2010 San Pedro de Yacochuya Vino Tinto Malbec

The 2010 Malbec produced with the younger vines (around 10 years old, mainly Malbec complemented by 15% Cabernet Sauvignon), fermented in stainless steel and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. It is ripe and intense, with dark plum and cassis on a savory palate. It is good that they keep the bottles and sell them a little later, when the wine has had some time to develop, as these wild wines benefit from time in bottle. There is a raspberry leaf aroma akin to a Cote-Rotie that makes it really attractive. Drink now. I tasted this collection with David Lesage, general manager of The Rolland Collection, and son-in-law of Dany Rolland. The company is run by different members of the Rolland family. He told me the story about how Michel Rolland received a phone call in Spanish about 25 years ago and he didn’t speak any Spanish at the time. The guy at the other side of the line was Arnaldo Etchart who had vines there, outside Cafayate. The Rollands went to Cafayate, fell in love with the place and discovered Argentina. They created San Pedro de Yacochuya, a joint venture with Etchart. Everything here is produced with the estate grapes, all grown on hillsides. Importer: Vine Connections, Sausalito, CA; tel. (415) 332-8466; www.vineconnections.com

(an 85/15 blend of malbec and cabernet sauvignon, from vines averaging 50 years of age; 15.1% alcohol; this is a joint project of Arnaldo Etchart and Michel Rolland): Bright red-ruby. Blackberry, licorice and herbs on the nose, perked up by black and green pepper. Juicy and imploded, with brisk acidity keeping the dark raspberry and pepper flavors under wraps today. Densely packed and distinctly peppery, but the wine's firm, fine tannins suggest it will age well. (A second bottle of roughly equal quality was rounder and fleshier in the mid-palate but could not quite hide its elevated alcohol.)