NATURAL Cabernet Franc Malbec 2022

Mauricio Lorca

Put very simply, this is the cleanest, freshest, most reliable and most delicious natural wine we have ever tasted! Let’s be very honest, that’s not always the case with natural and, frankly, we feel there’s a hefty dose of smoke ‘n mirrors in and around this quirky, trendy category. Producers and distributors alike have been known to be a tad creative with what natural wine actually is, and we ourselves have been ‘burned’ in the past with wines that have shown too much bottle variation and limited life expectancy.

Who better, then, to give us a fabulous, truly natural wine than Mauricio Lorca. As is clearly stated on the label, there is no added sulphur dioxide – the only detectable sulphites coming from the soils – resulting in a measurement that is less than 10mg per litre / 10 parts per litre. But it is not merely about meeting this criterion; in this case Mauricio has spent several vintages specifically mastering the winemaking to ensure this wine is 100% consistent.

In truth, though, we didn’t buy this wine because it is natural; we bought it because it is brilliant! Screaming, bright red fruits on the nose with eyebrow-razing purity and clarity; the palate is intense yet super-fresh and juicy, again with bright red fruit flavours, finishing with a lick of dark chocolate and black cherry. Cabernet Franc and Malbec is a marriage made in Mendoza and never happier than here. This wine also brings into play one of Mauricio’s hallmark attributes – premium wine with no oak!