Wine & Spirits - October 2019 - 76

YEAR'S BEST MENDOZA MALBECS
richness into the structure, with the tannins
taking on a meaty breadth, yet the wine
remains lithe, carried by cool acidity. (W&S
2/19) § Vino del Sol, Paso Robles, CA

90 | Catena

$60

2017 Mendoza Alta Malbec ^ Alta is a blend
from old-vine parcels in six of Catena's estate
vineyards, some in Luyán de Cuyo and others from higher altitudes, in the Uco Valley. The 2017 captures the intensity of that
fruit in its dark, jammy core, surrounded
by brighter, floral flavors of strawberry and
hibiscus. It's hearty but not heavy, a balanced and versatile malbec. § MundoVino/The
Winebow Group, NY

124328

91 | Famiglia Bianchi

$30

2017 Uco Valley Gran Famiglia Bianchi
Malbec ^ A classic Mendoza malbec from a
venerable, old-school winery, this is warm
and generous, its sweet fruit flavor fanned
by smokehouse scents of oak. The applewood
notes suggest a pairing with bacon-wrapped
filet mignon. § Quintessential, Napa, CA
124480

91 | Luca

$41

2017 Uco Valley Beso de Dante ^ A generous
complement of cabernet sauvignon (45 percent) adds notes of green herbs and pencil
lead to malbec's plumminess. It's dark and
balanced in a rich style, with hints of licorice
and sassafras adding earthy spice. § Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA
124572

91 | Pedrusco

$50

2016 Paraje Altamira Malbec ^ This is the
first vintage of Pedrusco, a wine from New
Zealand-born vintner Nick Goldschmidt. It
comes from an 80-year-old vineyard at 4,000
feet in altitude, the vines producing just 200
cases of blueberry-dark juice. Right now, the
vanillin of oak comes through clearly, but
underneath, the wine sings with notes of
rose and spice, rare meat and warm earth.
Give this a few more years in the cellar. § Goldschmidt Vineyards, Healdsburg, CA
124425

91 | Alfredo Roca

$20

2017 Mendoza Parcelas Originales Old
Vines Malbec ^ Vinified in cement tanks, this
has a pickle-brine acidity charging its redberry flavors. The scents of freshly turned
earth, flowers and herbs give it a refreshing
air, and suggest serving this with a light chill. §
Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA
123515

90 | Altocedro

$32

2017 Uco Valley Reserva Malbec ^ This
comes from some of Altrocedro's oldest malbec vines, aged 50 to 70 years. Fermented in
whole bunches with ambient yeasts, the wine
feels bright and pure in its floral cherry flavors and stemmy, herbal spice. An 18-month
stay in oak barrels-new and used-has built
76

WINE & SPIRITS

OCTOBER 2019

123841

90 | Altocedro

$19

2018 Uco Valley Año Cero Malbec ^ Karim
Mussi Saffie sources this wine from 30-yearold vines at 3,300 feet in altitude in La Consulta. Vinified with ambient yeasts in concrete vats, it feels hale and generous, with
brambly fruit kept lively by cool, brisk acidity. (W&S 6/19) § Vino del Sol, Paso Robles, CA
124588

90 | Benegas

$40

2015 Mendoza Benegas Lynch La Encerrada Estate Vineyard Malbec ^ This old-vine
malbec has a tangy menthol note to lift its
blueberry flavors. It's ripe and spicy, with a
sense of the Andes in its herbal spice. § Wine
In-Motion USA, Newark, NJ
123347

90 | Domaine Bousquet

$20

90 | Bressia

$27

2017 Mendoza Gaia (Best Buy) ^ This is
Bousquet's flagship wine, nearly equal parts
malbec and syrah with five percent cabernet
sauvignon. It's dark and plummy, the fruit
fresh and vibrant despite the wine's considerable oak influence. The peppery notes
suggest a match with steak au poivre. (W&S
2/19) § WISD, Miami, FL
124317
2016 Mendoza Monteagrelo Malbec ^ Oak
adds a coffee richness to this otherwise peppery, juicy malbec, the blend of fresh cherry
fruit and robust oak smoke making it feel
assertive. § Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA
124251

90 | Casa Natal

$37

2015 Mendoza Reserva Malbec ^ This is fresh
and vibrant, with lots of earthy spice to give
dimension to the velvety purple fruit. It feels
firm and dense without being weighty, a wellbalanced malbec for sliced steak and chimichurri. (W&S 8/19) § W.Direct, Lawrence, KS
124450

124383

90 | Enrique Foster

$22

90 | Huarpe

$13

90 | Luca

$35

90 | Masi

$18

2015 Mendoza Single Vineyard Finca Los
Barrancos Malbec ^ This is impressively lively
given its dark blackberry fruit, with a florality and peppercorn spice offering refreshing
lift. It's clean and lasting; for a ricotta-andeggplant casserole. § Dreyfus, Ashby & Co., NY
124513
2018 Agrelo Taymente Malbec (Best Buy) ^
José Hernández Toso founded this winery
with his brother in 2003, naming it for Mendoza's indigenous people. He produces Taymente from vineyards at 3,215 feet in altitude, preserving the freshness of their fruit
with fermentation in stainless-steel tanks
before finishing the wine in new oak barrels.
The result layers fresh, dark plum and berry
flavors over coffee and licorice notes while
smooth, fine tannins bind them together. §
Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
124479
2017 Uco Valley Old Vine Malbec ^ From
50-year-old vines in La Consulta and Gualtallary, high-altitude subregions of the Uco Valley, this needs air to get beyond its charredoak notes. Then the fruit comes up, meeting
the wood in warm roasted-plum-and-cherry
flavors. It's a friendly, mellow red for a winter evening. § Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA
123600
2016 Mendoza Passo Doble ^ Masi, based in
Italy's Veneto region, set up shop in Tupungato in 1999. They brought corvina with
https://www.bodegasbianchi.com.ar/collections/vinos-tintos/valle-de-uco http://www.vinodelsol.com/thewineries/altocedro.html https://www.dreyfusashby.com/enrique-foster/
Wine & Spirits - October 2019

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