Vina Cobos Cocodrilo 2017

Cellar for up to 7 years. No need to decant before serving.

Winemaker Paul Hobbs took his first trip to Mendoza with his good friend, Jorge Catena, who happens to be the brother of famed Argentinian winemaker, Nicolas Catena. On the trip the well-known Napa Valley winemaker Hobbs fell in love with Mendoza’s beauty and high altitude terroir. Before long he began experimenting with winemaking here and founded Vina Cobos with two local partners, Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud.

Cocodrilo is a powerful Bordeaux-style blend crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon along with a dash of Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The grapes are grown at around 1000 metres above sea level in desert-like conditions which helps to create intensely concentrated fruit with plenty of freshness and aromatics. Following vinification the young wine is then aged in oak barrels for 15 months before bottling without fining or filtering.

This creates a robust, full-flavoured red blend which is bursting with ripe blackberries, cassis and dark plum notes. The first sip reveals a full body, firm yet ripe tannins, a well-rounded texture and a subtle streak of acidity which provides elegance and balance. Try pairing with rich beef stews, barbecued meats or a prime steak served with fries.