Kaiken Disobedience by Francis Mallmann Red Blend 2021
This wine is deep ruby with violet hues and aromas of blackberries, cherry, and violet notes. The palate is vibrant and fruit forward with subtle hints of spice from the time in oak. Full-bodied with fine-grained tannins, the wine has a persistent, rich finish.
This wine celebrates a collaboration of many years between well-known Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann and Kaiken estate. Known for his distinct style of open fire cooking, ably captured in the first season of Netflix’s Chef’s Table, Mallman's unstoppable and unique nature is captured by the name 'Disobedience'. The grapes are sourced from Kaiken's vineyards in Altamira in the Uco Valley and Vistalba in the Luján de Cuyo region. Vistalba's chalk and sandy soil, at 1,200m above sea level, imparts an elegant and fruit-driven character to the wine. The alluvial and loam soils of Luján de Cuyo forces vines to penetrate deep into the soil, contributing deep fruit concentration and tannins.
The grapes were hand harvested in March and April before being manually sorted at the winery. Pre-fermentation maceration lasted for seven days at 10°C. Fermentation took place for seven days at 26°C in concrete tanks using selected natural yeasts, followed by natural malolactic fermentation. 30% of the wine was aged in French first-use barrels while the remaining 70% was aged in used barrels for 15 months. Finally, the wine was aged in bottle for 6 months before release.
| RRP | £21.99 |
| Bottle size | 75cl |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14.5% |
| Awards | Silver, SWA, 2024 |
| Country | Argentina |
| Region | Mendoza |
| Subregion | Valle de Uco |
| Grapes | Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Malbec 30%, Merlot 20% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 2.75 |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Natural Cork |
| Winemaker | Gustavo Hormann |
Kaikenes are wild geese, native to Patagonia, that fly across the Andes between Chile and Argentina. In the same way, legendary Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes crossed the Andes to make wines in Mendoza. After several exploratory trips, Aurelio saw the enormous potential for premium viticulture in this region and founded the Kaiken winery in 2002. His aim is to make great wines in Mendoza and, in doing so, show the best of both sides of the Andes. His efforts have clearly yielded great results, with Kaiken named ‘New World Producer of the Year’ by the Sommelier Wine Awards in 2024. In addition, they have now achieved B-Corp certification, illustrating their commitment to both responsible and sustainable business practices.
Kaiken’s estate vineyards are planted in the heart of Mendoza and further south in the Uco Valley, where many premium producers are now sourcing fruit. Their focus is primarily on Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, a variety once almost forgotten in the region. As a result of Kaiken’s protection, there are now several old vine Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in Mendoza that produce excellent wines, including Kaiken’s vineyard in the Vistalba district of Luján de Cuyo, which was first planted in 1910.
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