Río Negro, Patagonia, Argentina
93% Malbec • 7% Merlot
13.5% ABV
Dry red wine

Tasting Notes

The 2022 Clásico is a fresh, elegant and fruit-driven interpretation of Malbec, with more emphasis on freshness and minerality than the rich, jammy style often associated with Mendoza.

The nose offers black cherry, blueberry, plum and red berries, alongside intriguing notes of white pepper, hibiscus, thyme, wild herbs and balsamic freshness.

On the palate, it is juicy and beautifully balanced, with vibrant acidity, crunchy dark and red fruit, fine-grained/chalky tannins and a subtle mineral character. There is enough French oak to add complexity, but the wine remains focused on fruit and freshness.

James Suckling describes the 2022 as bright and juicy, with white pepper, hibiscus, dried herbs, dark cherry and blue plum, followed by fresh chalky tannins and a juicy finish.

Bodeboca describes it as round and savory, with balsamic and wild-herb notes.

⭐ Critic Scores

93 Points – Tim Atkin

🍇 Interesting Facts

This is Patagonia—not Mendoza

Ribera del Cuarzo is located in Río Negro in northern Patagonia, along the Río Negro itself. The region is considerably cooler than Mendoza, giving the wine a different personality: more acidity, freshness and savory/mineral character.

The winery's goal with Clásico is specifically to express the diversity of the Río Negro Valley and emphasize freshness, elegance and sense of place.

Eight different vineyards

The Malbec comes from eight vineyards spread along both sides of the Río Negro, including sites around Mainque, Cervantes, Valle Azul, Darwin and Luis Beltrán.

Rather than representing one single parcel, Clásico is intended to be a portrait of the classic Río Negro Valley.

Old vines

This is another great sales point.

The vineyards are more than 40 years old, with some sources describing individual vines approaching 80 years old.

That's pretty remarkable for a wine positioned at this level.

Patagonia's cool climate

The 2022 growing season was particularly successful. The winery calls it “La Próspera”, describing it as the most successful vintage since the estate began producing wine.

A cool, dry spring followed by a long, even ripening period allowed the grapes to develop concentration without sacrificing freshness.

French oak + concrete

The wine gets a combination of traditional and modern élevage:

70% French oak for 8 months
30% concrete tanks

The oak barrels are a combination of new, second-use and third-use barrels, which helps keep the oak from dominating the wine.

The name “Cuarzo”

The estate takes its name from the area's quartz-rich landscape, an important part of the visual identity and terroir story of the property.

🍽️ Food Pairings

This is an extremely versatile Malbec because the acidity keeps it from feeling heavy.

I'd recommend:

• 🥩 Grilled steak
• 🍔 Burgers
• 🥩 Argentine asado
• 🐑 Lamb
• 🍖 Short ribs
• 🍗 Grilled chicken
• 🌭 Chorizo
• 🍄 Grilled mushrooms
• 🍕 Sausage or mushroom pizza
• 🧀 Manchego
• 🧀 Aged Gouda
• 🥓 Charcuterie

Argentine empanadas would be a particularly fun pairing.

Why We Love It

This is the wine I'd recommend when someone says:

“I like Malbec, but I don't want something big, sweet and heavy.”

The Patagonian climate gives it a completely different personality from many Mendoza Malbecs.

Think:

Freshness + dark fruit + herbs + minerality + fine tannins

rather than:

Jammy fruit + high alcohol + heavy oak.

That makes it particularly attractive to customers who like Cabernet Franc, cooler-climate Syrah, Pinot Noir or Northern Rhône reds.

And the combination of 93 Tim Atkin / 92 Suckling / 92 Descorchados / 92 Vinous gives you a very strong quality story.

Serving Temperature: 58–62°F
Decant: 30 minutes
Drink Window: Now–2030
Style: Fresh • Juicy • Mineral • Savory • Medium-Full Bodied • Food-Friendly