Viña Cobos, Cobos Malbec, 2019

"A compact and polished Cobos with lots of dark fruit, as well as green olives, flowers and stems. Raspberries and forest fruit, too. Full-bodied, very tight and compressed. Melted tannins give great presence and mouth-feel, but the feeling is that they are invisible. It goes on for minutes. Sensational. So sophisticated and thoughtful. An archetypal malbec from Argentina. Better after 2027."

"The 2019 Cobos is 71% from the Uco Valley and 29% from Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza and was 61% aged in new French oak. Intense purple in color. It offers the best of both terroirs: ripe plum, white pepper and a pinch of sweet spices from Luján; violets, lavender and cherries from Uco are present over a refined bed of aromas from the aging process such as cedar and sandalwood. The same equation is repeated in the mouth, where it’s creamy and voluminous, but also delivers a refreshing energy and an elegant, fairly taut texture. The lingering finish combines all these qualities with a rewarding flourish. Setting a benchmark for Malbec, it shouldn’t be drunk for at least three years, when it will have evolved even greater nuance and character."