1997 Reserva Vina Hormigas Altos de Medrano, 1997, Mendoza, Argentina. About $20

This is a Malbec from Argentina, where the black grape variety is widely grown.

In Bordeaux, because of its inky color, Malbec has been used as a blending grape. In this wine from Argentina, it’s used on its own to produce a wine that is deep in color and taste. It’s a lush red wine that has all the New World opulence you could wish for but is still bone-dry.

The Italian team behind this fledgling wine is first-rate: Marc de Grazia, a wine broker based in Florence who has discovered a terrific new generation of wine producers in Italy; Attilio Pagli, one of Tuscany’s top young enologists; and Alberto Antonini, a former vineyard manager for Antinori.

The non-reserva, which sells for less than half of this one, has already pretty much come and gone in the wine shops, though dedicated shoppers may be able to ferret out a bottle or two.

Vina Hormigas is an estate to watch. If its first wines make this much of an impression, it’s a safe bet the estate stands a chance to becoming one of the stars of South America.

Available at the Wine House, West L.A.; Beverage Warehouse, Marina del Rey; Duke of Bourbon, Canoga Park; and Hi-Times Wine Cellars, Costa Mesa, among others.