The 2009 Gran Reserva Malbec is blended with 5% Semillon and aged in new Burgundy barrels for 24 months. Unfortunately the oak totally dominates the aromatics at the expense of fruit or terroir expression. The palate is sweet and chewy on the entry with a sweet, orange sorbet-tinged finish but yet again, it is wood, wood, wood all the way, which is a shame as there is a very interesting wine trying to surface. Drink now. Karim Mussi Saffie founded Altocedro in 1998, having worked in the wine industry for three decades. Altocedro owns three vineyards in La Consulta totalling 59-acres that are fed both through flood and drip irrigation. There are parcels of vine up to 70-years in age. There are some good wines here, although they were occasionally blighted by excessive use of oak disproportionate to the level of fruit.Importer: Vino del Sol; www.vinodelsol.com