- 94 points -

Perfumed nose of brambleberries, wild blackberries, raspberries, violets, cinnamon stick and tea leaves. It’s medium-bodied with very fine, creamy tannins and fresh acidity. Delicious dark-berry fruit with mineral undertones.

- 94 points -

Blackberry, red-plum and graphite on the nose, as well as herbal and smoky notes. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins. Fleshy texture on the palate with structure and a ink-like feel. Savory finish. Hints of chocolate at the end. Try after 2023.

- 94 points -

La Esperanza is part of winemaker Alejandro Vigil's attempt to restore importance to the old bonarda vines that are planted in eastern Mendoza. Under the shadow of Uco or Luján de Cuyo, this is a warm area with generous soils that yield large quantities of grapes. But by managing the vineyard, restricting volumes, and harvesting earlier, they can obtain bonarda like this one, with a firm tannic structure and tense acidity as well as the variety’s classic lush and generous black fruit flavors. 

- 93 points -

The unusually pale and aromatic 2018 Bonarda Single Vineyard La Esperanza was produced with grapes from San Martín in the east of Mendoza on deep, sandy and clay soils that seem to deliver great finesse. It's only 13.5% alcohol and with very good freshness, to the point that it made it feel a bit like Pinot Noir. It's floral and expressive, elegant and soft, with some developed flavors and aromas. It's juicy, long and nicely textured with very round tannins. Quite surprising, awesome even! 6,200 bottles were filled in June 2019 after 12 months in an ancient oak foudre.

- 93 points -

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Raspberry, currant and floral aromas stand out. The front side of the palate is jammy and opulent, while the backside softens and settles. Jammy berry flavors are big and fruity, while this Bonarda finishes easy and with lots of ripe berry fruit. Drink through 2023.

- 92 points -

This is always a delicious red with medium body and a round mouthfeel with very little tannin. It shows smoke, charcoal and dark-fruit character at the finish.

- 92 points -

The 2019 Bonarda Single Vineyard La Esperanza has a bright purple color, denoting youth and freshness, and it's juicy and has a more elegant texture than most of the other single-vineyard Bonarda bottlings. It was produced with grapes from San Martín in the east of Mendoza on deep, sandy and clay soils that seem to deliver great finesse. It has 13.5% alcohol and reveals very good freshness. 7,700 bottles were filled in June 2020 after 12 months in an ancient oak foudre.

- 92 points -

La Esperanza comes from an 80-year-old vineyard in the San Martín zone of the warm eastern Mendoza, where bonarda abounds and ripens without problems. The soil is sandy, with traces of limestone, and winemaker Alejandro Vigil has no problems harvesting early to obtain fresher fruit and the tenser tannins that have a greater connection to the soil. This has fresh bonarda fruit, tart blackberries, and herbs in our favorite El Enemigo Single Vineyard.

- 90 points -

San Martín contains the most hectares of Bonarda under vine in the entire country. This example is planted in sandy soils in parrals and aged for 12 months in old foudres. The nose of blackberry, graphite and a hint of thyme is dense and confused but intriguing. Flavorful in the mouth, the wine flows indulgently, displaying a fleshy texture.

91+ POINTS

Bright ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, graphite and licorice, plus a touch of leather. Hints at the sweetness of the Los Paraísos Bonarda but in a more medicinal style, with dark berry and menthol flavors currently a bit musclebound. If the El Mirador is Cabernet-like, this is more Malbec in style. Quite folded in on itself today, finishing with serious but essentially suave tannins and a lingering note of bitter chocolate. This very backward wine offers considerable potential.