La Posta Fazzio Malbec 2019 (Argentina) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Malbec that arrives at the LCBO this weekend in the March 19th LCBO VINTAGES Release after a half a dozen year hiatus from our shelves.

It is produced by La Posta Vineyards, the entry-level brand of the Catena family of wines. La Posta Vineyards was formed in 2000 after Laura Catena discovered a handful of growers who consistently showed impressive results with specific varietals year-after-year. La Posta wines salute these hard-working growers who strive for superior flavours from grapes they grow on their own estate, and often single vineyard bottlings. Each La Posta label illustrates a story of these individual families and are inspired by Art Nouveau and Art Déco designs of the 1920s and 1930s.

This Malbec is from the Fazzio family. Salvador Fazzio arrived in Argentina from Sicily in 1917 in the search for a better life. His son, Francisco Fazzio, got married in Mendoza and had three children, and in 1955 he purchased 15 hectares of land in Tupungato to dedicate himself to viticulture. Today, Domingo Fazzio is the third generation of family to run the business and expanded by purchasing more land in Tupungato. In 2005, Domingo bought a 100-hecatre vineyard in the area of Agua Amarga, Tupungato and named the property "El Nono Francisco" to honour his father. Domingo Fazzio, a dancing farmer who loves the ladies, also loves working the soil invites you to rest at the edge of the vineyard to find inspiration and leave inspired by an "old man" to Never Slow Down.

This particular Malbec is from the El Nono Francisco property, a vineyard located in a very privileged area at 1,100 metres (3,608 feet) elevation that borders las Tunas River where they get water to irrigate the land. Local ancient people told stores of a big Indian settlement that used to inhabit this land more than 150 years ago, and when the Fazzio family began working this land, they discovered archaeological remains which showed evidence of this settlement. The vineyard was planted in 2003 and the soil is composed of medium deep loamy soils, with calcareous stony subsoils - soils which are good for roots development and drain well. In the winery, half the wine was aged in second use French oak barrels, while the other half was aged in stainless steel tanks.

Tasting Note:

LA POSTA FAZZIO MALBEC 2019 - Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina (#444687) (XD) - $19.95
Grown at 1,100 metres above sea level, this Malbec has a spicy, medium-high intensity nose that reveals lovely ripe black fruits, blackberry, and violet aromas with hints of stony mineral and a touch of dried herb. On the plush, medium-full bodied palate it is impressively concentrated with ripe black fruits, blackberry, violet, and stony mineral flavours wrapped by smooth, refined, and velvety tannins. Fresh, juicy acidity takes you through to the long, well-balanced, stony, dark berry, and cocoa-tinged finish. Quite impressed by this. Highly recommended buy! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from La Posta are available at the LCBO and through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.