Malbec Old Vines 2022, Adelante

This is Malbec with a mission—revived from the roots of a 1946 vineyard, coaxed into the present with quiet precision and an eye toward elegance. The 2022 vintage of Adelante is no fruit bomb; instead, it leads with lifted aromatics of blueberry, violets, and dried herbs, wrapped in a gentle wisp of spice and mineral dust. On the palate, dark plum and black cherry meet savory hints of tobacco, cocoa nib, and sun-baked earth. The tannins are structured but smooth, and the finish lingers like a late-summer evening.

Grown at nearly 3,000 feet in the heart of La Consulta, this old-vine Malbec benefits from wide diurnal shifts and meticulous, organic-minded farming. It’s vinified with minimal interference, native yeasts, and just the right amount of French oak to frame the fruit without shouting over it.

Pair it with grilled tri-tip, portobello tacos, or a rich lentil stew—and let the story in your glass unfold, sip by sip.

About the Winery

Ray Kaufman, after having worked as a winemaker for Laurel Glen for over 20 vintages, dreamed of making a more delicate, perfumed style of Malbec from Argentina. Adelante, translating to "moving forward," began with the purchase of the Don Eugenio vineyard. The site, located in the La Consulta region of Valle de Uco, was planted back in 1946, and now at 73 years old the grapes still grow on their original roots. Prior to his purchase, the grapes growing on this vineyard were being broken up and sold off to be incorporated into blends. Kaufman wished to save the old, nearly forgotten vines within Argentina and worked tirelessly to revive these truly historic plantings by focusing on this single bottling. Since the first vintage in 2013, Adelante has continued to grow and achieve exactly what Kaufman dreamed to do.

The vineyard is in the process of being converted to completely organic. As a whole, the team implements minimal intervention in the vineyard. Once the grapes are harvested they ferment with native yeasts only, utilize natural occurring ML, and only add SO2 after ML is complete. All wines are made and bottled in Argentina and are then shipped to California.