- 93 points -

Blueberries and cherries with walnuts and blackberries, too. Medium body, firm tannins and a creamy texture. Tension and focus. Real malbec character. Excellent price. Sustainable. 

- 93 points -

Nice bitter-chocolate and smoky notes, as well as lots of forest berries, make this generous and well structured malbec a rather complex wine. But the supple tannins are already so well integrated that you can enjoy it right away.

- 93 points -

The Altamira malbecs, especially those from rocky soils, suck as those in the Pizzella Vineyard, tend to give well-structured wines like this one. There are floral notes here-lots of them-along with a healthy does of red fruits and just the right amount of ripeness to be refreshing. This provides a very clear vision of Altamira from a vineyard planted 20 years ago by the Pizellas, a couple of phys-ed teachers from Buenos Aires who got bored of city life and went to live in the country. 

- 93 points -

This vineyard from the Pizzella family was planted in the early 2000s. 50% of the wine was aged in barrels of different previous uses, and the other 50% remained in stainless steel for 10 months. The wine has the character of Altamira malbec, especially of the reds that come from stony soils, which offer a rigid, sharp texture and, in this case, are rich in tart red fruits and notes of violets.

- 93 points -

#88 - 100 BEST WINES UNDER $30

Lots of black licorice to this malbec as well as citrus, bark and some moss. Tightly wound with firm tannins, driven acidity and a very minerally finish. 

- 93 points -

- 92 points -

Opulent, generous, energetic. 
The La Posta wines are selections of Laura Catena of Mendoza's famed Bodega Catena Zapata. The new labels on these wines are nothing less than spectacular. 
A generous style of Malbec, as showy as its label, it offers plush vanilla, licorice, allspice, violets, mocha and pipe tobacco, vividly underscored by juicy black raspberries. It is punchy and unapologetic on the palate as well; supple weight, generosity of fruit and warm brown spices mimic the nose. Overall, an opulent, concentrated and energetic style.

Pair: BBQ, meat, portobello burgers, chili-dogs and hard cheeses.

- 92 points -

This is refined and focused with dark fruit and minerals. Tea undertones. Medium to full body, ultra-fine tannins and a beautiful finish. Precise. 

- 92 points -

Blackberry, currant and violet. It’s medium-to full-bodied with round, lightly chewy tannins. Fleshy texture on the palate with freshness and a silky feel. Juicy, fruity finish with some length. Drink or hold.

- 92 points -

Of the three Malbecs in La Posta's portfolio, this is the one with the freshest red fruit aromas and flavors, but it has the same pleasant texture as the others, although you may taste a little deeper, boosted by juicy acidity and vibrant, one for grilled meat, this one comes from vineyards above a thousand meters in Altamira.

- 91 points -

Part of a range that Laura Catena makes in partnership with local growers, this all hails from Paraje Altamira and sees an equal combination of oak barrels (10% of them new) and stainless steel. The toasty wood is quite assertive, but there's enough dark berry fruit, tannin and acidity to soak it up over the next year or two.

- 91 points -

Produced by Laura Cantena, La Posta Pizzella Family 2021 Malbec is produced from sustainably grown grapes and is dry, medium-plus-bodied and fragrant with blueberry, mulberry aromas with black currant, earthy violets, nutty, spicy flavours well-defined and fresh on the palate. Excellent value, enjoy it now with a veal chops from the grill.

- 91 points -

Subtle roasted spices, sour cherries, hibiscus and bramble berries. Youthful and quite lively palate with a fruity core of ripe, juicy berries and cherries. Flavorful finish.

- 91 points -

A very pure, fresh array of ripe plum and berry aromas lead to a supple palate with medium body and a smooth, even finish.

- 90 points -

Fresh and inviting, with notes of grated nutmeg and dried rose petal joining a juicy core of pomegranate and plum on a suave frame. Finishes silky, echoing back to the floral- and spice-filled opening.

- 90 points -

The 2021 Pizzella Malbec is ripe without excess and shows more black than red fruit, and it's juicy and velvety, dense and with fine tannins. It has a touch of vanilla that makes it very attractive and pleasant.

- 90 points -

(aged in 25% new and 75% second-use French oak): Bright red with ruby highlights. Dark berries, bitter chocolate and licorice on the rather oaky nose. Then dense and silky on the palate, with a restrained sweetness to the flavors of candied blackberry and violet. More tightly wound and saline than the Angel Paulucci bottling, finishing with lovely energy, building tannins and sneaky length. These vines are younger than those that produce the Angel Paulucci wine (13 years, vs. 40) but this wine is showing more texture today. An outstanding value. -Stephen Tanzer

- 90 points -

The best of the La Posta range, made in conjunction with the eponymous Pizzella family
in Paraje Altamira, this is bright, sweet and appealing with raspberry and bramble fruit
flavours, subtle 10% new oak and the chalky acidity that often comes with the terroir.

- 90 points -

A Malbec from Altamira, 50% aged in barrels, 10% of them new. Dark purple in the glass. The nose is textbook: violets, raspberry and a hint of blueberry. Gentle and fluid on the tongue, delivering vibrant freshness, mild tannins with a little grip, and a pleasant, sustained finish and aftertaste.

- 90 points -

The La Posta wines are selections of Laura Catena of Mendoza's famed Bodega Catena Zapata. It is a succulent offering, which leads with brown spice, smoked meat and roasted herbs followed with blackberries and black plums, leather and dark chocolate mocha. The palate follows suit - it is smoky, spicy and roasted and is saved from being overly brooding with bright fruit. A firmly structured wine with powdery tannins clinging to the finish. Pair with meat - grilled roasted or broiled or aged, harder cheeses.

- 90 points -

Bold, rich, ripe and intense, especially for a wine with 13.5% alcohol, this is a 10% new oakaged Malbec from Paraje Altamira, mixing grapes from three different soil types. Textured, firm and focused, it marries appealing fig and dark berry fruit with some underlying chalky freshness.

- 90 points -

Bright ruby-red. Cassis, blackberry, licorice and bitter chocolate on the nose; riper and deeper than the Paulucci Malbec. A step up in texture, plushness and depth, conveying an enticing saline character and a restrained sweetness to its flavors of dark raspberry, licorice, black cherry stomp and bitter chocolate. Finishes firmly dry, with serious but suave tannins and lingering notes of cocoa powder and baking spices.

- 90 points -

The best of the La Posta range comes from a family-owned vineyard in La Consulta. It’s
a medium-bodied style that’s appropriately European in style, given the brand’s Italian
inspiration, with plummy concentration supported by acidity and fine tannins.

- 90 points -

"Good deep red-ruby. The nose combines a port-like black cherry note with scents of violet and bitter chocolate. Despite an initial suggestion of stewed black fruits, the very ripe palate is spicy, juicy and vibrant, showing very good density and concentration as well as a light touch. The most concentrated and structured of these single-vineyard Malbec bottlings, with the flavors of spicy red and black fruits carrying well on the back end. A terrific value."