2010 Hand of God Wines Malbec Old Vine Stolen Horse Vineyard

The 2010 Stolen Horse Old Vine Malbec is from the five hectare “Stolen Horse Vineyard” populated by vines planted in the 1920s. Where does the name come from? When Santiago was looking for a vineyard, he instantly knew that this had to be the one. He tried negotiating a lease with the owner; however, it was not possible because someone had stolen the owner’s horse that was being used to farm these old vines. The good news is that the horse was eventually returned and Santiago managed to arrange a lease. Raised entirely in new oak, it has an intense, heady bouquet with blackberry, peppermint, a touch of sous-bois and a slight fug of alcohol. The palate is full-bodied with layers of ripe black, tarry fruit. It is well-balanced and very harmonious. What could be overpowering is extremely refined and well-balanced towards the decadent finish. It will need three to four years to calm down in bottle. Drink 2015-2025. I am not sure whether naming your wine after a blatant handball that cost England a place in the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup is in good taste. I had to resist the temptation to slate the wines. Annoyingly, their quality prevented me from doing so. The company was founded by no less than Santiago Achavel (see Achaval Ferrer) and his classmate and Stanford Business School, Jon Staenberg. The vines were bought next to those of “Vines of Mendoza.” The inaugural vintage is coming Stateside in late 2012 and is worth looking out for. www.handofgodwines.com