4 Big Malbecs, and noteworthy differences

Achaval Ferrer, Finca Altamira 2013

Nice and round Malbec with typical flowerish aromas and straight plum and blackberries in the mouth. Not that attractive as the partners today. I´d say no more than 92 points for an 85 bucks bottle worth not even half the money.

Republica Malbec 2013

 Now we´ve got a great Malbec. Balanced and very attractive that will go quite short in the bottle. Deep and round. Long lasting and sweet mouth. A 96 point Malbec close to  30 bucks and one of the best Malbecs in today´s Argentina pampas.

De Angeles, Gran Malbec 2012

A 40 dollars bottle worth much much more. Even deeper and dark with stronger notes. A serious rival to Republica Malbec of Matias Ricchitelli. Actually a bit higher in finesse. I´d say a 97 points wonderfull young Malbec.

Primus Malbec 2004 (Bodega Salentein)

A 50 dollars Malbec with even more complexities and layers of an ever ageing wine. Still strong and straight but with beautiful notes of old tannins and woody added. A 97 points Malbec worthwhile searching.    

Viñedos Altamira Valley 2010, a great Uco´s Value under 10 bucks

Viñedos Altamira Valley, blend 2010, By Vistaflores State, USD 8-10
www.vistafloresestate.com

A 65% merlot from Altamira district (San Carlos Department) and some Cabernet sauvignon and Franc
from Vistaflores District (Tunuyan Departament) in Uco Valley.
Beautiful red, sweet ,ripe and balanced keeping a great attraction to the palate.
Nice black little berries with a toach of sweet bell pepper all perfumed with chocolate and tabacco from oak.
Not a superpremium concentration even though the streght is quite appropiate.
I´d say an 87 point red that being from Uco adds a plus to 89 points. Great value. Probably better 2 to 4 years old when the fruit core is still strong.

Sophenia Synthesis Malbec 2009, impressive and punchy Malbec Tupungato

Sophenia, Synthesis Malbec 2009, By Finca Sophenia, USD 38
www.sophenia.com.ar

A malbec from Tupungato Valley,(part of Uco Valley) Mendoza
Quite concentrated with black fruits and much,much oak like cocconut and chocolate with a moderated toast. For sure attractive to the palate of almost anyone. I might say this is a oak saturated malbec but I must also recognize. I refilled my cup with this wine. A 92 point malbec easy to bash and probably the first empty bottle on the reunion. A good value though. I guess it´ll turn weird after 4 years old when the fruit level down a little bit.

Oceano, Gran Reserva 2008, A coastal (Atlantic) Rio Negro Valley red to admire.

Oceano Gran Reserva 2008, By Bodega Oceano, USD 15
www.bodegaoceano.com

A single vineyard Malbec (40%) blend with some Merlot a Cabernet Sauvignon from coastal (Atlantic) Viedma Valley (low Rio Negro Valley), Rio Negro Province, North Patagonia.
A beautiful red to my palate showing a balanced palette of attributes reaching clearly to an Argentina great value.Wide and ripe mix of red and black little fruits with a proper acidity and alcohol to it. Gentle and firm tannins at the same time. Quite attractive and original even softer than the usual red of cold low altitude of mid land (dessert plateau) Patagonia.
A 91 point red that should live quite well next 2 years (4-6 years from vintage). Great value and a beautiful and original Patagonian to my palate.  

Primogenito Malbec 2008, a San Patricio Valley son with all the terroir driven structure

Primogénito Malbec 2008, By Bodegas Patritti, USD 13-14
http://bodegaspatritti.com.ar/

A premium malbec from San Patricio Valley in Neuquen Povince, North Patagonia.
Very nice and expressive at the same time. Ripe black plum and blueberries with some red cherries too. Chocolate and toast notes quite balanced. Wide and palatable. A malbec that should live well 4 to 6 years. An 89 point malbec son of North Patagonia and a great value.

Alegoria Chardonnay 2009 By Navarro Correas, an expressive yet balanced white blending Mendoza

Navarro Correas, Alegoria Chardonnay 2009, By Bodegas Navarro Correas, USD 16
www.ncorreas.com

A Chardonnay blending grapes from different vineyards of Uco Valley and Lujan de Cuyo.
Attractive and balanced even not over expressing oak neither fruit. Green apple with kiwi fruit mostly and some ripe peach undertone. Soft, very soft buttery envelope. Very soft toasty far on the late palate. A 90 point Chard that doesn´t look to improve any ahead of now. Great value for a premium Chard.

Punta Corral 2011, A Malbec and Syrah blend from high Jujuy to stress out the tarrior

Punta Corral 2011, By Bodega Fernando Dupont, USD 15
www.bodegafernandodupont.com

A Melbec and Syrah blend with a little bit of Cabernet Sauvignon from Maimara Valley, Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy Province.
A naturally concentrated red with tipicity of the high valleys of Jujuy (2,500 mts/8,200 ft).
Aromatic with expressive black plums, ripe and sour. Very nice tannins on the palate with clear reminiscence of cumin and a meaty add to it (that could actually be my own remembrance of Salta´s 'empanadas' full, I mean full of cummin).
Fairly friendly and round even not oaky at all. I don´t feel it like cellaring more than 4 years. I know very few Northwest wines nicely aged after 4-5 years old.
I´d say an 89 point red and a very good value at a premium shelf.

Manos Negras, Malbec 2009, stone soli select, An Altamira red to impress most palates

Manos Negras, malbec 2009 stone soil select, By Manos Negras SA, USD 20
www.not found whatsoever

A malbec from Altamira District of La Consulta, San Carlos Departament, Mendoza.
Impressive malbec with ultraripe black fruits typical of Uco´s wines. Only Barossa´s reds go closer in terms of such a natural concentration and balance. Ultra charged with coffee and dark chocolate too.
Hard to get away from it. Few palates will turn their back to this malbec. A 91 point malbec a little bit overcharged
by oak to my palate. To enjoy up to 4-6 y/o. Great value.

Leo, Premium Malbec 2010, a punching malbec from San Rafael

Leo, Premium Mabec 2010, By Bodega Bianchi & Leo Mezzi Foundation, USD 12-14

www.casabianchi.com.ar/leo

A single vineyard malbec (Doña Elsa, San Rafael Valley), South Mendoza.

Dark and concentrated with strong fruits ,mostly ripe blackberries and black california plums and

a strong chocolaty and coffee driven oak. The kind of malbec that strikes hard on the palate with all the pieces x 2 the usual strength. A 90 point malbec conceived to impress and call for a second bottle soon. The wine gets my taste buds close to saturation. In any case a very attractive malbec and a great value at the premium level. It should gain complexity 3-5 y/o from vintage but given the concentrated structure it looks better to enjoy before 2-3 y/o.  

Innovacion, Aglianico 2011, very nice and attractive under 10, #2

Innovacion, Anglianico 2011, By Bodega Santa Julia (Familia Zuccardi), USD 6-7

www.santajulia.com.ar

A red wine from Santa Rosa Vineyards East Mendoza from a grape known to be born in Greece and widely produced in south Italy. 

Gentle and nice red. Reminds me the Barbera grape in Mendoza. Quite balanced and delicate with dry red cherries and a toasty note to round it up nicely. An 86 points and great value too. This well balanced and attractive decent red is a great value at the retail price offered. A young to drink young before 4 y/o

Innovacion Arinarnoa 2010, nice and attractive under 10, #1

Innovacion, Arinarnoa 2010, By Bodega Santa Julia (Familia Zuccardi), USD 6-7

www.santajulia.com.ar

A Santa Rosa Vineyard (east Mendoza) from a grape made of merging Merlot and Petit Verdot (INRA, France).

Fruity and nicely sour giving a very nice palate with tasty notes. Attractive and quite appropiate for any fast

food or appetizer. I got gladly surprised given the attractive and gentle price. The price band (say 5 to 9 bucks) is the one

Argentina´s  wine got a great say to show off. A great Argentina´s value at this price range. I´ll go 86 points. Don't expect more

after 2-4 y/o age. 

  

Portal Andino, Gran Malbec 2009, basic and nice but hard to join with 15 bucks price

Portal Andino, Gran Malbec 2009, By Frutal Genetica SA, USD 15
no www. what so ever

A single vineyard malbec from General Alvear (Lower Atuel River Valley), South Mendoza.

A nice malbec with the basics in there. Plummy and a good deal of red and black berries ripe and sweety. 
Mild oak notes mostly toasty and chocolate. An 88 point no to remembrer malbec with some remembrance of virtued south mendoza
A good malbec but hard to join with the 15 bucks to pay.

Pannunzio Malbec 2010, a delicate yet attractive Malbec from somewhere Mendoza

Pannunzio Malbec 2010, By Giovanni Vincenzo, USD 12
http://www.laspiedraspuravid.com

A malbec balanced and delicate with very nice and fine mixed red and black fruits with a admirable palate. Nicely aromatic and floral with a violet edge. Midly oaky keeping the complexity on the palate.
I´d say an 89 point malbec that reminds me some Uco´s and some Central Mendoza´s (like 'primera zona') virtues mixed in one bottle.
I wouldn´t cellar it more than 4 years given the delicate structure showing off. Great value, no doubt. A wine to enjoy several times now and then.

Zorzal ,Pinot Noir 2012, from Gualtallary a very competitive red

Zorzal, Pinot Noir 2012, By Zorzal Wines, USD 10
www.zorzalwines.com

A young Pinot Noir from Gualtallary District of Tupungato Departament, Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Nice aromas of red fresh fruits cherry type. The redish with a shade of violet tell the earliest stage this red is on. Good balance of fruit and just a mild toast and chocolate finish. Attractive toach of blue/black little fruits like blueberries. An 87 point Pinot, nice and round. Probably better before 4 years old. Great value at a premium level, very competitive.

Viniterra Pinot Noir 2011, an easy and smooth Pinot from Agrelo

Viniterra Pinot Noir 2011, By Viniterra Wines, USD 
www.viniterra.com.ar

Pinot Noir grapes from high Agrelo district in Lujan de Cuyo Dpt, Central Mendoza.
A light red with typical red cherry sweety marmalade floral and smoky. Easy to drink  and enjoy without much question to it. The wine is smooth and delicate with a nice soft bitter undertone.
An 86 point Pinot worthwhile the price and the try by the same way. Good value and I wouldn´t cellar it more than 4 years.

Finca Intimayu Malbec 2009, A San Rafael Valley malbec with all the basics

Finca Intimayu Malbec 2009, By Finca Intimayu SRL, USD 12
www.fincaintimayu.com

A Malbec from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza.
Reaching what I expect from that wine country, red cherries with wide palate and smooth oak toaches like
toast and chocolate. Nice and balanced, attractive and typical. An 88 point premium level malbec fulfilling what you should expect from San Rafael Valley´s malbec. Very good value though.

Surcado Malbec 2011, a south mendoza basic at a gentle price.

Surcado Malbec 2011, By Santa Rosa Agro SRL, USD 7
no www. so far

A 100% malbec from Alvear Departament of South Mendoza
A soft and ligh weigh malbec but all the basics in there. Plummy and red berries (typical of south mendoza) with nice balance in between. Good touch on the palate. An 84 points malbec and a good value for 7 bucks. To drink up to 2 years from vintage.  

Stradivarius, Port de Magoas 2005, a fortified port style from San Rafael Valley

Stradivarius, Porto de Magoas 2005, By Valentin Bianchi SACIC, USD 34
www.casabianchi.com.ar

A Port styled red well matured and aged in casks from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza. Dense and dark brownish. Toasty and figs from the nose out.
Nice and balanced with some complexity and a palette of dry fruits and confitures. A chocolaty note stiks out too. Some dry leaves notes that I didn´t expect Eighteen and eight per cent vol/vol of alcohol. An 89 point fortified red wine and a good value.

Callia Magna Terroir Selection, Shiraz 2010, From Tulum Valley a basic value

Callia Magna Shiraz 2010 (terroir selection) , By Bodegas Callia (Salentien Family), USD 10
www.bodegascallia.com

A shiraz from Tulum Valley in San Juan Province.
Nice and easy red with timid pushes of a tipical shiraz. Fruit driven with notes of spice without lossing the sweet caramel and marmalade. A couple of oak descriptors like chocolate and cinnamon. I woulnd´t go more than 86 points and cellar more than 2-3 years either. Barely a good value for the price/quality relation.

Viña Alicia ,Paso de Piedra Malbec 2008, a strange and attractive malbec from Lujan de Cuyo

Paso de Piedra, Malbec 2008, By Viña Alicia, USD 15
www.vinaalicia.com

A Malbec from Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza
Quite unusual malbec with dark tones of black fruits mixed with a spice and mint shade that we are definitely not used to in most malbecs. Oregano, mint and black peppercorn in right keep with sweet fruit is just an intriguing and pleasurable experience here. I would go close to 89 points only because I´m not used to it and feel it kind of strange. I understand its a great value. Probably best by 4-6 years given the tannins and basic structure.

Pulenta XI, Gran Cabernet Franc 2009, a very nice Agrelo

Pulenta XI,Gran Cabernet Franc 2009, By Pulenta Estate, USD 36
www.pulentaestate.com

A Cabernet Franc from Agrelo district, Lujan de Cuyo Dpt, Central Mendoza.
A nice fruity and attractive red with ripe fruits albeit dominant at the palate with some peppery and herbal notes somehow branching off. Acidity and alcohol quite appropriate. Oaky stuff nice and delicate with
vanilla included. A 92 point red and a good value. I don´t feel ageing this red more than 4-6 years would bring a better wine,at least to my palate.

Finca Perdriel, Centenario 2006, A superwine and one of the best ever

Finca Perdriel, centenario 2006, By Bodega Norton, USD 66
www.norton.com.ar

A Malbec based blend with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Perdrial Dictrict of Lujan de Cuyo Departament ,Central Mendoza.
A superwine expressing the highest level of quality. Plenty of concentrated and ripe fruits mostly black and red small cherries. An impressive and fine oak component with vanilla and dark chocolate. The overall impression is a fine and elegant wine with expensive attributes and virtues. A 95 point malbec based blend may be not sold international and probably close to 'Norton Privada' or 'Gernot Langes'. One of the best Argentina´s wines ever. Ready to be at its best at 8-10 years old.

Alfredo Roca, Dedicacion Personal, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, from San Rafael Valley an introduction to the source of the best Cabs

Alfredo Roca, Dedicacion Personal, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, By Roca Wines, USD 18
www.rocawines.com 

A Cabernet Sauvignon from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza.
Great and complete Cab like San Rafael often brings out. Full body with a nice core fruit and peppery surrounding. The herbal toach is quite mild like you see with fully ripe Cabs. Very attractive palate with mild toasty and chocolaty notes. A 90 point red and a great value. Probably best between 4 and 6 years old. This Cab introduces to the best Cabs from Mendoza, those from San Rafael Valley.

Intimo, Family Reserve 2010, a modern and attractive Rio Negro Valley red to exalt Patagonia´s virtues

Intimo, Family Reserve 2010, By Bodega Humberto Canale, USD 18
www.bodegahcanale.com

A Malbec based blend with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc from Rio Negro Valley, General Roca, Rio Negro Province.(North Patagonia). A really attractive Patagonian blend with character and nice oaky stylish envelope. Ripe bunch of fruits, not overt in any way,
be that sugary, be that cooked one. Red and black cherrires, plum and peppery note. Spiciness and chocolate with vanilla a in all together in a nice balance.
A 90 point Patagonian. A great value to enjoy its best before 4 years old I guess.

Viniterra Carmenere 2010, a delicate yet attractive red from High Agrelo district

Viniterra Carmenere 2010, By Viniterra Wines, USD 13
www.viniterra.com.ar

A Carmenere from High Agrelo District of lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza.
Nice and delicate like Carmenere uses to be. Red soft and smooth cherries with a nice and friendly acidity and a toach of toast
that gives the wine an exotic edge. Very mild spice and almost no herbal edge to it, both of which are fairly common in Chile´s Carmenere. A wine to enjoy complete before 3 to 4 years old
A wine most people will enjoy easily. An 88 point red and a great value too ,at the premium level. 

Viniterra Malbec 2009, from high agrelo district to place malbec at the pinnacle

Viniterra Malbec 2009, By Viniterra Winery, USD 13
www.viniterra.com.ar    

A malbec from High Agrelo District of Lujan de Cuyo Departament Central Mendoza.
A delicious malbec at a premium level with balance and great attractiveness. A malbec expressed at a such a beauty level capable of disputing Cabernet´s reign as a complete grape. Red cherries merged with ripe red and black plums and a touch of chocolate and toast from oak to round it up nicely.Very smooth and complete perception at the palate. No herbal neither spice edges like you find in cabs and Merlot or syrah based wines. An 89 point red probably best by 4-5 years old. A great Argentina´s value. It shows why malbec should be one of the best, if not the best, choice to make single grape (great) wines.

Andeluna Reserve Merlot 2006, a very nice Tupungato´s red

Andeluna Merlot Reserve 2006, By Andeluna Cellars, USD 20
www.andeluna.com

A merlot from Tupungato Valley, part of Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Nice red cherries and black plum mix with a little overt acidity which departs a bit from the usual friendly sweetness I´m used to by ARG´s malbec. This is not a drawback but a educated taste I´m used to. Good balance and attractiveness all through the palate with nice aftertaste. Soft even expressive oak on sweet chocolate. A 90 point merlot and a good value. It probably will get better in a couple of years with more terciary and softer notes.

Algodon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, in keeping with San Rafael Valley´s beauty

Algodon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, By Algodon Wine Estates, USD 17

www.algodonwines.com

A Cabernet Sauvignon from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza.
Round and mature CS even when it should get a little better next 2 to 4 years. Balanced fruits mostly boysenberries aom nd red ripe plums. Nice chocolate and toast also in there. Nice palate with a good palette of choices. Sweet roasted red bell peppers and slightly toated black peppercorns. A 90 point CS in keeping with the terroir standard and kindly treated on the barrique cellaring. Good value too. I liked more the malbec and bonarda from this series and the previous 2008 vintage.

CarinaE Cuvee Brigitte 2009, round and expressive Cruz de Piedra Malbec based blend

CarinaE Cuvee Brigitte 2009, By CarinaE Bodega & Viñedos, USD 11
www.carinaevinos.com

A 72% malbec and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Cruz de Piedra District, Maiupu Departament, Central Mendoza.
A realy nice malbec based blend with strong terroir driven fruit and a balancing oak, mostly a beautiful (to me) dark chocolate (like 90% cocoa). Wide in palate displaying red berries and cherries with less plummy effect. Good red bell pepper and herbal toach too. Nicely balanced and attractive. An 89 point red fully expressed and balanced in the premium quality. Great value a that level.Probably better before 4 y/o of age.

Noemia Malbec 2006, a pure malbec superstar from Rio Negro Valley and one of the top

Noemia Malbec 2006, By Bodega Noemia de la Patagonia, USD 120
www.bodeganoemia.com

A single old vineyard Malbec from Rio Negro Valley, Rio Negro Province, North Patagonia.
The best Rio Negro Valley Malbec expression. No better moment of maturity than now where balanced attributes dominate. Fruit and ageing roundness with tipical Northpatagonia´s imprints. Not even close to overoaky notes. Wide, wide on the palate with golden complexity more toward red sour Patagonia´s fruits. A 97 point malbec and also one of the top superstar.

Mauricio Lorca Inspirado, Blend 2008, one of the top superstar

Mauricio Lorca Inspirado blend 2008, By Bodega & Viñedos Mauricio Lorca, USD 75
www.mauriciolorca.com

A signature wine blend of Malbec, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon from Vistaflores district in Uco Valley (Tunuyan Departament), Mendoza.
Simply astonishing and complete. Everything is there, you name it. The best virtue is that you may say every fruit from each other, from red cherries and raspberries to black plum, blackcherries and blueberries. A nice spicy note with some black and green peppercorn and a minty toach too. Complex and not overexpressed oak. Same attractiveness as Cobos malbec but more complex and fleshy and a little less bright red carpet dressing stuff. A 98 point red blend that may gather more terciary notes next few years. One of the top superstar. Six to 8 y/o of cellar may bring the best.

TEHO, malbec Altamira 2010, a superwine without overexpression

Teho, Malbec 2010, Altamira mendoza, By 55 Malbec, USD 60
www.vinodelsol.com  (USA importer)

A 90% malbec from Altamira distric of San Carlos Departament, Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Only a dash of petit verdot and cabernet franc. Quite impressive and seductive red showing all the Altamira´s beauty to a malbec.Bunches of ripe and round fruits, mostly black berries and plum. Good oak to it but not over the top.It reaches the point of impressive expression without overexpression, although this is somehow personal for sure. A 94 point malbec now and ready for a couple points more in a few years. Probably best at 4-6 y/o. A great value and one of the top for sure.

Cobos Malbec 2007, a superstar to conquer everybody at first sip

Cobos Malbec 2007, By Bodega Viña Cobos, USD 200
www.vinacobos.com

A single vineyard malbec located in Perdriel Distric of Lujan de Cuyo Departament, Central Mendoza.
Astonishing malbec with elegance ,complexity and attractiveness enough to conquer any palate. This particular bottle showed a bit of detectable oxidation. In spite of that, you get a very attractive malbec with mostly black and red berries (which I´m used to look after in a more higher malbec like Uco´s) , black plums in sweet ripeness.
Much chocolate and vanilla from french oak. Soft spices like dry black peppercorn,sage and fresh mint. A 98 point malbec that looks better somewhere 4 to 8 years old to splash along some accents. A superstar to conquer everybody at first sip.

Mantra Pinot Noir 2011, a tipical North Patagonia´s value to enjoy properly

Mantra Pinot Noir 2011, By Secreto Patagonico , USD 13
www.secretopatagonico.com

A Pinot Noir from San Patricio Vallley, Neuquen Province, North Patagonia.
A pure patagonian PN with nice maturity and expression. Sour and redish cheeries dominant with a beautiful toast and dryness quite impressive to my palate. It´s got tannins to endure but I don´t know if fuity enough after 4 y/o. A 88 point PN and a very good value from Patagonia.

Algodon Estate Pinot Noir 2008, a well expressed terroir driven PN

Algodon Estate Pinot Noir 2008, By Algodon Wines, USD 17
www.algodonwines.com

A wonderful Pinot Noir from San Rafael Valley, South Mendoza
A fully expressed PN with ripe fruits and chocolate. It expresses nice tannins with wide palate and a mix of red cherrries and black berries. Beautiful balance mostly expressed on the palate.
Probably best 4-6 y/o. One of the greatest PN along the line of Uco´s and Patagonia´s juices. This time kind of in the middle: not so black fruit driven as uco´s nor red fruit driven as Patagonia.
A 91 point PN to enjoy plenty. A must to appreciate some PN differences in Argentina´s imprints.

Alfredo Roca, Family Reserve Temranillo 2004, a great San Rafael red as expected

Alfredo Roca, Family Reserve, Tempranillo 2004, By Roca SA, USD 15
www.rocawines.com

A very nice and friendly Tempranillo red from San Rafael Valley ,South Mendoza.
Even though 8 y/o by now it brings fresh berries and confited black raspberries in that sugary structure tipical of Tempranillo far less acid and strong than most Spain brothers. Good maturity although it tastes a little bit weak. So probably before 6 y/o was its golden momentum the get the best. Now an 88 point red enjoyable and fair, surely once upon a time above 90 points. No doubt a San Rafael´s great value like mostly expected.

Las Perdices Reserve Albariño 2011, an unusual grape giving an alluring wine in Agrelo Terroir

Las Perdices Reserve, Albariño 2011 (Limited Edition), By Viña Las Perdices SA, USD 13
www.lasperdices.com

A white grape from Portugal (albarinho) and Galicia (rias baixas) grown in Agrelo District of Lujan de Cuyo, Central Mendoza by Juan Muñoz Lopez and Family.
Impressive white with great structure and temper. White peach and a nice mix of white flowers,citric and yellow peach in a good balance with acidity and alcohol. Nice sip and attractive overall palate. A 90 point white ready to reach out popularity. Good value.

Trumpeter Rose de Malbec Sparkling 2007, a must for a malbec lover and everybody else

Trumpeter, Rose de Malbec Sparkling 2007, By Rutini Wines, USD 18



www.rutiniwines.com


A malbec from Tupungato Valley vinified into rosé and then into sparkling by champenoise methode (also named 'méthode traditionelle') with lees contact for 16 months.
Here´s a really attractive sparkling that cleverly combines technique and  malbec. A soft salmon red with toaches of brownish shades. Quite straight nose with aromas of lees and red cherries or ripe plums. Delicate and atractive palate with soft malbec´s fruits and surrounded by a toasty toach. It keeps a very good balance of a champenoise and adding nicely the malbec beauty in rosé balance. A 90 point spark very impressive and unique. A must for malbec lovers.

Ricardo Santos Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, a signature CS from Uco Valley

Ricardo Santos, Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, By Ricardo Santos, USD 13



www.ricardosantos.com/  (site under construction)

 A signature wine By Ricardo Santos from somewhere in Uco Valley, Mendoza.
Sweet and delicate even preserving the ABC of a Cab with black cherries, nice undertones of roasted red bell pepper, and a subtle spice like black & green peppercorns. Very soft oaky stuff. An 88 point CS that should improve something next 3-4 years as it grows older. Good value all in all.

Marcelo Pelleritti Reserve Malbec 2010, with love from Uco Valley

Marcelo Pelleritti, Reserva Malbec 2010, USD 19

didn´t find any www.
A signature wine by Marcelo Pelleritti from somewhere in Uco Valley.
Actually a tipical Uco´s Malbec with bunch of ripe black cherries and berries, sweet and quite atractive from the first sip on. Soft chocolaty note too. Not very complex though although straight and simply attractive.
I´d say an 89 point malbec atractive like a confit of black cherries & berries. Probably best before 4 years old. Good value.