Argentina

95 Points! This opens with aromas of dried apricots and salted lemons, lifted by a floral note of chamomile. The palate is medium to full-bodied with tension, subtle salinity and pleasant fleshiness. A blend of fruit from the Adrianna and Domingo vineyards, this is a deeply comforting chardonnay combining a generous texture with incisiveness. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2023 Chardonnay Catena Alta Historic Rows was sourced from Villa Bastías and Gualtallary in Tupungato. Aged for up to 14 months in new and used French oak barrels, this bright yellow wine offers notes of pear and mint, complemented by subtle oak nuances. Dry, creamy and broad, the oak plays a significant role on the palate. However, it remains refreshing, with a long-lasting hazelnut finish. This is a classic continental-style wine. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

100 Points! It has a moderate 13.4% alcohol with very high acidity (8.2!) and a low pH (3.37), incredible parameters of freshness. The wine was closed and took time to take off in the glass, revealing a very elegant and subtle personality, with the silky texture of the very fine tannins, pristine aromas and flavors and a sense of harmony that was moving. It's powerful but extremely elegant in that rare combination of clout and energy, a wine of light, aerial, with some ethereal qualities, delicate and refined. This combines the cool place and high altitude, the cool year and the stony soils, to deliver a stunning Malbec that goes well beyond the variety. Bravo! - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! Blood orange zest, cherries, hibiscus and violets on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm, fine, crunchy tannins. Savory finish that’s salty at the end. No sulfur. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! This has blackberries, asphalt, violets and subtle wood on the nose. The palate is angular, sharp and precise, with lots character, a touch of pepper and a focused finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! There's an inviting nose of pure plum fruit and fresh cherry in the 2022 Malbec, which shows lovely balance and a supple, smooth texture. It has a kick of power around its medium-bodied frame that never overwhelms but makes for a lengthy finish of memorable spice and herb. Enjoy through 2032. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92 Points! The 2022 Malbec hails from Adrianna Vineyard, contains 10% Cabernet Franc and was fermented entirely whole clusters before maturing for 15 months in foudre, tank and barrel. The bouquet starts with a poised interplay between herbal and floral elements, with a core of black fruits, followed by a rich, fluid and seamless palate. It concludes with an intensely savory, earth-tinged finish framed with grippy, refined tannins. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

95 Points! Blackberries, blueberries, terra cotta, brick and white pepper on the nose. Medium-bodied with very tight and polished tannins that spread beautifully across the palate. Savory. Lightly chewy at the end. - JamesSuckling.com  

95 Points! The 2022 Cabernet Franc is high-toned, fresh, and mineral-driven, with supple tannin and unobtrusive oak. Medium-bodied, it's well put together and a screaming value for the modest price. This will age well given its natural mouthwatering acidity and firm structure; cellar through 2037. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93+ Points! Sourced from Gualtallary's Adrianna Vineyard, the 2022 Cabernet Franc contains 10% Malbec and underwent a 60-day maceration and aged for 15 months in a mix of foudre, barrique and tank. Opening with a dark-fruited, floral and spice-inflected nose, the palate offers dramatic richness tempered by a sturdy, upright, mineral-driven core. It concludes with an explosive, long and layered finish that balances vibrant energy and staining intensity. This is a strikingly overperforming example of the variety that should develop beautifully in the cellar. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

95 Points! This has blackberries, asphalt, violets and subtle wood on the nose. The palate is angular, sharp and precise, with lots character, a touch of pepper and a focused finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! There's an inviting nose of pure plum fruit and fresh cherry in the 2022 Malbec, which shows lovely balance and a supple, smooth texture. It has a kick of power around its medium-bodied frame that never overwhelms but makes for a lengthy finish of memorable spice and herb. Enjoy through 2032. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! The appellation series Malbecs are typically made in the same manner, seeing 11-13 months in 100% French oak, a small percentage of it new. Here, the 2022 Malbec Appellation Paraje Altamira is from the cooler region of Altamira, where it retains acidity and freshness while offering crisp red fruit and silky texture, lasting for days on the palate. It should age well another 10-12 years as well. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

92 Points! Another highlight of the Catena Appellation range is the 2022 Appellation Paraje Altamira Malbec, opening with the region's signature purple-flower note and accented with fresh herbs and a citrus-driven zest quality. On the palate, it combines a svelte, seamless purity with lifted, focused energy that runs through the crunchy, high-toned finish. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

92 Points! Plums, black currants, nutmeg and coriander on the nose. Some graphite and tobacco. It’s firm and savory with a full body and medium-chewy tannins. Dried herb character on a firm finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Blueberries, dark plums, tea leaves and crushed rocks on the nose with a touch of manuka honey. It’s full-bodied, firm and compact. Solid tannin frame. Lots of juicy black fruit, but still tightly wound. Drink from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Bright, juicy, and firm with chalky tannins, this wine surprises with boldness. Youthful notes of cherries and wildflowers emerge. Though austere and tight, its lively, crunchy palate promises potential, marked by refreshing oak spice. - Decanter Magazine

98 Points! The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. They produced their usual 100,000 bottles (since 2018), as they are renewing their vineyards and want to keep the volume stable. They produce this volume from the 36 productive hectares they have in Las Compuertas and Altamira. There are some more changes: in 2020, they went for a lighter bottle, weighing 100 grams less than the one they used in 2018 and 2019, but close to 300 grams less than the bottle from before. It's also a slimmer bottle, always thinking about the environment. They are very focused on agroecology, accelerating the regenerative viticulture and using cover crops; they have planted 1,900 trees in the last three years, creating small clusters of biodiversity for birds. They have transplanted some centenary olive trees and keep their sheep and lamas on the property. Very green-minded. - Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate