Mendel’s 2007 Malbec was sourced from a 45-acre parcel of 80-year-old vines in Lujan de Cuyo and aged for 12 months in French oak. Purple-colored, it displays an alluring bouquet of cedar, spice box, violets, and black cherry. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate, it has plenty of savory fruit, cinnamon and allspice notes, excellent depth and concentration, and a fruit-filled finish. This stylish effort will evolve for 2-3 years and deliver prime drinking from 2011 to 2019. Importer: Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA; tel. (415) 332-8466

Big, ripe, colorful and attractive, with leather and earth on the nose. The mouthfeel is a touch clanky, while the black fruit palate is broad and masculine as it shows a few holes in the fabric. With vanilla and mocha late, this is a nice Malbec with full tannins and grip. ——M.S.(12/1/2009)—— 88