Viña Cobos, Cobos Malbec, 2023
Viña Cobos, Cobos Malbec, 2023
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Malbec
Couldn't load pickup availability
Enquire about this item
Drinking window: 2026 - 2035
Est. delivery in 2027
Paul Hobbs, founding partner and winemaker at Viña Cobos, has been exploring Mendoza's diverse terroirs since 1988, focusing on the most exceptional regions in Luján de Cuyo and the Valle de Uco to create wines that distinctly express their origins.
By employing sustainable farming practices, the vineyard consistently produces healthy, high-quality fruit. In the winery, the grapes are handled with care, and meticulous winemaking techniques are applied to create wines of complexity, elegance, and balance.
The inaugural vintage of Cobos Malbec in 1999 was a landmark in viticulture, challenging existing standards and establishing both Malbec and Argentina on the global wine stage.
What the critics say:
"A gorgeous red with aromas of flowers, rose stems, black fruit and pencil shavings that turn to violets and lavender. Crystal clear. Medium- to full-bodied with superfine tannins and flavors of wild thyme, sage and blueberries at the end. So subtle and seductive. A super rendition of this wine. Drink or hold."
The vineyards sit at altitudes between 900 and 1,200 metres in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, where the combination of intense Andean sunshine and cold nights preserves acidity and aromatics that lower-altitude Malbec simply cannot match. Soils are predominantly sandy loam over clay and gravel, well-drained and low in fertility, which keeps yields naturally in check and concentrates flavour in the berry. The proximity of the Andes provides reliable meltwater irrigation and a wide diurnal temperature swing — the engine behind Mendoza's finest reds. These conditions give the Cobos Malbec its characteristic density alongside the freshness that makes it genuinely age-worthy.
Mendoza is Argentina's most important wine region, accounting for around two-thirds of the country's total production, though quality at the top end is anything but diluted. Luján de Cuyo, one of Mendoza's most respected sub-zones, was Argentina's first officially recognised appellation of origin, built on old Malbec plantings and alluvial soils that produce some of the country's most structured reds. The Uco Valley, further south and at even higher altitude, has become the focus of the new wave of precision viticulture, prized for its cool nights and mineral-edged wines. Together these two districts represent Mendoza at its most ambitious.
The 2023 vintage in Mendoza arrived with its own particular rhythm. Spring brought adequate rainfall to replenish the soils after several drier years, though producers had to stay alert during flowering to manage the increased humidity. Summer unfolded with the kind of temperature swings that make Mendoza tick: hot days balanced by those crucial cool nights that flow down from the Andes, preserving acidity whilst allowing phenolic ripening to proceed at its own pace.
What emerged from the cellars shows Mendoza at its most expressive. The Malbecs display that wonderful combination of concentrated dark fruit and mineral backbone that comes when the vines have enough water early on but must work a bit harder later in the season. Cabernet Sauvignon benefited particularly well from the conditions, producing wines with structure and depth that should reward patience. Most 2023s are drinking beautifully now, offering immediate pleasure, though the better examples will happily cellar until 2035 or beyond.
OUR GROWERS
Viña Cobos
