Selection Argentine Malbec - Should I try it?

I have made wine way back in pre-recorded history, but soon realized that I could usually buy better wine than I could make and stuck with brewing beer, ciders, and meads.

But I saw Selection Argentine Malbec on sale at Austin Homebrew, and I have to admit, a good Argentine Malbec is hard to find here, and is very, very good. It helps that tomorrow is my states 50 state sale so I am very tempted.

Has anyone made this wine from this kit?

I have never made wine from this type of kit, so I'm wondering if it can meet my expectation of Argentine Malbec's and also $115+ shipping.

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.

I made the Cellar Classics Chilean Malbec, and it was fantastic! I haven't made any of the Selection wines though. I say go for it.

Well the shipping cost was just about the same as the cost of the kit, but to my surprise my LHBS had it for $130. (Man I am so glad my drinking buddy bought the place and run's it right).
So today I picked up a beer recipe and the kit, read through the instructions and may I just say things have improved in the last 15 years since I last tried making a wine.
I'm thinking I can ferment it in my old ale pale with a blow off tube, and rack it to my primary carboy for secondary.
I just hope it lives up to my expectations of an Argentine Malbec.

Ken ridge Malbec was AMAZING. Cost me 120 cdn. 1000% worth it. Friends cant tell the differnce in a blind taste test of a 17 dollar malbec from the store.

J

Might as well share the brew log.
Day three in primary, I have been degassing everyday and kept it at 62F air temp, fermentation temp has been at 65F. It's been slower in fermentation, but I want the taste to be the grapes and not the yeast esters.
Took a SG reading today and it is at 1.042, Bucket strip was right at 65F.
I just upped the fridge temperature to 68F. (I had an Ale fermenting also on day three so now I'll slowly step up to 70F to get this sucker in mid-range.)
Tasting the sample afterwards was NICE. Even yeasty, still sweet I could taste what I love about Malbec's.
I just want to keep my expectations low just too save myself from disappointment, but that was really nice.
Note to self, I need some more wide red / champagne glasses.

Since I'm doing a little brew log here to document my return to making wines.
20091014 Temp at 76F, left the power off by mistake.
Since it was warm, degassed, SG 1.005,
Sample - oh the flavour is coming out.

Set again for 72F. Target Rack to secondary on Friday.
I don't want to loose my large glass carboy for two weeks, so I will rack to the carboy, and rack back to the bucket after cleaning and sanitizing.
I also think it will be easier to make additions and stir in the bucket since I don't have those high speed low drag drill attached stirrers.
Now I just need to free a keg, to free a 5 gallon carboy, to rack my C5C beer into secondary, to free the large carboy to do this racking and make my next beer. I'm thinking a red headed ..........

Well, made it through stage three with no major issues yet.
Stage 2 per Instructions.
20091016 Racked to secondary, SG 0.998 or so.
Tasting good. In fridge at 62F. Waiting.
20091020 Upped temp to 70F, reduce gas retention.

Stage 3 per Instructions.
20091024 Stirred, SG 0.991 very dry. Tasting good.
Stabilized with Potassium Sorbate, Potassium Metabisulphite, and Chitosan (Derived from Shellfish shells).
Stirred, not really many bubbles, taste and visually no bubbles being retained.

All I can say is if this taste as good as I think it will, this will be well worth the cost, time and effort to make.
Not that it is that hard, it just takes time.
I don't know if people have mentioned it a lot but I'm impressed with these new wine kits. They come with all the ingredients needed, good instructions, and the quality is well worth the money.

One quick question, once I move it into the bright tank in around a week, is temperature control important? My apartment can get up to the low 80's during the day. I would not want to mess this up.
Is wine like a beer in that long term ageing the temperature is not really important?

Bottled this baby today, along with a batch of mead, and a batch of cider.
Tasted pretty good, but I'm hoping the flavour will come out after ageing for six months or so. Hopefully it will age very well, I would like to keep a few bottles around for a year or so.
I don't really enjoy bottling so I tried to do them all at once along with some kegging of beers. Now I have far too many empty carboys so I started up a dry Mead.