Three Achàval-Ferrer reds and a Viña Cobos chardonnay

A friend recently came back from Buenos Aires with bottles of the basic Achàval-Ferrer malbec and the mid-range Quimera, so I added a bottle of the top-of-the-line Finca Bella Vista so we could sample the three levels in sequence, over a dinner of roast beef and asparagus rice, with a Viña Cobos chardonnay accompanying a simple green salad as a starter. All four bottles were opened 3 hours prior to serving, the chardonnay kept cool with one of those ugly metallic plastic wine bottle sleeves that hibernate in freezers.

2004 Viña Cobos Bramare Marchiori Vineyard
Made in partnership with the well-known American winemaker Paul Hobbs, this was a lovely shade of gold in the glass. Elegant nose of oak vanilla and honey, unctuous in the mouth, where clover honey, butter, caramel and burnt sugar came together in harmony. Excellent fruit/acid balance, very long finish, only the high alcohol (14.7%!) preventing it from being as classy as a very full-bodied Meursault might be. But still outstanding, surely a candidate for finest South American white. Score: 94

2004 Achàval-Ferrer Malbec Mendoza
100% malbec. Dark ruby in the glass, very particular aroma of shiitake, capers and, after about an hour, plums. In the mouth, medium to high tannins, pepper, and burnt rubber. Excellent fruit/acid balance, but alcohol level (13.9%) again felt intrusive. A wine of strong and distinctive personality, that tastes uncompromising; hard to believe this is an entry level wine. Still not mature, with many years left in the bottle. Score: 91

2002 Achàval-Ferrer Quimera
A blend of malbec, cabernet, and merlot. Darker ruby, with a more bordelais nose of blackcurrants, leather, olives and capers, like a mixture of the preceding wine with a cru bourgeois. Also something else, which I could only describe as wet cardboard, but nice. Higher acid and lower tannin than the malbec, also less alcohol (13.5%). Still young. More harmonious, but less personality, and I want my Argentinean wines to have that strong Argentinean personality, unfrenchified (for that, we have France and, nearby, Chile). Score: 90

2003 Achàval-Ferrer Finca Bella Vista
100% malbec from nearly 100-year old vines. Inky and impenetrable black in the glass, with an absolutely ethereal nose of crushed violets. In the mouth, refined, subtle, yet muscular flavors of cherry and pepper, with high acidity and tannins in perfect balance with fruit and alcohol (13.5%). Extremely long finish. At least a decade of superb drinking ahead. An amazing wine that I hope nobody discovers, as only about a 100 cases are made every year. Score: 94

A very satisfying showing by all four wines, the only surprise being my preference for the basic malbec over the Quimera. The entire Achàval-Ferrer line seems superb, and while I find the top Viña Cobos malbec as wonderful as the Achàval-Ferrer fincas (Altamira, Bella Vista and Mirador), at other price points I prefer Achàval-Ferrer to Viña Cobos because I have the impression (based on limited experience) that the former is more typically and expressively Argentinean.

Thanks for the heads up Oswaldo. I have some of the entry level Achaval-Ferrer which I paid $20 Cdn a bottle. The store also had 2/3 of the higher end wines too but I passed (for now).

[David M. Bueker]

The Malbecs sound delicious. Thanks for posting.

A local shop has the Altamira from 2003 and 2004, but both approach $100 US. I'm not sure that I am ready to spend that kind of $ on Malbec.

The Malbecs sound delicious. Thanks for posting.

A local shop has the Altamira from 2003 and 2004, but both approach $100 US. I'm not sure that I am ready to spend that kind of $ on Malbec.

David, I have the same reaction as you regarding hundred dollar malbec. I have no doubt that it's good, but THAT GOOD? I recently bought 3 bottles of 2003 SLWC Fay vineyard cabernet for just over $120, ($41 each) and think that the money was better spent there.

Yes, the price is daunting, and the Viña Cobos Marchiori Vineyard is even more expensive, at $150.

I have a vested interest in investigating malbec because Brazil has trade agreements with Argentina, Chile and Uruguay that make their wines less expensive than European wine. About 3 or 4 years ago I went to a tasting in New York of 15 of the most famous South American reds, including all the famous Chileans and several other Argentineans, like Nicolas Catena. The three Fincas were the last three served, and the only ones among the 15 that tasted like nothing I had ever tasted before, i.e., were not geared towards either the European or American palate (to the extent one can make such sweeping generalizations). To me, they blew everything else away at that tasting, and have since given me considerable pleasure, without fail. To me, it is not so much how good they are (hugely important, of course) that matters in this case but how expressive they are of a very different terroir, offering a refreshing counterpoint to my other favorites (the usual suspects, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, Brunello...).

I can't say that I've bought any $100 malbec. But I will say that I went with Oswaldo to an EWS tasting of S. American wines a couple years ago. My favorites (by a large margin) were the Achaval Ferrer single vineyards, especially the Mirabel (I think) and the Bella Vista. At $80-100, they are as good or better for my tastes than the vast majority of comparably priced Bordeaux or CalCabs. The reason I don't buy is that I seldom spend that much on newer wines, and if I do it's probably on the wines I regard as in top 1% (for my tastes) of Burgundy or Bdx, and I'm continuing verticals.

Dale, the single vineyard you mention is the Finca Mirador (not Mirabel).

Its very interesting to read how perception of Malbec is continuing to change.... I think the concept of "x" amount of money being "too much" to pay for a Malbec is going to go the same way that "y" amount of money was "too much" to pay for Australian Shiraz some 10-12 years ago.

Im of course an interested party since Im ITB, but since Im here in Buenos Aires and because of this 99% of this board is far away enough for me for me to (I think) still be able to get away with saying this: For folks that enjoy these high end malbecs, buy them now, as these prices will not be around for very long and before you now it... they will get more expensive. Ive been telling this to collectors for the past 4 years, and those that have not listened are now sorry they didnt follow their palate.

Just my 2 cents.