"The maiden 2011 Chakana Ayni is a pure Malbec selected from the vineyard that is aged for 12 months in mainly new French oak. It has a crisp, more opulent bouquet that the Estate Blend with macerated dark cherries, blueberry and a hint of iodine. The palate is silky smooth with high-toned black cherries, damson and fresh fig flavors. It is bold and more extroverted than the Estate Blend, though perhaps without the same heightened degree of finesse. Still, this is an impressive Malbec. Drink 2013-2020."
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Neal Martin, Issue#203, 30 October 2012), 93 pts
"(15% alcohol): Bright, saturated ruby. Nutty oak and chocolate currently dominate black fruits on the nose. Lush, fat and pliant but with harmonious ripe acidity giving shape and energy to the blackberry and black plum flavors. Large-scaled and mouthfilling but very well balanced wine with considerable sex appeal. Finishes sweet and long. Drink this now or hold it for a few years. - Stephen Tanzer"
"The 2012 Chakana Ayni is produced with Malbec from Altamira in the Uco Valley with a 2% dash of Cabernet Franc and aged for one year in French oak barrels. It has a ripe, opulent nose, with notes of damsons and prunes, peaches, dark cherries and musky flowers. The palate is full-bodied, with some warm notes of very ripe fruit, plenty of glycerin and round, saturated tannins. A big, ripe, hedonistic Malbec. Drink 2013-2020. Chakana was founded on May 2, 2002. On the same day, the Southern Cross (a constellation named Chakana by the indigenous people of the Andes highlands) reaches a perfectly vertical position, marking the beginning of a new farming cycle. This gave the name to the project. They have now started following biodynamic principles. These are good, clean, modern, well-crafted wines."
"Beautiful aromas of crushed berries and flowers that follow through to a full body, with fine tannins and a delicate finish. This is a refined and tempting malbec. Drink now."
"Suave, rich and well-spiced, offering loads of dark plum, currant and dried blackberry flavors. Molten chocolate notes emerge mid-palate, with Asian spice accents. Presents a long and ripe finish, accented by loamy details. Drink now through 2020. - KM""
"Ayni is the top Malbec at Chakana and more than delivers on that status in 2013. It's still a young wine, with lots of gas in the tank, as it were, but this is a classic Uco style with freshness underpinning savoury black fruits, plenty of colour and understated oak. Drink: 2016-22"