2019 The Pledge 100 Malbec Vino de Argentina

1904. 1905. 1918. 1919.

Now, well over a century past, those are the years in which the four vineyards that shape this stunning 94-point, high-elevation Argentine red were planted. The result isn’t just a wine with an impressive history—it’s an absolutely staggering value, showing what James Suckling extolled as “a mouthful of ripe, juicy and seamless tannins that are chiseled into the ripe berries.”

To replicate the same concentration, nuance, power, and depth that 100-year-old Mendoza vines provide, a winemaker normally has to pay for talent, access to coveted terroir, soil studies, surveys, consultants—the works. But in this case, the centenarian vines—which have adapted to their environment over decades—have done all the heavy lifting in the vineyard.

The result is a dark-ruby Malbec that’s dangerously easy to drink and doesn’t sacrifice an iota of intensity and sophistication. 

Argentina, and Mendoza in particular, is home to some of the best and largest old-vine plantings left in the world, but these remain endangered. The kinds of historic vineyards that produced this bottling may generate astounding wines but often fall to the hatchet because yields aren’t high enough. 

That’s why we’re thrilled about the work that Swiss enologist Richard Bonvin is doing with The Pledge label. He seeks out the extremes of Argentine terroir and helps to protect cherished parcels by crafting site-specific wines—ones that also wow with their affordability.

2019 was deemed an “excellent” vintage by Decanter, and sites that year gave tiny berries with high skin-to-juice ratios. The fruit delivered intense, dark hues and loads of complexity from the get-go. Channeling the wisdom that only vines such as these possess, this is a bottling from a superb vintage.

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

• ABV 14.50%
• 30 mins
• Now – 2030
• % Malbec
• Serving temperature – 58°
• Cork