2006 Cobos Volturno Malbec

The 2006 uNico Marchiori Vineyard is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Malbec. Opaque purple-colored, aromatically it has the complexity that a great vintage can provide. Notes of pain grille, crushed stone, lavender, black cherry, blackberry liqueur, and fruit compote are exquisite. On the palate, the wine is opulent, dense, intensely flavored, and lengthy. It will continue to evolve for another 4-6 years and offer prime drinking from 2013 to 2026. Vina Cobos is Paul Hobbs’ winery in Mendoza. He is better known (at least for the moment) to USA connoisseur/collectors for his namesake winery in Napa Valley which has received many accolades (including 100-point scores from Robert Parker) for its Cabernets, Pinot Noirs, and Chardonnays. What is less well known is that Hobbs is a pioneer in fine wine production in Argentina, having started there in 1988 with Nicolas Catena. Senor Catena gives Hobbs much credit for the success of Catena-Zapata’s Chardonnay program. He has since extended his consulting efforts both in Argentina and Chile but the capstone of Hobbs’ work is Vina Cobos which began in 1998 and moved into its own winery facility in 2007. The first vintage of the top-of-the-line Cobos Malbec Marchiori Vineyard was 1998 but it was ruined by rain and never sold in the USA. 2000 and 2001 were not up to par, 2000 being the El Nino year and 2001 being too dilute, resulting in their declassification. Importer: Paul Hobbs Imports, Sebastopol, CA; tel. (707) 824-9879