The 1999 Cobos Malbec Marchiori Vineyard is the first commercial vintage. Although Hobbs says that weather conditions forced him to pick a bit early, you would never know it from tasting the wine. The nose offers up wood smoke, mineral, plum, and black cherry leading to a silky smooth, full-bodied wine with layers of flavor and impeccable balance. Very rich and long, it has another 20+ years of life. Vina Cobos is Paul Hobbs’ winery in Mendoza. He is better known (at least for the moment) to USA connoisseur/collectors for his namesake winery in Napa Valley which has received many accolades (including 100-point scores from Robert Parker) for its Cabernets, Pinot Noirs, and Chardonnays. What is less well known is that Hobbs is a pioneer in fine wine production in Argentina, having started there in 1988 with Nicolas Catena. Senor Catena gives Hobbs much credit for the success of Catena-Zapata’s Chardonnay program. He has since extended his consulting efforts both in Argentina and Chile but the capstone of Hobbs’ work is Vina Cobos which began in 1998 and moved into its own winery facility in 2007. The first vintage of the top-of-the-line Cobos Malbec Marchiori Vineyard was 1998 but it was ruined by rain and never sold in the USA. 2000 and 2001 were not up to par, 2000 being the El Nino year and 2001 being too dilute, resulting in their declassification.Importer: Paul Hobbs Imports, Sebastopol, CA; tel. (707) 824-9879

Could this be Argentina’s best wine right now? If you can find a bottle, give it a shot and decide for yourself. The aromas of mint, eucalyptus, cola and bitter chocolate are intense yet pure. The monstrous palate is overflowing with black cherry, plum and licorice, but it maintains a racy, balanced edge. The oak is heavy but not overwhelming. It’s a wonderful Malbec, a leader in its class made by Paul Hobbs of California. ——M.S.(11/1/2002)—— 92