2022 Luca Beso de Dante Uco Valley

Old-vine Uco Valley blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. 93-96 points across four critics, $38 for a wine that drinks like the $75 Napa bottles.

A single bottle of 2022 Luca Beso de Dante red wine from Uco Valley, Mendoza, curated by Big Hammer Wines.

2022 Luca Beso de Dante Uco Valley

Name: 2022 Luca Beso de Dante Uco Valley
Brand: Luca
SKU: JIT-LUCBE22
Price: 38.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Old-vine Uco Valley blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. 93-96 points across four critics, $38 for a wine that drinks like the $75 Napa bottles.

Retail $55

$38

/ bottle

You save $17

"Another Of Our Favorite Wines" ~ 96 Descorchados
"Sleek, Rich And Saturated, Luscious And Powerful Finish" ~93 Wine Advocate
Old-Vine Malbec From Mendoza's High-Altitude Uco Valley
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2022 Luca Beso de Dante Uco Valley

$55

$38

/ bottle

You save $17

About The Wine

The Uco Valley sits at the edge of the Andes, cold nights and intense sun pushing Malbec and Cabernet to heights Argentina's warmer plains can't touch. Beso de Dante — "Dante's Kiss" — is Luca's homage to the original Bordeaux blend of Malbec and Cabernet that first came to Argentina, when the grapes shared equal billing before Malbec became the country's calling card.

The 2022 pulls from old-vine Malbec parcels in the Uco Valley and blends them with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Cabernet Franc. Aged eighteen months in 60% new French oak, it's a Bordeaux-inspired wine built on high-altitude fruit — structured, layered, serious.

The glass opens with cassis, mint, and a tarry black-fruit core that develops floral lift as it breathes. Full-bodied but fluid, with polished tannins and a juicy backbone that keeps the weight from collapsing into heat. Wine Advocate notes the "sleek, rich and saturated" palate and "luscious and powerful finish of lifted minerality." James Suckling calls it "juicy, full-bodied but fluid in the middle with a long, tasty finish."

$38 for a 93-96 point Bordeaux-style blend that drinks like wines twice the price. The kind of bottle that makes you question what you've been paying for Napa Cab.

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At A Glance

Varietal:: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:: Uco Valley
Alcohol:: 13.5%
Size:: 750ml

TASTING NOTES

What's in the Glass

PAIRS WITH: Beef · Lamb · Ribeye · Ribs · Cheese

Mouthfeel & Acidity

Light Body Full Body

Low Acidity High Acidity

Soft Tannins Firm Tannins

Dry Sweet

Cassis, mint, and tarry black fruit with floral lift. Full-bodied and juicy with polished tannins, dark fruit, spice, and a long finish marked by lifted minerality. The Cabernet melds seamlessly with old-vine Malbec — structured, detailed, beautifully balanced.

CRITIC REVIEWS

What the Critics Said

Another of our favorite wines at Descorchados. The base of Beso de Dante is 60% cabernet sauvignon from El Cepillo, in the cold south of the Uco Valley; 30% malbec comes from La Consulta and the rest is cabernet franc from Gualtallary Alto, above 1,500 meters above sea level. The nose is pure ripe red fruits and flowers. Unlike last year, where the cabernet and its herbs seemed to dominate, this year it is the malbec that takes center stage. In the mouth, however, the firm and muscular tannins speak of the cabernet sauvignon, as do its herbal notes. This is a robust red for the cellar. ~ 96 Descorchados
This has a pretty nose of purple flowers, plums, blueberries and dark chocolate. It's full-bodied, creamy and composed. Firm, but with a lovely texture, all melting together. ~94 James Suckling
The 2022 Beso de Dante is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc sourced from old vines in the Uco Valley. Aged for 18 months in oak barrels, 60% of which were new, this garnet wine with a purple sheen showcases Cabernet aromas with notes of roses, cherries, cassis and a hint of ash. Rich and full-bodied, it features polished tannins and a juicy expression, offering medium concentration with an intense, slightly clingy character that leads to a long finish. ~93 Vinous
The 2022 Beso de Dante combines 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 60% new barrique. It leads with intensely balsamic, herbal and anise aromas with a black-fruited core that develops floral notes with aeration. The palate is sleek, rich and saturated, transitioning to a luscious and powerful finish of lifted minerality and fine-grained tannins. ~93 Wine Advocate
Aromas of blackberries and strawberries are introduced by subtle hints of clove. This full-bodied Malbec blend delivers a fresh palate of berries, supported by notes of thyme and a hint of dark chocolate truffle in the finish. Firm, gripping tannins and optimal acidity provide a robust structure. ~93 Wine Enthusiast

THE PRODUCER

Luca

Luca is Laura Catena's old-vine project in the Uco Valley, named for her first son and launched the year he was born. It was among the first Argentine labels to bottle Malbec entirely from old, ungrafted vines — the bet being that older fruit carries more genetic depth than young plantings can fake. The wines come off high-altitude sites near 3,500 feet, where wide day-night temperature swings keep the fruit bright instead of jammy.