2017 Mosquita Muerta PISPI Red Blend Mendoza 750 ml

Boasting 92 points from Wine Advocate, the 2017 Mosquita Muerta PISPI Red Blend has pedigree you RARELY see in a value-priced wine. Felipe Stahlschmidt—an Argentine master who previously worked alongside superstar consultant Paul Hobbs—here weaves layer upon layer of dazzling complexity, combining rich, velvety Malbec with the lush black fruit and the ripe herbal features of Cabernet Sauvignon.

“They are elegant and approachable and some of them are at incredible prices,” wrote Advocate of Mosquita Muerta’s wines. 

The 2017 Mosquita Muerta PISPI Red Blend is a blend of five different varieties from five top sites in Mendoza, combined via numerous vinification techniques, including cofermentation in concrete eggs and aging in French oak barrels.

In the hands of a less capable winemaker, it could be a muddle. In Stahlschmidt’s hands, it sings like a Stradivarius violin, gesturing at Right Bank opulence while retaining high-altitude South American freshness.

Stahlschmidt is a rising star on the Argentine wine scene, having worked at Catena, where he helped fashion their blockbuster Catena Zapata release, and at Pascual Toso, where he served as chief winemaker and collaborated closely with the legendary Hobbs.

Stahlschmidt has said that Malbec is his favorite grape, thanks to how suited it is to Argentine terroir, lending it unequaled versatility and expressivity. That grape forms the foundation of this wine, but it’s far from a solo effort, playing off Cabernet Sauvignon, Bonarda, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. Sourced from vineyards that reach up to a staggering 4,430 feet above sea level, the wine achieves tension and acidity with ease before resting in the cellar to add additional polish.