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Alta Vista Single Vineyard Serenade Malbec 2015
RedArgentina2015
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2019-11-13 · Published 2026-09-09 · Updated 2026-09-09
At a glance
2015: Wine Spectator review (Oct 31, 2020 issue, "Well-structured and powerful, with lithe minerality", score not public) · 2013: Wine Enthusiast 94 · Wine Spectator 94 · Wine Advocate 93 · Vinous 91 · 2010: WS 92 · WA 93 · 2021: WA 95 · 2022: James Suckling 93
Market note: The original of Alta Vista's three single-vineyard Malbecs (Temis, Alizarine, Serenade). Vivino averages by vintage bottomed out at 2013 (3.8) and have held at 4.1–4.2 since 2015. Production is small, around 4,000 bottles a vintage.
What this wine is
The Alta Vista story begins in Champagne. The counts d'Aulan owned and ran Piper-Heidsieck — the house Marilyn Monroe was said to drink — until they sold it in 1988. The son, Patrick d'Aulan, went looking for a new challenge, fell for Mendoza's old Malbec vines, and in 1998 founded Alta Vista with Jean-Michel Arcaute, the winemaker who had made his name at Château Clinet in Pomerol. The name means 'a view from high up'. They bought and restored an 1890 winery in Chacras de Coria, Mendoza, and set a rule: a French winemaking team, local people in the vineyards.
In 2001 Alta Vista became the first producer in Argentina to bottle a Malbec from a single plot. Serenade was that first label; Temis from the Uco Valley and Alizarine from Las Compuertas joined later to make a single-vineyard trilogy. In a 2016 interview in Seoul, Patrick said: "When we vinified each plot separately, the taste was a little different from terroir to terroir. That is when we understood how much single vineyards mattered. The release of Serenade became the historic moment when Argentine wineries started pursuing quality."
The Serenade vineyard is in Alto Agrelo, south of Luján de Cuyo, at 1,050 m. Four metres of clay loam sit over a layer of boulders, and the ungrafted, massal-selection vines are Guyot-trained low to the ground. Producer sources disagree on the planting date — 1935 in some, 1960 in others. Yields are 4,500 kg per hectare, roughly one bottle per vine. The wine is fermented in concrete vats, then spends 12 months in French oak (two-thirds new) and a further six months in bottle. Alcohol is 14.5%. The producer's note: "Deep ruby. Softly ripe fruit with animal notes from the oak. A fresh attack, firm but smooth tannins, considerable elegance."
What the world says
Wine Spectator reviewed the 2015 in its October 31, 2020 issue. The first line is public — "Well-structured and powerful, with lithe minerality" — and the score is for subscribers only. The neighbouring vintages, though, have a clear record. The 2013 got Wine Enthusiast 94, Spectator 94, Wine Advocate 93 and Vinous 91 — the Advocate wrote of "ripe plums, smoked cured meats, something earthy, plus an umami touch", and Vinous of "lovely density but a lighter touch and a finer grain". The 2021 got Advocate 95, the 2022 James Suckling 93.
The Vivino community of 219 averages 4.2, with 85% at 4 or above; across all 14 vintages (1,742 ratings) it is 4.1. The keywords run oak, vanilla and tobacco; plum, blackberry and blackcurrant; leather and earth; cherry; licorice, mint and eucalyptus — and violet appears three times. Structure: intensity 4.0/5, tannin 2.6, acidity 2.7, sweetness 2.2 — noticeably softer than Juan Gil Blue Label (tannin 3.3). By vintage, 2013 (3.8) was the low point, and since 2015 it has not moved from 4.1–4.2.
"I think I understood why the winery put 'Serenade' on the label. Like a serenade echoing over moonlight, it soothed both tongue and nose. Different in aroma and texture from other Malbecs. More refined and fruit-driven." — Vivino review, Jan 2020, 4.5 stars
"Well balanced and fruity. An excellent Argentine Malbec. One minor weakness is that it is slightly bland." — Vivino review, Nov 2019, 4.1 stars
"Very soft at first. After 10–15 minutes the taste became much richer." — Vivino review, Feb 2020, 5 stars
How I drank it
November 13, 2019, 4.5 stars. "Good."
That was three weeks after I started using Vivino, and the day I logged sixteen bottles in one go. Kung Fu Girl Riesling 4, Mouton Cadet 3, Tarapacá 3.5, Juan Gil 3, Almaviva 4.5, Veuve Clicquot 4.5, Two Hands Samantha's Garden Shiraz 4.5, Graham's Six Grapes port 1 star… and last of all this Serenade, 4.5. It was a day of catching up on a backlog like an overdue diary, so every note is a word or two. I wrote "Good." for Tarapacá and "Good." for a Slovak Cabernet as well, and both got 3.5. This is the only bottle where that same word came with 4.5. So for the me of that day, the information was in the number, not the word.
4.5 is the score I gave Almaviva. The community gives this wine 4.2 and Almaviva 4.5, so I rated Serenade 0.3 above the world. Looking at the data now, I can guess why. Tannin 2.6, acidity 2.7 — a soft frame — with intensity 4.0: dense but not rough. If the Juan Gil I gave 3 stars that day was hot, sweet fruit at 15.5% alcohol, Serenade was the same power wrapped in velvet. The reviewers who say it is "different in texture from other Malbecs" and "more refined" are describing exactly the difference my palate picked up. Put it next to the "Chocolate plum" I wrote for the Two Hands Shiraz and you can see the direction of the reds I liked back then: deep black fruit, rounded tannin.
I would like to drink it again; the problem is finding it. The last Korean import record is March 2019 and Vinobot has no price. Its sibling Temis sold for ₩120,000–160,000 (about US$87–116), so Serenade would have been in that range. My conclusion on this bottle is that I gave it the same score as Almaviva (₩400,000-plus, about US$290) at a third of the price. Drinking window runs to 2028. If a bottle is still out there somewhere, this time I will write more than one word.
Vivino community data
2015 vintage rating distribution (219 ratings, average 4.2)
| 5★ | 25 (11%) | |
| 4★ | 161 (74%) | |
| 3★ | 32 (15%) | |
| 2★ | 0 (0%) | |
| 1★ | 1 (0%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Oak | 53 | oak 18 · vanilla 17 · tobacco 7 · chocolate 4 · cedar 2 |
| Black fruit | 51 | plum 17 · blackberry 13 · black fruit 7 · blackcurrant 5 |
| Earth & leather | 22 | leather 7 · earth 5 · honey 2 · salt 2 |
| Red fruit | 17 | cherry 9 · red fruit 4 · raspberry 3 |
| Spice | 14 | licorice 3 · mint 3 · eucalyptus 2 · pepper 2 |
| Dried fruit | 6 | prune 3 · raisin 3 |
| Floral | 3 | violet 3 |
Structure: Acidity 2.7/5 · Intensity 4.0/5 · Tannin 2.6/5 · Sweetness 2.2/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 1742 ratings, average 4.1)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 4.2 | 44 |
| 2007 | 4.2 | 255 |
| 2009 | 4.0 | 61 |
| 2010 | 4.0 | 135 |
| 2011 | 4.1 | 244 |
| 2012 | 3.9 | 145 |
| 2013 | 3.8 | 155 |
| 2014 | 4.0 | 122 |
| 2015 | 4.2 | 219 |
| 2017 | 4.2 | 72 |
| 2018 | 4.1 | 50 |
| 2019 | 4.2 | 56 |
| 2020 | 4.2 | 54 |
| 2021 | 4.2 | 34 |
My original note (Vivino, 2019-11-13)
“Good.”
Buying in Korea
Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Alta Vista Serenade?
A full-bodied 100% Malbec from a single plot, the Serenade vineyard in Alto Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina. Alta Vista, founded in 1998 by the French d'Aulan family who once owned Piper-Heidsieck, released it in 2001 as Argentina's first single-vineyard Malbec. Old vines at 1,050 m, 12 months in French oak, 14.5% alcohol. Vivino 4.2 (2015); the neighbouring 2013 vintage got 94 from both Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.
How much does it cost?
Overseas retail US$40–70, varying widely by seller and vintage. In Korea it was imported by LeVin (formerly LeVin de Maeil), but there is no import record after March 2019 and neither Vinobot nor Wine21 lists a price. The sibling Temis was ₩123,000–163,000 (Vinobot, before Dec 2022, about US$89–118), so expect something in that range.
What food goes with it?
Vivino suggests beef and lamb. The Korean importer's list is hanwoo (Korean beef) grill, bulgogi, galbijjim (braised short ribs), dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken), samgyeopsal (pork belly) and gopchang (grilled intestines). With tannin at a soft 2.6/5 it suits richly seasoned Korean meat dishes; serve slightly cool at 16–18°C after decanting.
How do Temis, Alizarine and Serenade differ?
All three are Alta Vista single-vineyard Malbecs from different plots. Serenade (first released 2001) is in Alto Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, at 1,050 m; Temis is high in the Uco Valley; Alizarine is an old vineyard in Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo. Serenade is the original of the series, and above all three sits 'Alto', the Malbec–Cabernet icon blend.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data
- Wines Argentina Express — Serenade technical sheet (elevation, planting, oak, alcohol)
- Kobrand — Alta Vista Single Vineyard Serenade producer sheet
- K&L Wines — 2013 Serenade reviews (WE 94, WS 94, WA 93, Vinous 91)
- Wine Spectator — 2015 Serenade review (Oct 31, 2020 issue)
- Segye Ilbo, Choi Hyun-tae's Wine Holic — Patrick d'Aulan interview (June 2016)