Among the many exceptional boutique projects popping up in Argentina, it's hard to keep track of which (or how many) new kids on the block to add your list of new discoveries. But if you're going to add any, one of them has to be La Cayetana. The brainchild of Ver Sacrum winemaker Eduardo Soler and his wife, Emilia Armando, this project is in its infancy, having only released their first wines in 2020, but they're already making big waves among the critical press.
"This is a wine of higher expression compared with other reds from Uco Valley. Structured yet unforced, it offers length, balance and quiet authority." - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
Based in Uco Valley just outside of Mendoza proper, Soler has access to some truly excellent vines, from which he makes a few stellar single-vineyard offerings. Chief among them is the 96-point 2023 El Corazon Manda, made from 70-year-old, ungrafted vines in El Cepillo, at the very southern, very cold end of the valley. Nestled at over 1,000 meters in elevation, this site produces otherworldly Malbec fruit, delivering a style that challenges most modern conventions surrounding the varietal. "Dry, vibrant and distinctly chalky, it shows fine-grained tannins and an intense palate that flows with precision toward a long finish." It's a thoroughly beguiling, thought-provoking expression of Malbec that just screams craftsmanship and artistry, and the fact that we can offer it for under $50 just goes to prove that Argentina is still the destination for many of the world's finest wine values.
The 2023 Tinto El Corazón Manda is 100% Malbec from old vines in El Cepillo, Uco Valley. The fruit is ripe but not overripe, delivering a balsamic profile with subtle violet, black cherry and field herb notes. Dry, vibrant and distinctly chalky, it shows fine-grained tannins and an intense palate that flows with precision toward a long finish. This is a wine of higher expression compared with others red from Uco Valley. Structured yet unforced, it offers length, balance and quiet authority.
96 points, Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous (Aug 2025)
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