2017 Bodega Lagarde Malbec Guarda Collección de Viñedos Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza 750 ml

If there were a classification system for quality-to-price ratio, the 2017 Bodega Lagarde Guarda Malbec would be a First Growth.

110-year-old vines from a single vineyard planted nearly 3,000 feet up in the foothills of the Andes deliver depth and balance that can’t be achieved under any other circumstances. As James Suckling wrote in his 93-point review, the 2017 is “focused, long and seamless,” and “really well delivered.” It shines with pedigree like few wines anywhere near its price point, offering a masterclass in complexity—handfuls of dark berries meld with bitter chocolate, Oscuro tobacco, lilac, and a touch of leather.

We’ve been trying to get our hands on the Pescarmona family’s luscious Malbec for almost two years, since we first met Lucila Pescarmona de Nolan—one of two sisters who run the 120-year-old estate—at the Great Wines of South America tasting in San Francisco. Amongst a sea of stellar offerings, we were taken by the poise and terroir-driven brilliance of the 2017 Guarda. Not one element was out of place. 

It took just one swirl and two deep-fruited sips for us to make an offer to Lucila, but before we could manage a third our hopes were dashed by the news that this magnificent estate had no US importer. None of the sommeliers that had gathered around us—and there was a throng—could make a deal.

Finally, we reconnected with Lucila, and we are thrilled to have secured a small allocation direct from Argentina.

The 2017 Bodega Lagarde Guarda Malbec is a serious wine. It’s also a bargain-hunter’s dream. The ancient vines planted in alluvial soil express the heart of Mendoza, translating nuance and complexity that younger vines with more shallow root systems simply don’t have access to.