Luca Old Vine Malbec 2019

Alcohol: 13.6%

Grape(s): 100% Malbec

Localization: Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Tasting Notes: This is a great example of Mendoza Malbec. Incredible deep purple-red color. Loads of spice and black and red cherry aromas with notes of chocolate. The berry flavors really pop on the palate as the wine has both a full mid-palate and lively acidity that leads to an incredibly long finish. A bottom note of freshly brewed espresso keeps the mouth-watering, too.

95 points James Suckling: Amazing depth and intensity to this old-vine malbec with blackberry and black-licorice character to the wine. Violets, too. It’s full and dense yet remains energetic and long. Polished, refined tannins. A gorgeous, plush red. Drinkable now for its generosity, but let it mellow with a few years of bottle age. Better after 2024.

Food pairing: Pairs well with foods such as venison or wild game, steak, pork, quail, all types of lamb, and medium-strong cheeses.

The Domain: Laura Catena is a fourth-generation winemaker who grew up in a traditional Argentine-Italian winemaking family in Mendoza. Laura splits her time between Mendoza and San Francisco, California, where she is an emergency physician, university professor and occasional tango dancer. Laura had the vision of creating a new breed of Argentine wines: small quantities, artisan quality, and true to their individual terroirs. A pioneer of small-grower relations in Mendoza, Laura's incredible, limited production wines come from some of Argentina's best fruit from low-yield, high-elevation, family-owned vineyards. The wines are named after her children - Luca, Dante and Nicola - and symbolize her love for her family. The background of the label is the McDermott coat of arms of her American husband, Daniel McDermott.