SonVida Malbec is a single vineyard wine, the supreme expression of the award-winning zone of Altamira, in Argentina's Uco Valley. Altamira's smooth tannins shine through, and the combination of acidity and minerality lead the wine to a long, integrated finish.
"The wine is proud to be ripe and generous. Aromas dominated by smokey mulberry and blueberry. It's plush and coats the palate with bramble, blueberry and liquorice and the scent of vanilla. Immediately muscular and broad-shouldered in the glass, with a savory note, perhaps tapenade, running through the dense palate with mint and dried herbs on the finish. The oak will integrate over time, mixing its spice with the warm spice of fruit." - Joe Fattorini - The Wine Show
Red meat, chicken, turkey and hard cheeses.
"Blackberry aromas are ripe and blend with hints of aniseed on the nose of this full–bodied wine. Meaty black-fruit flavors are framed by chalky tannins. This red has intense flavors and moderate acidity. It finishes with chocolate in the aftertaste. - Jesica VARGAS."
- Wine Enthusiast (December 2022), 90 pts
SonVida is the dream of David S. and Sonia R., a Brit-Argentina marriage of two former journalists who dreamed of owning a vineyard and making a world-class wine. Sonia and ...
Read More
"A bold, dark-berry and cherry-fruited style with a strong core of rich blueberries and red cherries, as well as nuances of fresh tobacco. The depth and sweeping, fleshy texture is terrific. Drink or hold."
"I loved the clean and expressive nose of the 2017 Malbec, a wine that didn't show any excess. It felt extremely young, it's subtle, elegant and balanced, with very fine tannins, great purity and focus. It's an Altamira Malbec with the soul of an old-world red. This should make old bones if you can resist pulling the cork. 6,000 bottles produced. - Luis Gutiérrez"
"Quantities of former diplomat and journalist David Smith's Malbec are small at only 9,000 bottles, alas, but this is well worth tracking down. Bright, aromatic and deeply coloured, with assertive oak, fine tannins and floral top notes, this has the concentration to age further in bottle."
"Black violet color. Elegant, earthy aromas of dark chocolate, grilled nuts, creme brulee, soil, vanilla, and violets with a velvety, vibrant, fruity medium-to-full body and a complex, medium-long black cassis, plum jam, toffee, tobacco, and black tea with cream finish with heavy oak flavor. A heavily oaked, decadent Malbec with alluring complexity."
"A gorgeously rustic, complex wine packed with blossom, dark fruits and Christmas spices. Rich and satisfyingly rounded with soft tannins."
"Bright, dark red. Musky blueberry, licorice, mocha and minerals on the bright nose. Considerably denser and sweeter than the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon but still with a fine-grained texture and an absence of hard edges, not to mention enticing peppery lift. In texture and mouth feel, this reminds me more of a juicy Cabernet--and a classy one at that. Energetic, firmly built wine with lively, harmonious acidity and fine-grained tannins. There's nothing weighty or superripe about this beautifully balanced wine. Stephen Tanzer"
"The 2014 Malbec was produced with grapes from Valle de Uco. It has some medicinal and balsamic notes, with aromatic herbs and wild fruit, and something petrol-like. The palate is medium-bodied and nicely balanced, with fine tannins and a touch of rusticity. - Luis Gutiérrez"
"Sonia and David Smith, a British couple that settled in Mendoza, began producing wine in 2007 in Altamira, in the Uco Valley. Their 2013 shows the most refreshing and fruity side of malbec, the crisp red fruit flavor and violet notes lifted by its effusive energy. Firm acidity and prickly tannins suggest a match with venison."
From a high-elevation estate in the heart of Malbec country, the Valle de Uco, Son Vida's 2013 Malbec is 95% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 15% new French oak for 14 months. This wine shows loads of blackberry fruit and hints of white chocolate and espresso bean in a medium to full-bodied, beautifully rich, full style with terrific focus and freshness. This should drink well for at least 5-6 years."
"This gorgeous Malbec gets it right. Compact, minerally aromas of blackberry are deep and a bit feral. The palate is juicy and pulses with ribald berry fruit and acidity. Blackberry flavors are beefy, salty and a touch roasted, while the finish is baked, rich and perfectly oaked. Drink through 2020. - Michael Schachner"
