2020 La FInca de los Vinedos Imposibles Malbec Tozudo Calchaqui Valley Argentina 750 ml

This name isn’t figurative. La Finca de los Viñedos Imposibles Tozudo Malbec should not be possible. 

The winery’s homeland in the Pre-Andes mountain range looks almost extraterrestrial. At 8,000 feet above sea level—higher than almost every other vineyard in the world—red soil streaks the scrub-dotted landscape, and stony valleys rise sharply into steep, rugged mountainsides. Typical winegrowing conventions suggest that a vineyard here simply shouldn’t work. 

But fortunately for all of us, founder Francisco Moreno Hueyo didn’t follow conventions. 

Instead, he set out to craft world-class Malbec in Argentina’s most extreme conditions. That mission took him to the soaring elevations and desert climate of the Salta region, and he came away with a lush, layered, expressive Malbec. The 2020 Tozudo is rich and dense with dark fruit, interlaced with spice notes and well-integrated tannins. It’s a wine as captivating as its mountainous home. 

Winemakers Roberto Cipresso and Santiago Achával—of the iconic Achával-Ferrer—crafted this beauty with Malbec from a vineyard called La Guardia, named for cornfields at the foot of an ancient fortified city, where Incan sentries would watch the valley below. The soil here is a mixture of sand and silt, crucial for retaining just enough water in the arid climate. Malbec ripens under around 14 hours of daily sunlight during the growing season, while cooler overnight temperatures maintain freshness. 

After a year in French oak and a few more years in the bottle, that Malbec is singing. It’s a testament to the power of extreme terroir and adventurous viticulture.