Pascual Toso, Mendoza (Argentina) Malbec 2012

Beefy, perfumy, redolent of spice and dark chocolate threaded through a tapestry of ripe fruit, this is a wine that has elegance as well as power.  One would not easily guess that it was aged ten months in American oak, for the presence of oak on the palate is subtle rather than distracting.  In other words it does what oak should do, which is to say it adds depth and texture to the wine without assaulting the palate with gratuitous flavor.