2015 Susana Balbo Signature Malbec 750 ml

Argentina’s Pioneering Winemaker

Vintage in and vintage out, Susana Balbo always brings the goods. This time, it’s her 2015 Signature Malbec, boasting an under-$20 price tag and 92 points to boot. The pioneering Argentine winemaker, whose resume includes formative stints at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Michel Torino, and Catena Zapata, crashed the gates for female winemakers in Argentina and hasn’t looked back for a second, finally founding her own winery in 1999. James Suckling was struck by the generous and unique minerality of Balbo’s 2015 Malbec, and gave his blessing with a solid 92 points. Wine Spectator concurred on the minerality, and called the wine “big and rich” while praising its “plenty of refined savory accents.” Our clients have been stuffing their cellars with Balbo’s Mendoza wines for years, and she has shown the love right back, giving us the exclusive U.S. premiere of her 2015 Signature Malbec at $19.99 per bottle.

Susana Balbo was indomitable early. As a young girl growing up in Mendoza, she dreamed of studying nuclear physics in the mountain city of Bariloche, but was forbidden to do so by her traditional family. So she entered the family viticulture business, became the first woman to graduate from Argentina’s top enology school, and proceeded to bust down the door of Argentina’s boys’ club, rising in a wine world that had never known a female winemaker. It became clear that, no matter what field Susana Balbo chose to pursue, she would make waves.

When Susana founded Susana Balbo Wines in 1999, she brought with her the experience she gained during her stint under Warren Winiarski at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, and with her country’s most venerable producers, including Michel Torino and Catena Zapata. Two decades of consistent quality and innovation prove that establishing her own winery was just the beginning.