2005 Catena Alta Malbec Mendoza 14% (US price $43/Brazil price $65)
Deep purple color. Fragrant nose of plum and oak vanilla, with tobacco and herbs. Good acidity, balanced by sweet, opulent fruit. Light to medium tannins. Very good but, as with the recently tasted Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon, I would expect, at this level, more complexity or uniqueness of personality. I thought this equivalent in quality to the Alta Cabernet Sauvignon, but Marcia preferred the latter. A level below the Vina Cobos Marchiori Vineyard malbec and the Achaval-Ferrer single vineyard malbecs (which, admittedly, cost more). Aged 12 months in French oak, 50% of it new. Grapes sourced from five microclimates: Lot 18 from Angelica vineyard in Lulunta (2,850 ft), Lot 4 from La Pirámide vineyard in Agrelo (3,100 ft), Lot 1 from Altamira vineyard in La Consulta (3,000 ft) and Lots 3 and 9 from Adrianna vineyard in Tupungato (4,600 and 4,725 ft).