Winemaker Notes
Red violet color. On the nose it is expressive and fresh, with floral notes, cherries and hints of vanilla. Subtle tannins and on the palate it is elegant, refined and lively.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Powerful and generous yet well-structured, this big and memorable wine comes 100% from Valle de Uco grapes grown by the winery’s top-performing growers. Aged in 30% new French oak for 18 months, it offers the complex cinnamon, nutmeg, toast and clove aspects of oak melding with ripe, succulent black fruit on the palate, leading to a lingering finish. Best from 2028.
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Vinous
The 2021 Malbec Vinculum is a combination of grapes from various vineyards across the Uco Valley. One-third of the wine was aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. This purplish wine features enticing aromas of violet and lavender, complemented by freshly crushed plums and fine wood notes along with hints of wild herbs. Juicy and rich in fruit, it has a plush palate with a delicate chalky finish and a long, complex aftertaste. This vintage beautifully combines the richness of a well-timed harvest with the freshness of a cooler growing season.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Entirely Malbec, the 2021 Malbec Vinculum is a block-selection from growers who supply some of the highest-quality grapes in the area. Made in relatively small amounts, it shows class and finesse within full-bodied concentration, a celebration of dense black fruit, violet, and thyme with subtle oak spice notes. Enjoy through 2036.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of fruit from Los Árboles, La Consulta and Gualtallary, the 2021 Vinculum Malbec matured for 18 months in 20% new barrique. An understated and saturated nose of fresh herbs, dried flowers and black fruits introduces a rich, creamy palate that maintains an upright posture supported by lifted acidity. It concludes with a refined, pleasantly drying finish with a balsamic undercurrent. This is a svelte and classy expression of Uco Valley Malbec.
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Wine Spectator
Dense and compact, this is built around fleshy plum and berry notes, with traces of cassis and graphite checking in. There's a good amount of tension midpalate, which a year or two in bottle could resolve, but the core flavors carry on, with a subtle hint of apple wood filling out the firming finish. Best after 2026.
Viña Cobos makes wines that are authentic expressions of the terroir from which they come. Paul Hobbs, founding partner and winemaker at Viña Cobos, has worked since 1988 in the exploration of the different terroirs of Mendoza, looking for the most distinguished regions in Luján de Cuyo and the Valle de Uco, to produce wines that uniquely express their origins.
Sustainable farming methods in the vineyard contribute to consistent yields of healthy fruit. In the winery, careful treatment of the grapes and meticulous winemaking techniques result in complex and elegant wines of subtlety and balance.
With the inaugural vintage of Cobos Malbec in 1999, Viña Cobos marked a milestone in viticulture, defying existing standards and firmly positioned Malbec and Argentina on the international wine scene. Since then, our prestigious wines have been recognized around the globe by critics and consumers alike.
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.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.