2015 SonVida Malbec Paraje Altamira Mendoza Argentina 750 ml

Today’s 2015 is another world-class knockout Malbec grown by the godfather of Argentinian wine. It earned 93 points from Tim Atkin, who hailed it as “a nuanced, skillfully oaked Malbec with precision, focus and impressive palate length.” 

The story of this wine, and how it could land at your doorstep is the type of tale rarely told by journalists like former CNN and BBC correspondents and SonVida founders Sonia Rouseler and David Smith. It started when wine superstar Nicolás Catena Zapata arrived at their doorstep with a microclimate study, and politely informed them their spot at the foot of the Andes was one of the best in the world to grow Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Ever since, their wines have become newsworthy, landing on the Wine Enthusiast Top 100, and earning glowing praise from renowned Master of Wine Tim Atkin, who wrote, “Former diplomat and journalist David Smith doesn’t make much wine, alas, but the quality is extremely good indeed.” 

The 2015 Malbec Paraje Altamira is a perfect example of one such small-production, high-quality wine. They only made a few barrels, and our 35 cases are the only ones that made it to the States. Offering dazzling aromas of smoke, tobacco, and deep, dark fruit, the 2015 is a perfect juxtaposition of Old World balance and savory spice with New World opulence. On the palate, blueberry and black plum come layered with licorice, vanilla, and olive, seamlessly integrated with toasty French and American oak. The finish, as you might expect, is long and focused. 

Sonia and David were both bitten by the wine bug while backpacking in Northern California in 1990, and decided to buy a small plot of land in Sonia’s native Argentina in 1999. As David tells it, the plot was nothing but an onion and tomato field in plain sight of the mountains: “We bought a view!” 

Just two years later, Nicolás Catena Zapata informed Sonia and David that they had bought much, much more. He was so enthused that he offered to plant the vineyard in exchange for purchasing its grapes. Sonia and David agreed, but also kept a small quantity for themselves to make single-vineyard Malbecs and Cabernet Sauvignons. 

Many bottles grown in Paraje Altamira, now widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest terroirs, easily reach the $100 mark. The 2015 SonVida Malbec competes with these heavy hitters at a fraction of the cost, arguing for its own place on the annual Top 100 list. In other words, lock in a case while you can.