91pts Wine Advocate
Tasting the 2022 Crios Malbec next to the new organic one, it was easy to see how this wine from the Valle de Uco (from Los Chacayes, Vista Flores, Los Árboles and Gualtallary Sur) is subtler and has a different point of balance despite having very similar parameters. Here, 40% of the volume spends eight months in used French oak barrels, but there is no aromatic influence of the élevage. It's fresh, balanced and juicy but with a little more austerity and fine-grained tannins. Clean, approachable and tasty.
Winemaker's Notes
A fresh, pure expression of the varietal, with aromas of violets, cherries, mocha and spice. Juicy tannins and balanced acidity complement perfectly ripe red fruit flavors, while a subtle hint of oak adds complexity.
Pair with grilled red meats, pasta with red sauce, hard cheeses, empanadas, chocolate desserts or dulce de leche.
Blend: 100% Malbec
History
After 22 years of winemaking, Susana Balbo has a strong sense of what she wants from her wines. From every harvest, she creates the grandest possible wines under her Susana Balbo label. To achieve this, she makes a rigorous selection of the finest barrels prior to making her final blends, dividing them into the parents (reserve level wines) and offspring or "crios."
Wines under her Crios label display ripe fruit flavors, excellent balance and concentration, and are meant to be enjoyed in their vibrant youth. These wines are produced under Dominio del Plata's code of sustainable agriculture.
Like Susana's own crios (a boy and a girl), they are extremely lovable and fun to be around. The label features a series of three connected and overlapping hands, an image inspired by a Mayan artifact. The artifact illustrates the interconnectedness of every generation, and the irony that we will be both the parent and the offspring at different times in our lives.
