Mendel's 2007 Malbec was sourced from a 45-acre parcel of 80-year-old vines in Lujan de Cuyo and aged for 12 months in French oak. Purple-colored it displays an alluring bouquet of cedar spice box violets and black cherry. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate it has plenty of savory fruit cinnamon and allspice notes excellent depth and concentration and a fruit-filled finish. This stylish effort will evolve for 2-3 years and deliver prime drinking from 2011 to 2019.

A ripe and flattering style with fruitcake and spice notes up front followed by creamy inviting blueberry boysenberry and licorice flavors that linger through the finish. Nice buried acidity keeps it all together. Drink now through 2010. 5500 cases made. -JM