2016 Felino Malbec Mendoza Viña Cobos

The idea of Felino is to "conserve fruit" in the wine, according to Andrés Vignoni. Using grapes from Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, aged in mostly older oak, it's a great quaffing Malbec, all sweet bramble and black cherry fruit with smooth tannins and balancing acidity. 2018-22

The idea of Felino is to "conserve fruit" in the wine, according to Andrés Vignoni. Using grapes from Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, aged in mostly older oak, it's a great quaffing Malbec, all sweet bramble and black cherry fruit with smooth tannins and balancing acidity. 2018-22.

This is focused and refined with a beautiful precision and finesse. Medium body, fine tannins, and fresh wine. Very beautiful finish. Drink now.

The entry-level and highly available 2016 Felino Malbec mixes grapes from different zones of Mendoza-Valle de Uco, Luján de Cuyo and Maipú-but the percentage from Vale de Uco has been growing and is more than half the blend in 2016. It fermented in stainless steel vats with selected yeasts, and 10% of the volume matured in new American oak barrels, but they are slowly introducing maybe 1% French barriques. The idea is to show the fruit more and have the oak as a discrete touch only until bottling. It's floral and fresh, even with some blood orange citrus hints. The palate is gentle, with soft tannins and very good freshness, making it long and very tasty on the finish. 396,000 bottles produced. 2018-2020.

Malbec i hænderne på den amerikanske vinmager Paul Hobbs er et sikkert hit. Felino er introvinen til hans argentinske portefølje Viña Cobos, og her er da heller ingen slinger i valsen. I denne 2015'er mærkes modenheden tydeligt. Duften har en snert af sveske og nuanver af mørke kirsebær, kakao, kaffe, kamfer og noget brændt. Jeg fornemmer også et element af skovbund og rødder. Mundfølelsen er blød, rund, og fedmefuld - ja, det amerikanerne ville kalde "smooth" - og vinen scorer højt på lækkerhedsbarometret med heftige chokoladenoter, blomme go kirsebær. Flot vinhåndværk.