Aniello 006 Merlot 2024

With less of the inky Mendoza style about it this Merlot from Patagonia heads in a different direction. Cooler nights and steady winds mean slower ripening, so instead of jammy weight you get bright red plum and cherry, laced with notes of chocolate and spice from the portion of the wine that spent 12 months in oak. There's a freshness and polish here that nudges it a bit towards Bordeaux - structured but not stern, with a supple balance of fruit, acidity and gentle tannin. It's Argentina, with a slight European edge.

Easygoing, easy drinking this is great all by itself and with food it's very versatile. It'll go with all sorts of both meaty and vegetarian recipes.

in 2010 Santiago Bernasconi and his team renovated an old, beautiful little winery near the small town of Mainqué in Patagonia's upper Rio Negro valley and breathed new life into the vineyards acquired at the same time thus setting up Bodega Aniello. This is a relatively small, venture encompassing old pre-phylloxera Malbec vines and a winery originally established in 1927. The first ever vines in Argentina were planted in Patagonia and Aniello are proud to represent the modern face of this region producing fresh, lean, elegant and beautifully concentrated wines.