Luca 2022 Beso de Dante Mendoza 750ml

Dante Alighieri is considered the father of the Italian language, and Laura Catena — the fourth generation of Argentina's celebrated Catena family, and a practicing physician alongside her winemaking work — named her own first-born son Dante in his honor. Beso de Dante, "Dante's Kiss," carries that homage directly into the glass: a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc, built specifically to honor the classic pairing of Malbec and Cabernet that helped define the original 1855 Bordeaux Classification. By most accounts, it was the first wine of its kind ever made in Mendoza — a genuine historical marker for the region.

The 2022 vintage runs 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, and 10% Cabernet Franc, sourced entirely from vines over thirty years old, grown across the Uco Valley — specifically Gualtallary, La Consulta, and Altimira — at roughly 1,000 meters altitude. Under Luca, Laura Catena pioneered close relationships with small growers across Mendoza, seeking out precisely this kind of old, low-yield, high-elevation vineyard, the sort of site that was historically sold off into bulk wine before Catena began working directly with the farmers who tended it. The wine ages 18 months in French oak barrels, 60% of them new.

The critical reception has been genuinely outstanding. Descorchados awarded 95 Points, while James Suckling, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and Vinous (Antonio Galloni's team, tasted by Joaquín Hidalgo) each independently landed at 93 Points — a remarkably consistent sweep across four separate major publications. Vine Connections' extended tasting note describes a "garnet wine with a purple sheen," showcasing "Cabernet aromas with notes of roses, cherries, cassis and a hint of ash," "rich and full-bodied" with "polished tannins and a juicy expression," offering "medium concentration with an intense, slightly clingy character that leads to a long finish." A more detailed account found the wine leading "with intensely balsamic, herbal and anise aromas with a black-fruited core that develops floral notes with aeration," the palate "sleek, rich and saturated, transitioning to a luscious and powerful finish of lifted minerality and fine-grained tannins." SAQ's own tasting simply notes it's "full and generous on the palate," with "notes of blueberry and blackcurrant, combined with smooth texture" — recommending it alongside lamb shank confit. This is genuinely serious, historically significant Argentine wine, from the estate that first proved a classic Bordeaux blend could speak fluently in Mendoza's own high-altitude accent.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Luca Wines was founded by Laura Catena, a fourth-generation Argentine vintner and physician, also Managing Director of Bodega Catena Zapata, her family's own storied estate. Luca was born out of Catena's vision to create a new breed of Argentine wine — small-quantity, artisan-quality bottlings, genuinely true to their individual terroirs. Working closely with small growers across Mendoza, she sought out precisely the kind of old, low-yield, high-elevation vineyards that had historically been overlooked, sold off into bulk wine production before she began building direct relationships with the farmers who tended them. Luca itself is named for Catena's first son, symbolizing her love for her family; Beso de Dante is named for her other son, Dante, in homage to the poet Dante Alighieri, "the father of the Italian language."

Beso de Dante is a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc, made from vines over 30 years old, sourced from vineyards in the Uco Valley — specifically Gualtallary, La Consulta, and Altimira — at approximately 1,000 meters altitude. The 2022 vintage runs 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, and 10% Cabernet Franc, hand-harvested and aged 18 months in French oak barrels, 60% of them new. All Luca wines are certified sustainable through Bodegas de Argentina.

Critics Reviews

Descorchados — 95 Points

James Suckling — 93 Points

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate — 93 Points

Vinous (Antonio Galloni / tasting by Joaquín Hidalgo) — 93 Points

Vine Connections (extended tasting note):
"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. 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."

SAQ (official tasting note):
"This blend of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon is produced by Laura Catena, a leading light in high-end Argentinian wines, at her Luca estate, named after her son. Aged for 18 months in French oak, it's full and generous on the palate. Notes of blueberry and blackcurrant, combined with smooth texture, make it just right with lamb shank confit."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Garnet with a purple sheen. Rose, cherry, and cassis lead, joined by a hint of ash, alongside intensely balsamic, herbal, and anise aromas, with a black-fruited core that develops floral notes with aeration.

Palate
Rich and full-bodied, with polished tannins and a juicy expression. Sleek, saturated, and intense, delivering blueberry and blackcurrant alongside medium concentration and a slightly clingy character.

Finish
Long, luscious, and powerful, closing with lifted minerality and fine-grained tannins — a genuinely structured, age-worthy finish.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Lamb shank confit
• Grilled or roasted red meat
• Aged hard cheeses
• Rich, savory braises