Catena Appellation La Consulta Malbec 2019

This starts with some cedary notes, together with fresh violets, forest wood, crushed stone, and vibrant, redder-toned fruit. The palate offers such juicy and succulently elegant fruit flavor with fresh red berries and supple, long, focused tannins. Drink or hold.

Winemaker Alejandro Vigil culls grapes from several vineyards in La Consulta for this wine, fermenting it in stainless steel tanks and aging it in French oak barrels. Smoky wood tones dominate at first, but with time in the glass, lush purple fruit takes over, violet-scented and black-peppery. It’s also got a grip, a vertical structure that contributes a feeling of coolness and clarity despite its opulence.

The very primary and fruit-driven 2018 Appellation La Consulta Malbec revealed a varietal personality—juicy, with some of the chalky texture of the stony soils. Easy and juicy.

Concentrated raspberry and red cherry flavors are fresh and minerally and backed by lively acidity. The finish pops with red licorice and green olive accents. Drink now through 2023.