Catena Zapata Argentino Vineyard Malbec 2020

Perfumed and seductive nose of purple plums, blueberries, dried roses, violets, lemon zest, chocolate, truffles and cigar box. It’s full-bodied, yet so elegant and weightless. Seamless, finely knit tannins. Beautiful, lengthy finish. Try from 2024.

This wine hails from a mass selection of ungrafted malbec planted during the 1920s in the Angélica Vineyard; the original plant material arrived from France before that country’s 19th century bout with phylloxera. It ferments in new French oak, including 20 percent as whole bunches, pointing up the purple-blue-black fruit complexity that grounds the wine while an airy, coffee-like edge adds levity. Rich and intense but not heavy, this will reward years of cellaring, but it’s hard to feel too bad about opening a bottle now when the wine tastes this good.