2019 Antucura Malbec Vista Flores Barrandica Selection Valle de Uco 750 ml

The world's waking up to a renaissance in Mendoza. Newly focused on the high-desert microclimates of the Uco Valley, this movement toward vibrant, terroir-driven wines has upended expectations and brought the likes of Antucura's Vista Flores Malbec blazing into the limelight. Catching the trend on the front end of its meteoric rise means our members can land this 93-point James Suckling "winner" for just $18 per bottle. 

Napa fans, take special note: This is a wine developed by the man behind Harlan Estate and Staglin Family Vineyard, not to mention dozens of Grand Cru Bordeaux bottlings. That's some epic talent for a bottle costing less than the sales tax on those blockbuster classics. 

And for a wine boasting dark and succulent fruit, intense spice, lush but polished tannins, and an indelible, lip-smacking finish, this is an incredible deal.

Bodega Antucura is the brainchild of megastar winemaker Michel Rolland—the Pomerol-based consultant who has transformed the wine world in more ways than we can list—and his childhood friend, the publisher and wine writer Anne-Caroline Biancheri. 

In the mid-90s, Rolland set out with a coalition of Bordelais heavyweights to recreate Pomerol in the Southern Hemisphere, choosing Vista Flores as their prime location. A few years later, Rolland and Biancheri paired up to work on something smaller and more intimate within the same locale, where they could really experiment with the gravel soils and unique climates Vista Flores offers. 

That's when they enlisted head winemaker Herve Chagneau, another Bordeaux madman, who has since driven Antucura to broad critical acclaim with a decade of regular 95+ scores. Why the Uco hype is just now catching up is anyone's guess.

Antucura's vineyards lie in the literal (rain) shadow of the Andes, nearly 4,000 feet above sea level, in one of the most austere wine-growing regions on Earth. Hot all day, cold at night, no rain. These higher portions of the Uco Valley were long seen as a fringe climate compared to the more famous, lower Mendoza. But over the last decade, thanks to a few trailblazing vintners who saw the potential of these highlands, that image has been flipped on its head. 

The center of gravity in Mendoza is now shifting ever higher up the plateau, nuzzling against the Andean foothills. The snowmelt from the cordillera provides subterranean water, while the millennia of glacial activity have deposited big round stones atop the soil—reminiscent of Châteauneuf-du-Pape—in which the vines thrive. (The name of the winery, Antucura, means "sun stone" in the native Mapudungun tongue). 

Due to the clear cold nights, average temperatures are roughly similar to Champagne or Chablis, driving a firm backbone of acidity in the wines. At the same time, the vines on this wide-open desert plateau see full high-elevation sun nearly every day, meaning mature tannins that yield a lush but tightly woven palate. 

The wine's seductive purple tinge directs your attention to the crushed violet scents rising from the glass. But the palate surprises yet again, with a shock of cocoa lifted by vibrant cherry and a complex umami spice.

The 2019 Barrandica is currently exclusive to Wine Access, as we're the first to bring this wine to the U.S. market—and we're still knocking four bucks off the suggested bottle cost. It's a ridiculous bargain for serious pedigree from the most exciting region in South America. And based on previous Antucura offers, this one's likely to disappear faster than you can say Titicaca.