2007 Achaval-Ferrer Malbec Finca Bella Vista Perdriel

(old-vines malbec; like the Finca Mirador, this is from a crop level of just 14 hectoliters per hectare) Saturated bright ruby. Very ripe aromas of blackberry and licorice. Broad, sweet and lush: the richest and most generous of the three 2007 single-vineyard bottlings, with a strong chocolatey character to the layered blackberry and spicecake flavors. As substantial as this is, it also boasts terrific cut. Very long on the aftertaste, with lush, seamless tannins.

The 2007 Finca Bella Vista is the first bottling of this cuvee since the 2004 vintage because 2005 and 2006 were wiped out by hail. The Bella Vista vineyard was planted in 1910 with yields for this wine at a miniscule 0.75 tons per acre. The wine was aged for 15 months in 100% new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple, it offers up an alluring bouquet of smoke, scorched earth, incense, violets, black cherry, and blackberry. Medium- to full-bodied, velvety-textured, and surprisingly forward, this voluptuous effort has gobs of layered sweet fruit, earth and spice notes, plenty of concealed fine grained tannin, and a lengthy finish. The temptation will be to drink this hedonistic effort without delay. However, it will reward extended cellaring and should be at its best from 2013 to 2022. Achaval Ferrer makes my short list of Argentina’s top producers of Malbec. My longevity estimates are conservative because these wines have no track record; my experience with wines this impeccably balanced and rich is that they will continue on for 25 years and more. Let’s hope purchasers can muster the patience to cellar some of these wines for the requisite time. I was also shown barrel samples of Achaval Ferrer’s 2008s. They look to be equally promising. Importer: TGIC Imports, Woodland Hills, CA; tel. (818) 225-5100

Lightly charred nose. Then a little tight and tart but overall good fruit that spreads all across the palate and then rather a chewy finish. (JR)