2014 Cobos Bramare VD Malbec Touza Vineyard Mendoza

My favourite of the single vineyard Malbec releases from Viña Cobos is sourced from a vineyard just to the north of the Mendoza River. It's fresh and subtle with notable minerality and notes of fresh tobacco, thyme and lavender supported by blackberry fruit. 2018-25

Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, violet and walnut shell. Full body, velvety tannins that are polished and tight. Very polished. Persistent finish. Needs another year or two to get it all together.

Representing the third vintage of a nine-year-old vineyard in Las Compuertas, a zone higher up in Luján de Cuyo, is the 2014 Bramare Malbec Touza Vineyard. It followed the standard treatment for the single vineyard wines--hand- harvested, double sorting table, four day cold soak, selected yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks with 25 days total maceration, 100% native malolactic fermentation and 100% barrel aged. In this case, 60% of the barrels were made of new French oak and 5% of new American oak. They didn't make this wine in 2015 because they had rot there, but this 2014 showed beautiful; I get the serious character of Las Compuertas, harmonious and balanced and great fresh aromas of thyme, faintly herbal. The palate is full-bodied with very good balance, refined tannins and a remarkable finish. It turned spicier with time in the glass, with a beautiful core of violets, expressive and with great energy, quite lifted, with a tasty, almost salty finish. In 2014 this is my favorite of the Bramare single vineyards. 4,500 bottles were filled unfiltered and unfined in November 2015.

Ripe blackberry and cassis aromas hint at raisin. A saturated palate is creamy and rich, with just enough acidic kick to supply energy. Baked black-plum and blackberry flavors include mocha and oak notes, while a rich, chocolaty finish cements the wine's full-fledged status. Considering that 2014 was a cool, tough year, this Malbec excels. Drink through 2026.

Elegant, offering hints of white pepper to the flavors of cherry, raspberry and currant, all matched to fresh acidity. Savory midpalate, with a finish that offers citrusy details to the cedar and spice notes. Drink now through 2022. 375 cases made. -KM