Wine Reviews

This slightly muscular version offers an alluring entry of chaparral, wild thyme and dried violet notes that fold over to the rich and contoured core of blackberry, plum paste and graphite flavors. There’s a slight tug of tannins, ending with coffee and dried cherry.

Drawn from vines planted in 1938 in sandy soils strewn with stones covered in calcium carbonate, the 2021 Malbec Temis is the lightest on its feet of the Alta Vista single-vineyard Malbces. An ethereal and compelling bouquet of dried herbs, purple flowers and wet stones introduces an elegantly taut, tensile mouthfeel that hits high in the palate yet remains grounded by the weightless intensity that tends to define the best examples of El Cepillo. The long, reverberant finish is rooted firmly in a persistent, mineral-laden core, lingering with refined tannins and an airy quality similar to the nose.

The palate is silky, polished and vibrant, deftly balancing seductive textural generosity with a palpably mineral-driven core. It closes with a composed, elegant finish framed by powdery, talc-like tannins and a stony persistence that comes to the fore with further aeration.

From vines planted in 1938 at 3,412 feet in El Cepillo, a sub-region in the Uco Valley, comes this silky Malbec. Fresh strawberry aromas on the nose are inviting. It has finely grained tannins and lots of red fruit flavors in the form of blackberries and strawberries on the palate.

Spicy dark berries, dried herbs and a touch of dark minerals on the nose. Full-bodied with vertical tannins, deep flavors and a long, tasty finish. Drink or hold.