Michelini i Mufatto 'La Cautiva' Malbec, Gualtallary, Argentina 2022

Description

From the La Cautiva vineyard in Gualtallary, planted at approximately 1,550–1,600 meters, this Malbec reflects one of the highest and most distinctive sites in the Uco Valley. The vineyard’s sand, gravel, limestone and granite soils, combined with its cool climate, give the wine remarkable freshness, mineral tension and floral character. The 2022 shows violet and lavender aromas alongside clove, cardamom and black pepper, with a silky, tense palate marked by fine-grained tannins, bright acidity and a persistent chalky finish.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate – 94+ points
“The 2022 La Cautiva hails from vines planted in 2009 and was fermented almost entirely with whole bunches in open-top casks and matured for 20 months in 3,000-liter foudre. It vividly evokes a classic Northern Rhône Syrah on the nose, opening with a distinctly spice-driven, savory bouquet chock-full of dried clove, cardamom, black pepper, violet and lavender aromas. The palate is plush, tense and taut, transitioning into an intensely structured, fine-grained, chalky and introverted finish; my score is a touch conservative, but there is clearly strong potential here so long as readers are patient.”

James Suckling – 95 
Fresh blueberries, cherries and floral notes with dried herbs. Lots of fine-grained tannins pile up on the palate but in a fresh and powdery way. Juicy and long. It’s 100% Malbec. Drink or hold.

Vinous – 95 
Cherry, plum, violet and lavender lead into a juicy, intensely tannic palate, finishing with chalky minerality, freshness and tension.

Fabricio Portelli – 93.5 
Portelli highlights wild-fruit aromas, fine gripping texture and a persistent floral character, describing the wine as more textural than deeply concentrated. Drinking window: 2025–2029.

Argentina Top 100 – James Suckling: #44
The wine was also ranked No. 44 in James Suckling's Top 100 Argentine Wines of 2024.