“Argentina’s greatest winemaker.” - Paul Hobbs

Made by one of the defining winemakers of his generation – a 95 point library vintage Malbec. And it’s over 55% off?!

Fire up the grill, Dear Operative.

Summer may be officially over, but today’s wine calls for it. Dripping with fresh and preserved black plums, swaddled in supple tannins, and with loads of complexity imparted by bottle age, you’ll want something perfect to pair with it.

José Galante is the father of modern winemaking in Argentina. While not a household name in the US, it is not an exaggeration to say that in Mendoza he has (and continues to) play a similar role to André Tchelistcheff in Napa Valley earlier in the twentieth century - a mentor, champion of the region, and most importantly, killer winemaker. Some even call him the ‘Father of Malbec’. Famed winemaker Paul Hobbs commented on his legacy in Wine Enthusiast, “In the early ‘90’s he was my trusted friend and ready accomplice in our pioneering effort that produced the wine which catapulted Malbec and Argentine wines onto the international stage. He is a master of elegance and power with a repertoire as rich in whites as it is in reds. He is Argentina’s greatest winemaker of our times.”

For nearly 35 years he was the head oenologist at Operative favorite Catena Zapata, establishing its reputation. In 2010, he joined Salentein, attracted to their vision of drilling down specifically into the nuanced expressions of the Uco Valley. He was key in the creation of the region’s official Geographic Indication, adopted in 2019.

This bottle is from his 40th harvest in the region.

Vinous praises how Salentein has “played a key role in the development of the Uco Valley, where they have produced their own grapes since 1998.” Initially drawn to the region to raise livestock and grow cereal grains, Dutch businessman Mijnerdt Pon fell in love with the wines of the region. In the 1990s, Malbec was all but unknown in most of the world. He was an early visionary, purchasing a vineyard in the upper reaches of the Uco Valley. Three decades later, his family continues his legacy – largely staying out of the spotlight but investing heavily in their beloved community.

The 2015 is from all Estate fruit from their original “El Oasis” vineyard at 3800 feet above sea level blended with a little fruit from their “La Pampa” estate at 4,250 feet above sea level – the altitude being a key feature of the terroir by promoting thicker skins, and therefore more tannins, due the higher UV exposure while also promoting freshness in the wine through cooler temperatures.

With almost a decade of age, the freshness and crushed velvet tannins shine, highlighting the dark plum core of fruit and integrated leather, tobacco, and confit tertiary notes. A highly complex wine, we were impressed with how well it is aging, and it could improve even more with three to five years in the cellar.

It will make you drool for anything cooked on an open flame – tomahawk ribeye, chargrilled vegetables, lamb chops… at less than $30 per bottle, you can afford to stock up and go wild!

95 Points, Top 100 – Tim Atkin MW “Salentein’s top-of-the-range Malbec is now into its twentieth vintage and is a blend of different sites, including El Oasis and La Pampa. Showing subtle reduction at the moment, it’s scented, rich, mineral-edged wine with the concentration and depth to age further in bottle. Drink 2020-2030.”

94 Points – Descorchados “Historically, it has always been an enormous wine in both size and ripeness, and intense in its use of oak. But times are changing, and little by little, so is the house’s most ambitious wine. This year, the wine is big and voluptuous but check out the character of the tart red fruit. Be patient, because this wine will open in the glass and offer freshness. Times are changing for the better.”