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Finca Sophenia Synthesis Malbec 2019

Finca Sophenia Synthesis Malbec 2019

HK$230
HK$230
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Chalky, High-Altitude, and Beautifully Perfumed

Sourced from extreme, high-elevation sands and limestones in Gualtallary, this flagship Malbec captures the wild, intense energy of the Uco Valley. The excellent 2019 vintage balances concentrated black fruit with a highly aromatic bouquet of fresh lavender, crushed violets, and sweet oak spices. It is a full-bodied red wine that avoids any heavy or jammy cloyed textures, offering instead a polished, velvety mouthfeel framed by dense, chalky mineral tannins and a vibrant line of mountain freshness.
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Style Profile at a Glance

Attribute Profile Scale
Body Full-Bodied, Intense & Layered ●●●●●
Tannins Chalky & Fine-Grained ●●●●●
Sweetness Dry ●●●●●
Acidity Fresh & Balancing ●●●●●
Fruit Blackberry, Baked Blueberry & Ripe Plum ●●●●●
Oak Polished French Oak (Cocoa, Vanilla & Smoke) ●●●●●

Expert Tasting Notes & Estate Reputation

  • 93 Points – James Suckling: "Rich aromas of lavender, plum, baked blueberry, cocoa butter and butterscotch. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, polished tannins. Focused and creamy with layers of ripe fruit and sweet spices. Drink or hold."
  • 92 Points – Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "There's a Mediterranean feeling in the 2019 Synthesis Malbec with lots of aromatic herbs, thyme and esparto grass. It comes from a ripe and healthy vintage, and the grapes are from the river part of Gualtallary (Gualtallary is fairly large and diverse). It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in oak barrels for 13 months. It's varietal and has integrated oak, concentrated and ripe without excess but with great acidity, which makes it powerful and fresh with some chalky tannins and a long dry finish."
  • A Visionary Gualtallary Pioneer: Founded in 1997 by industry veteran Roberto Luka, Finca Sophenia was one of the absolute first estates to plant vineyards in the high-altitude, limestone-heavy sub-district of Gualtallary. Sitting at over 1,200 meters above sea level right at the foot of the Andes, the estate utilizes its premium *Synthesis* range to deliver maximum varietal expression, combining stark day-to-night temperature swings with sustainable farming to produce wines of great structural focus, aromatic precision, and cellaring depth.

Highlights

  • 100% Malbec hand-harvested from high-density, ungrafted estate vineyards planted on their own rootstocks in Gualtallary, Tupungato.
  • Vines are rooted in unique, high-altitude soils composed of surface sand, river stones, and a rich, underlying layer of calcium carbonate.
  • Subjected to a 5-day cold maceration followed by native yeast fermentation in small concrete vats, then matured for 12 to 14 months in premium French oak barrels.

Tasting Notes

  • Appearance: Deep, intense ruby-opaque red with brilliant violet edges.
  • Nose: Exuberant, concentrated, and heavily perfumed, offering aromas of fresh lavender, crushed violets, and ripe black cherries, seamlessly layered with cocoa butter, butterscotch, tobacco leaf, and sweet oak spices.
  • Palate: Full-bodied, sweet, and velvety on entry. Rich layers of baked blueberry, plum, and black pepper are carried smoothly across the mid-palate by a focused, firm line of mountain acidity. The texture is structured by dense, chalky, chalk-like tannins, pulling into a long, smoky finish accented by hints of mocha and dried herbs.

Serving Suggestion

  • Temperature: Serve at room temperature between 15–16°C. Keeping it slightly cool frames its high-altitude floral aromatics beautifully.
  • Decanting: A 30-to-45 minute decant is highly recommended to allow the rich oak spices and dense, fine-grained tannins to integrate and cohere. Drinking excellently now with the structural capacity to cellar through 2031–2034.
  • Western Pairing: Grilled ribeye steaks with chimichurri, roasted lamb chops, braised beef short ribs, or aged Gouda cheese.
  • Asian Pairing: 柱侯牛腩煲 (Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon Pot), 椒鹽排骨 (Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs), or Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (紅燒牛肉麵).

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