Viña Cobos – Just how good can Malbec be?
This was probably one of the questions that trailblazing winemaker Paul Hobbs asked himself on his first trip to Mendoza in 1988. I’ll leave the vocal inflexion of that question up to you, but however he said it, that trip planted a seed which has grown into one of Argentina’s most awarded and admired wineries.
The Oenology team: Diana Fornasero, Head Winemaker and production manager; Paul Hobbs, Owner and Winemaker; Marina Miceli, Vineyard manager; Nicolas Antich, Second Winemaker
In 1999, when Paul Hobbs founded Viña Cobos, his goal was to produce the best Malbec in the world — he arguably achieved it just 13 years later when James Suckling awarded the Cobos Malbec the first 100-point score given to an Argentinian wine. Several perfect scores have since followed, cementing Viña Cobos' status as one of the finest wine producers in the world. Today, Malbec sits as one of the most consumed red varieties in both the off and on trade sectors, and this enviable position is in no small way down to Paul and the work he did with Nicolas Catena with their Alamos project, launching the first Malbec from Argentina in the States and changing the face of the Argentinian, and indeed, world wine trade.
Precision in the vineyard: Sustainability and soil health
Paul has always been a man of intensity and focus, traits which have followed through into the wines that Viña Cobos creates today under brilliant head winemaker Diana Dornasero. The health of the soil and biosphere is paramount at Viña Cobos. Soil fertility and leaf nutrition studies help the team to treat each block and plant separately, establishing cover crops to guard against soil erosion and improving the biodiversity, all of which maximise the health of the vineyards, and ultimately, the grapes themselves.
When it comes to harvest time, after extensive sampling and berry analysis, each parcel is hand-harvested separately at night to guard against oxidation and preserve that all-important acidity. They discard any dehydrated or diseased fruit, ensuring only the best quality bunches arrive at the winery. Once there, the clusters are destemmed and the berries undergo another sorting. This fastidious process ultimately results in wines of real focus, complexity and energy, truly expressive of their terroir high up in Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley.
The Viña Cobos range: From Felino to Single Vineyard
The range today consists of four levels. First is the ever-popular Felino range, consisting of Chardonnay, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit is sourced from across Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley from vineyards between 900 and 1500m above sea level. The Felino range is about showing varietal typicity, truly excellent quality, and here, for my money, the oft-overlooked Felino Cabernet Sauvignon is right on the button. Aged in oak for 12 months, just a touch of it new, this Cabernet is vibrant and expressive, showing plum, blackberry, a hint of bell pepper, and with a gorgeous structure and acidity to give it life. Particularly enjoyable on its own, but also great with cold meats and steak dishes.
Next up the ladder are wines from single regions: Malbecs from Lujan de Cuyo or Uco Valley, plus a Cabernet from Lujan de Cuyo. Here is where we start to see the terroir express itself. The Uco Valley’s higher altitude gives a slightly heftier texture, plus overt floral tones, whilst the Lujan de Cuyo has bags of fruit, but both with great freshness and ageability. A personal favourite of mine is the Uco Valley Bramare Malbec, which I drank just a few weeks back with a roast leg of lamb. Beguiling!
Vinculum, a new range to us just two years ago, celebrates the link between Viña Cobos and growers they source fruit from. The Chardonnay and Malbec are both punchy numbers—wines with real presence, showing intensity, depth and freshness in equal measure.
At the top of the tree, we have the single vineyard wines. I’m sadly yet to taste the new releases that are emerging (bring on September!), but from previous experience, these are individual, full of character and really show what Malbec as a variety can do when given the proper treatment.
Keep an eye on your inbox over the next few months, as the Autumn Viña Cobos release is coming up quickly!
By Bryn Stephens, Fine Wine Sales Manager, Alliance Wine.
Explore the full range of wines from Viña Cobos here.