Susana Balbo Benmarco Malbec

Tim Atkin 92 points
James Suckling 93 points
Wine Advocate 92 points

This the Susana Balbo Benmarco Malbec 2019 from the Uco Valley – please don’t confuse it with the cheaper lower quality offering on sale with other retailers, they are completely different wines. This is something special and they brought out a new label for the 2019 to stop the confusion!

One of my favourite Susana Balbo wines, along with Expessivo and Nosotros of course! The secret to this excellent Malbec is the fruit is all from Vista Flores in the Uco Valley, regarded as the best vineyard site in all Argentina. Plus the Benmarco project has been in the hands of Edy del Popolo, making premium fruit driven wines. This is big and powerful in the typical Argentine style we have all come to love. Fruit, power, oak, acidity all in balance.

The grapes were hand picked of course, left on the lees for a full month with regular battonage, and underwent full malolactic fermentation before being tansferred to second fill French oak for 11 months. This process extracted maximum colour and flavour yet kept the oak in check to make sure it complemented the wine and didn’t overpower it.

£18.49

SKU 1240

92 / 100, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate  (2016 vintage)

93 / 100, Tim Atkin 2018 (2016 vintage)

92 / 100, James Suckling, Argentine Pushes the Limits, March 2018 (2016 vintage)

Below are the notes for the 2014 vintage. We have just moved onto the 2016 but this wine scores well every year.

"BenMarco Malbec is testament to Uco Valley where it hails from, proffering a bouquet of fresh black fruit, floral notes of violets with bright acidity, firm tannins and great length."

VARIETALS 100% Malbec.

REGIONS Los Chacayes (Uco Valley) ELEVATION 1.110 m AMSL

HARVEST METHOD Hand-Harvested

VINIFICATION Selected yeast. Max. Temp. 28° C. 30 days of contact with the skins. Sur lees conservation with batonage. Complete malolactic fermentation.

ANALYTICS

ALCOHOL 14.5%

ACIDITY 5.2 g/l

OAK AGING 11 months, 100% second use French oak.

WINEMAKER NOTES Los Chacayes is an extraordinary Terroir. Its sandy loam and rocky soils guarantee good permeability, limit plants growth and assure perfect ripeness. BenMarco Malbec is a testament to Uco Valley where it hails from, proffering a bouquet of fresh black fruit, floral notes of violets, with bright acidity, firm tannins and great length.

Location :
Uco Valley, Mendoza
Winery :
Susana Balbo
Winery Status :
Large family winery
Winemaker :
Edy del Popolo
Grapes :
Malbec
Product Awards :
92 Points - Tim Atkin, 91 points - Robert Parker, 92 points - James Suckling 94 Points - Deschorados
Gold Medals :
Style :
Silky smooth
ABV :
14
Bottle Size :
75cl
Free Sulphur :
Percentage Score :
91
Sulphite Level :
Medium Low
Johns Rating :
red wine glass

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