2015 Vaglio Chacra Malbec 750 ml

Single-Vineyard Mendoza Malbec to Stockpile

If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, how far can the grape roll away from the vine? Argentina wine lovers and especially Wine Access members know Susana Balbo, Argentina’s First Lady of Wine, whose success with her eponymous label followed trailblazing success as winemaker for Michel Torino and Catena Zapata. Now her son, Jose Lovaglio Balbo, has launched his own Vaglio Chacra Malbec — to immediate critical acclaim. The 2015 Vaglio Chacra Malbec won 92 points from James Suckling for its “racy tannin structure and dark fruits.” This single-vineyard Malbec finds the talented young vintner exploring the brilliance of Agrelo, the most acclaimed sliver of Mendoza’s coveted Luján de Cuyo district. Everything that Jose learned from his mother and making wines for her Dominio del Plata label (one of Decanter’s favorite and frequent earner of high scores) will wash over your taste buds. At the Wine Access price of just $19.99 per bottle, stock up.

Jose’s Vaglio selections are more than mere wines, conveying stories culled from a young life jam-packed with grape-fueled intrigue. Like the wines themselves, these tales contain revealing layers of complexity. Chacra — a Spanish word for “ranch” — is inspired by his adolescent years, but it also tells the tale of the Agrelo farmhouse Susana boldly transformed into the groundbreaking winery that shares her name today.