Bodega Noemia Malbec A Lisa

Dense violet and plum in the glass, with a bouquet of dark berries, cherry, minerals and cocoa. It's medium-bodied with real structure — cherry and cassis on the palate, balanced, persistent tannins, and a savory, slightly mineral edge rather than pure fruit sweetness.

Río Negro, in Argentine Patagonia — roughly 700 miles south of Mendoza, near the 40th parallel. It's a cool-climate site rather than a high-altitude one, which gives it more acid and a leaner, more savory profile than most Mendoza Malbec. Our guide to Malbec's altitude and latitude story covers why that matters.

No — A Lisa is Noemía's second label, made to be more approachable and immediately drinkable than the flagship Bodega Noemía Malbec, which is a more concentrated, cellar-worthy wine from the estate's oldest vines. A Lisa is the honest, lower-cost way to taste the same Patagonian style.

It's flexible enough to serve on its own by the glass, and pairs well with pasta, fish, white meats and red meats. The balanced acidity and moderate tannin mean it doesn't need a heavy dish to work.

Mendoza's character comes from altitude — vineyards up to 5,000 feet with big day-to-night temperature swings. Patagonia has almost none of that; instead it's simply far enough south to be a genuinely cool-climate growing region, with some of Argentina's oldest ungrafted Malbec vines. The result is leaner, more savory, higher-acid wine. Compare it directly against Catena Malbec, a high-altitude Uco Valley bottling, to taste the difference.

For a similarly structured but Mendoza-grown alternative, try El Enemigo Malbec. Browse the full Malbec collection for everything else in stock.