2012 Cobos Bramare VD Malbec Touza Vineyard Mendoza

A purity of fruit here with dark berries plus black currants and flowers. Meaty. Full-bodied, with a savory, decadent character and beautiful depth of fruit. Velvety tannins. Gorgeous. First year of this single vineyard wine from the district of Las Compuertas. Wonderful is all I can say. Drink now.

Very smoky, with aromas of bacon and roasted sesame seeds, the 2012 Bramare Malbec Touza Vineyard is sourced form Las Compuertas, a higher up zone in Luján de Cuyo. 2012 is the first vintage for this wine that is sourced from the cooler part of Luján. The nose has some paprika, cloves and cracked pepper aromas and hints of barbecued meat. The palate has a dry texture with some oak tannins that need time in bottle. The vineyard here is one of the highest in Las Compuertas, with more sand than clay, relatively light and alluvial rocks below. This is a large, ripe, heady and well- oaked Malbec.

The Touza vineyard is in Las Compuertas, not far from the Mendoza River. It's a coolish site and that shows in the wine with its fine-grained tannins, floral lift and piercing black fruits, underpinned by acidity and vivacity. Drink: 2016-20

Saturated full ruby. Cooler aromas of cassis, blackberry, dark chocolatey oak and minerals. Less open-knit and immediately sexy than the Marchiori Vineyard Malbec, conveying a distinct medicinal reserve to the tight flavors of black cherry, blackberry, anise and violet. Less sweet and plush and more backward, finishing dry and classic. This impressive wine from young vines is dominated by its structure today and needs time. (A second bottle of equal quality was a bit more meaty and generous, showing a finer-grained texture and smoother tannins.) - Stephen Tanzer

Blackened and charred on the nose, there are also blueberry, herb and earth notes to get this balanced yet huge Malbec going. Blackberry, black plum and pie crust flavors finish cedary, with pastry notes and lasting black fruit. If you want power but also elegance and purity from your red wine, this is it. Drink through 2022.