Raquis Las Bases Malbec 2022

Our first foray into the Mendoza region happened as a pure stroke of luck. Diego was on a sourcing trip to Paris where he struck up a conversation with winemaker André Vignoni at a tasting. André learned winemaking under Paul Hobbs, the legend who came out of the UC Davis 1970s wine revolution, was Robert Parker’s “Wine Personality of the Year” twice, produced over ten 100 point wines, and also created Opus One (along with Mondavi and Mouton Rothschild). You can imagine Diego’s delight when André mentioned that he had recently split off from Hobbs to make his own wine… in Argentina. You can imagine our even greater delight when we realized that we could be the first to bring it to American shores.

Las Bases’ bold blackberry notes and hint of spice should go beautifully with a grilled ribeye (let it get a little bit of char). The “Andean” element in the wine (structure + minerality) could also pair with a mushroom risotto to great effect. Barbecue pork ribs will also work wonderfully given the dark fruit flavors and smooth mouthfeel.