Deep violet with garnet edges. Ripe concentrated black fruit driven aromatics with a hint of coconut and violets. Medium weight on the palate with fine fruit tannins and well-integrated oak and alcohol. Silky, yet bright in texture on the palate, refreshing. Medium to long finish. Truly at home with red meats and cheese.

Delicious in its youth, but will reward the patient collector 10 years on. Decant for enhanced aromatic expression and tannin moderation.

A year in the vineyard

At our Versado vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo, dry weather (precipitation 40% lower than usual), small berries and slightly lower yields (8085 kg from 7 acres); cooler temperatures overall. The 2019 harvest happened about one week earlier than usual on March 28, and the grapes were in pristine condition with not a hint of botrytis or downy mildew. We were concerned that there would be problems with frost, because of the dry spring, but a constant evening breeze made frosts rare this year.

Thankfully, there were no significant hailstorms. A high skin/juice ratio that resulted from the small berry size made for highly concentrated wines with great colour. Acidities ran higher than usual due to the cool climate. We expect the 2019s to be approachable when young, but also able to age. This vintage we decided to create a new label called “Centenary Vines”: an homage to our very old planting. These vines are a massale selection of own rooted malbec planted in a period in Argentina when quality and longevity of wines were at a pinnacle in the pursuit of fine winemaking.