2014 Viña Cobos Bramare Malbec Touza Vineyard

Representing the third vintage of a nine-year-old vineyard in Las Compuertas, a zone higher up in Luján de Cuyo, is the 2014 Bramare Malbec Touza Vineyard. It followed the standard treatment for the single vineyard wines--hand-harvested, double sorting table, four day cold soak, selected yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks with 25 days total maceration, 100% native malolactic fermentation and 100% barrel aged. In this case, 60% of the barrels were made of new French oak and 5% of new American oak. They didn't make this wine in 2015 because they had rot there, but this 2014 showed beautiful; I get the serious character of Las Compuertas, harmonious and balanced and great fresh aromas of thyme, faintly herbal. The palate is full-bodied with very good balance, refined tannins and a remarkable finish. It turned spicier with time in the glass, with a beautiful core of violets, expressive and with great energy, quite lifted, with a tasty, almost salty finish. In 2014 this is my favorite of the Bramare single vineyards. 4,500 bottles were filled unfiltered and unfined in November 2015.