The 2016 Fromm Vineyard Malbec—all four barrels of it—reached 14% alcohol. Herb-edged black cherries and cassis appear on the nose, followed by a medium to full-bodied wine that's juicy and fresh, even if it lacks a bit of richness on the mid-palate.

There are just two barrels of the 2015 Fromm Vineyard Malbec, a chunky, medium-bodied wine with firm tannins. Bold berry fruit ultimately comes across as slightly simple but satisfying for its intensity. Cellar it through 2020 to let the tannins soften a bit.

I'm tasting the 2012 Fromm Vineyard Malbec not as a submitted wine, but as a wine opened by a friend, and I am bowled over by the elegance and finesse of it. It's not just that, though; the concentration and complexity of aromatics translate eloquently in the mouth. There are amaro herbs on the nose, rosemary, arnica root, raspberry/boysenberry, blackberry, salted licorice, bay and tobacco leaf and even wafts of garden mint (although I must stress that this wine is not minty, i.e., green). I must admit to being somewhat shocked that a Malbec will ripen homogeneously and with such elegance in Marlborough, yet the answer is in front of me. “I exist,” it cries. It's a wonderful wine. There's probably none left anywhere, but if you have some in your cellar, I'd say you are gifted with foresight or just plain lucky. It's still on the way up, so there's no rush to open. 14% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.