2019 Kaiken Estate Malbec Mendoza

At twice the cost, this benchmark Malbec would still be a steal. At today’s price, the 2019 Kaiken Estate is one of the top red wine bargains of the year. 

From veteran vines planted at 3,000 feet of elevation, the 2019 Kaiken delivers a pronounced dark-fruited vision of Mendoza’s grandeur: Gobs of blackberry and black raspberry unfold to reveal savory Claro tobacco, dark chocolate, and graphite. It’s all lifted by rose petals and crushed-violet aromatics in a kaleidoscopic display of pedigree and bravado. 

This is serious Malbec that competes with bold reds from California, Bordeaux, and Australia in broad-shouldered merit, and blows past them in value. 

The architect behind the 2019 Malbec is none other than Aurelio Montes, hailed by Robert Parker as “one of Chile’s foremost vignerons.” When Montes crossed the snow-capped Andes to Argentina in search of the perfect site for Malbec, the winemaking legend brought with him his playbook for intense, overdelivering reds. 

The prolific Montes is now on a staggering run. While his $60+ Malbecs and Cabernets continue to draw raves, the 2019 Kaiken Estate still stands out, delivering high-elevation mountain terroir at 1/5 the price of those collector-worthy bottlings. 

Grown on manicured vines in Agrelo, a sub-region of Mendoza not quite 40 miles south of the city, the 2019 Kaiken benefits from slightly warmer temperatures than much of the region. That warmth pushed the wine’s deep-fruited ripeness to the limit and added suppleness to the fine-grained tannins. 

The 2019 was hand-harvested and then hand-sorted in the winery—most bottles in this price range could only dream of this kind of treatment—to ensure that only the highest quality fruit ended up in the bottle. In the cellar, Montes aged half the 2019 in French oak, adding polish and a hint of spice, and raised the other half unoaked in order to elevate its vibrant fruit purity and terroir-driven character. 

The result is a rare combination of true artisanal quality and a downright crushable price. Bargain-hunters and lovers of bold reds, you’ve got two options: Cram this into your cellar by the case, or wish you did.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 14.00%
• 30 mins
• Now – 2026
• % Malbec
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork