Bodega Piedra Negra Bodega Piedra Negra Chacayes 2015 750ml

This is a powerful and dense red that remains agile and vivid. Dark berries, wet earth and sweet tobacco. Intense and full of character. The tannin texture is exceptional. Great length and class. Superb wine. Better in 2021.

Very elegant and rich, with concentrated kirsch, dark plum and cherry tart flavors, backed by medium-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Shows grip midpalate, leading to a finish that turns creamy and plush, primed with spicy richness and chocolate mousse accents. Malbec. Drink now through 2027. 3,000 cases made. (Kim Marcus)

The youthful 2015 Chacayes was still marked by its élevage in new French oak barrels for two years. This is a blend of 90% Malbec (they say 50% Malbec and 40% Côt) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has good ripeness and concentration, with good fruit, but it’s excessively oaky for my taste. Wait and see. 4,000 bottles were filled in December 2017.

A 50/50 blend of Malbec and Côt from Los Chacayes, aged for 18 months in new French oak. In the glass, it is a dense, concentrated purple. The alluring nose offers notes of violet, plum, country and medicinal herbs and elderflower. Concentrated on the palate, it has an accomplished maturity and breathtaking intensity. All this is achieved from tightly packed plants—20,000 per hectare—in a sunny, cool region. Powerful, with a structure enhanced by the oak. (Joaquín Hidalgo)