Everything you could ever want from an entry-level Malbec, and more! That’s how we feel about this cracking little wine. Why is it so good, so much better than other wines in its price bracket? A couple of things: First, it’s made by Mauricio Lorca, which is always a good start. Second, the fruit is all from Mauricio’s own high-altitude vineyards in Vista Flores in the Uco Valley, and the wine is bottled at source at his winery in Mendoza. A lot of ‘cheap’ Malbec is sourced from the East of Mendoza at lower altitude and in the often-scorching heat; a great source of, well, cheap wine that sometimes lacks definition and finesse – the terms ‘chippy’ and ‘jammy’ spring to mind. We don’t want to seem sniffy about the east of the province, nor about UK bottled wines because both have their merits, we simply feel this is a superior wine that represents fantastic value for money. Dark, aromatic, fresh and juicy, unoaked; a real crowd-pleaser.