grape will join such New World sensations as California cabernet sauvignon and Aussie shiraz on the upper rungs of the price ladder. So now is the time to dabble. Here, the best of what’s currently available.

Pascual Toso 2007 Malbec
$12.95 | Mendoza, Argentina | 89 points
Get ready to be charmed. This friendly malbec combines the grape’s natural floral and plummy-raspberry fruitiness with vanilla, mocha and gentle smokiness from the barrels. This Pascual Toso is smooth and packed with flavour and fine tannin—perhaps even a touch sweet for Euro-trained palates. Very good length. Now to 2011. LCBO 35170

Under $15

Argento 2007 Malbec
$10.10 | Mendoza, Argentina | 86 points
Argento’s fruity red is malbec unplugged; there’s no lush oak orchestra welling up in the background, just lifted aromas of plums, red­currants, pepper and clove. It has a savoury, spicy finish, as well as some chalky tannin. Chill slightly. Best now to 2011. LCBO 591693

Finca Flichman 2007 Misterio Malbec
$7.95 | Mendoza, Argentina | 88 points
A serious red for the price. With complex notes of spice, leather, herbs and dried blackberry, it leans to an oakier Spanish style. Full bodied and tannic, with a spicy finish. Very good to excellent length. Best now to 2012. LCBO 28803

Masi 2006 Passo Doble
$13.95 | Mendoza, Argentina | 87 points
Masi of Italy is one of the many European vintners that have recently opened wineries in Argentina. Blending malbec with corvina (a grape transplanted from Valpolicella) makes for a rich ripasso. It’s impressively lush, with jammy blackberry, leather and tarry flavours. While a bit muddled on the slightly soupy finish, it has very good length. LCBO 620880

Santa Ana 2007 la Mascota Malbec
$15.95 | Mendoza, Argentina | 90 points
From an old-vine site in the heart of Mendoza, the rich yet delicate Santa Ana pleases now but will be better once it sheds its tannin. Classic blackberry, floral fruit is nicely framed by cedar and mocha from good French wood. Best 2010 to 2015. Vintages, January 17. LCBO 93880

Trumpeter 2006 Malbec
$13.95 | Mendoza, Argentina | 86 points
Sourced from cool, high-altitude vineyards, Trumpeter shows less opulent blackberry and more herbal, pepper and meaty characteristics. Elegant and sweet, with a dry tobacco finish, it’s mindful of an Italian sangiovese. Best now to 2012. Vintages, January 17. LCBO 711705

Zuccardi 2008 Fuzion Shiraz Malbec
$7.45 | Mendoza, Argentina | 85 points
While not that distinctive, the new vintage of the LCBO’s most popular red offers amazing value: a smooth, almost creamy blend that’s dominated by shiraz pepper along with malbec plumminess. A touch sweet, with some dry tannin and earthy notes on the finish. LCBO 83188

Over $15

Catena 2006 Malbec
$19.95 | Mendoza, Argentina | 89 points
This inky malbec is awash in fruit. A floral, black­berry nose is inlaid with coffee, charry oak and leather. Dense and tannic, it displays excellent length. Aerate for a good hour, or cellar for a couple of years. Best 2010 to 2013. Vintages Essentials. LCBO 478727

Clos de los Siete 2007
$24.95 | Mendoza, Argentina | 88 points
Famed Bordeaux oenologist Michel Rolland oversaw its production. Malbec is the lead grape in the hefty blend, along with merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah. Blackberry, wood, leather and cream aromas are impressive, but it’s dense and brittle now. Best 2012 to 2015. Vintages, January 17. LCBO 622571

Clos des Andes 2005 Malbec
$29.95 | Mendoza, Argentina | 90 points
Made by a Bordeaux team from vines planted in 1935, the now-maturing 2005 vintage captures malbec’s floral notes and combines them with peppery spice, pencil minerality and chocolate. It’s full-bodied, smooth and sweet. Fine tannin meshes nicely with the spice and minerality. Best now to 2014. Vintages, January 17. LCBO 2014

Dominio del Plata 2006 Susana Balbo Malbec
$29.15 | Mendoza, Argentina | 93 points
Susana Balbo and her viticulturist husband, Pedro Marchevsky, added 10 per cent cabernet sauvignon to add lift to this even-keeled red. The nose is rich with currants and blackberries, well-integrated cedar, chocolate and sage. Plush yet streamlined, with fine, dusty tannin. Best 2010 to 2015. www.profilewinegroup.com.

Related:
• Best Wines Under $10: The LCBO’s rash of wallet-friendly new listings
• Love Match: The secret to successful food and wine pairings? Drink a lot
• Big Sippers: Buh-bye, cavity-inducing appletinis. New cocktails are all about the savoury