Malbec, 'Reserve'

Score

94+

Score

93

Score

92

"The 2020 Malbec Reserve from the Uco Valley was 75% aged in foudres. Purple in the glass. This has a mild nose of herbs, violets and sweet and sour cherry. The 2020 is a red with refined, reactive tannins that will improve in the bottle, delivering intense flavor, a juicy flow and a bold expression. The feel is chalky and quite crunchy for a warm year."

Score

93

"The 2020 Malbec Reserve was produced from vines on limestone soils in Gualtallary (80%) and Altamira (20%) with concentration and elegance. It has 13.8% alcohol and keeps very good freshness and balance. It fermented with natural yeasts, and 75% of the volume matured in oak foudre for 18 months and the rest in raw concrete. They have had the courage to go for their own style, and this wine reflects that, but perhaps it's the most classical of their bottlings. It has ripeness without excess and varietal aromas of violet, iron and blood with an earthy touch and the chalky minerality in the texture. 2020 was a warm and dry vintage, and the wine manages to keep the poise and has the complexity of the noble origin but without the agility of the wines from 2019. 40,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2022."

Score

94

Score

92

"Beautiful nose with mixed berries, dried rose hips, ground spices and hints of mushrooms at the end. Medium- to full-bodied, polished and refined with harmonious, delicious fruit character. Smooth and supple with a lingering finish. Drink or hold."

Score

93

"The 2021 Malbec Reserve from Altos Las Hormigas, sourced from Paraje Altamira and Gualtallary in the Uco Valley, boasts a lean, precise character. Planted in chalky soils, it's a rich purple in the glass. The expressive nose presents enticing blueberry, violet, sage and other herb aromas. It has a compact, focused profile on the palate, with chalky tannins that contribute to the lean texture and a refreshing mouthfeel that highlights the wine's taut structure. The long, nuanced finish allows the wine's spare beauty to really come through."