The 2012 Terra Rosa is likely the most immediately drinkable and attractive Malbec Terra Rosa has ever produced. What was it about the 2012 vintage in Mendoza that gives the wine a softer and deeper mouth feel and allows it to be enjoyed without further ageing? The vintage was devoid of temperature and climactic extremes. Perhaps these moderate growing conditions promoted a full ripeness and balance without excess acid, tannin, or alcohol. Its color is even more intense than usual, with a nearly opaque dark violet rim that reaches out to the edge of the wine glass. The nose is full with ripe almost sweet blackberry fruit tones that are tempered by that "stony" quality one finds in the high altitude and rocky vineyards of the Valle de Uco. Not surprisingly, the mouth is complex and rich, with just enough tannins to cut through the fruit and ensure that the richness does not become too much of a good thing. Many current malbecs seem to begin and end with fruit, which makes drinking them boring and eventually tiring. A good wine needs to challenge the drinker to keep him interested.

The 2012 Terra Rosa, with its fine balance of fruit, acid, and tannin invites a second glass, and in my case, a third glass. Salut!! The photo shows what makes the high altitude soils of the southern Valle de Uco so special. A meter of sandy loam is underlain by a deep stratum of alluvial stones and rocks that have been washed down from the slopes of the Andes over the millennia. These sparse and well-drained soils provide the intensity and minerality that a good Malbec displays.

Pair with pizza, pastas, and simply grilled meats

Blend: 100% Malbec