Winemaker Notes
A wine of an intense red color. It is very pure on the nose, with a pronounced fruity profile, especially red fruit, which reflects the typicity of the terroir. It is affable in the mouth and has fine-textured tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of sour black cherries, some baked currants and dried flowers, dried herbs and stems. A full-bodied red with broad-shouldered tannins. Chewy, but still polished and refined. More structured than the 2021 vintage, but less tangy. Characterful. From organically grown grapes. Better in 2024.
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Vinous
The 2020 Malbec BenMarco Sin Límites Orgánico is a blend of grapes from the Uco Valley. Bright purple in hue, the simple aromas are reminiscent of what you might find in a fermenting vat including violets, tuberose, fresh plum, blackberry and hints of gunpowder. The broad, juicy palate is relaxed but offers some light, shapely tannins before the long-lasting, fruity finish. The 2020 sets a standard for Malbec in a difficult year.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 BenMarco Sin Límites Malbec Orgánico comes from Casa de Uco in Los Chacayes, cropped from a warmer year, and the place is slightly warmer than the regular Malbec from BenMarco, which is from Los Arbolitos. It comes from colluvial soils with angular stones. There is an iron-like aroma, notes of violets, moderate ripeness and 14% alcohol for a warm year. Surprisingly enough, this wine has not had any added sulfur at any point, not even at bottling time; it's clean, precise and pristine. It's produced in a very reductive way, with no oak whatsoever. It's harmonious and juicy, with fine and round tannins.
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Wine Enthusiast
Made with organic grapes from Los Chacayes in Uco Valley, this wine is unoaked and ripe. The nose has fruity aromas of blackberries and cranberries. Good acidity supports flavors of prune and dried cherry mixed with leafy notes.
BenMarco is all about viticulture. Having planted more than 3,000 acres of vineyards across Argentina’s diverse terroirs, Edgardo “Edy” Del Popolo, General Manager of Susana Balbo Wines in Mendoza and head winemaker for BenMarco, is Argentina’s most knowledgeable winegrower. He has tasted almost every piece of dirt!
BenMarco wines are made with minimal intervention to allow for the purest interpretation of what’s underground on the extreme sites where the grapes for BenMarco are grown. “I try to avoid adding my influence to BenMarco wines,” Edy says. “What I really like to see is what the vines can do, without any kind of winemaking influence.”
Edy grows three red wines from three distinct, high-elevation sub-zones of Mendoza: a Malbec from Los Chacayes, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Los Árboles, and Expresivo, a red blend from Gualtallary.
Celebrated for its bold flavors and supple texture, Malbec has enjoyed runaway success in Argentina since the late 20th century. The grape originated in Bordeaux, France, where it historically contributed color and tannin to blends. A French agronomist, who saw great potential for the variety in Mendoza’s hot, high-altitude landscape, brought Malbec to Argentina in 1868. Somm Secret—If you’re trying to please a crowd, Malbec is generally a safe bet with its combination of dense fruit and soft tannins.
With a winning combination of cool weather, high elevation and well-draining alluvial soils, it is no surprise that Mendoza’s Uco Valley is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions in Argentina. Healthy, easy-to-manage vines produce low yields of high-quality fruit, which in turn create flavorful, full-bodied wines with generous acidity.
This is the source of some of the best Malbec in Mendoza, which can range from value-priced to ultra-premium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay also perform well here.