Malbec, 2020. Oso de Luna

Vineyard manager, Richard Herreiras, is a living testament to how great Argentina's Malbec can be. First of all, Malbec is all he grows on the winery's 13 acres of grapes, so it has to be great. He keeps his size small so he can literally attend to every vine in the vineyard.

Phoebe and Ken Loyd purchased the property in 2010 and slowly converted the peach orchards into Malbec vineyards. Phoebe is a viticulturist and sommelier in the United States, and Ken lived and worked at the Finca as operations manager. The vineyard is in a little known area of Mendoza called Barrancas, which coincidently is where Herreiras was born. Grapes have been grown here since the 1880s and have captured the hearts and palates of all who have experienced its wonders.

The vineyards are now approaching 10 years of age, which is when they begin to produce the best wines possible. Under Herreiras, that possibility is not a dream, but a reality. Malbec is one of the five principle grapes in Bordeaux, but it also the least used. Its harsh tannins and deep color were needed in small amounts. Too much Malbec was just too much. But, something happened when it landed here where it has become king.

Obviously, there's a match. It's only been in the last 20 years that it has exploded sending those wonderful black fruits, earth, saddle leather, and aggressive finish to the world where it can show off with a prime aged rib eye fresh off the grill.

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