Matervini Tinto Los Chacayes (Malbec-Cabernet Franc) | 2019

Los Chacayes is a special place, and I love the wines from there. A relatively new sub-region of the Uco Valley, nestled in the Andes foothills, the elevation shifts from 1,000 to 1,700 meters and spans a myriad of soils, from volcanic rocks to clays to granites and sands. As a result, a diverse range of varieties thrive here, but the Malbec is particularly interesting, unlike anything else I have tasted from Mendoza. Matervini is a project, founded in 2008 by Santiago Achával and Roberto Cipresso, that exposes Mendoza's extraordinary terroirs using Malbec as its translator. Sourced from a cool, sandy site 1,200 meters above sea level, this "Tinto" Malbec is high-toned, feathery, and tastes like a pink-purple rainbow. Blended with 15% Cabernet Franc, sweet black spice, roses, and ballet-like tannins lift the palate. "Are you sure there's no carbonic?" I asked. The answer was, "No." This is just very pretty Malbec, rather Chacayes. ~Allegra A