A terroir-focused Malbec with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon added to produce a very elegant and complex red wine. Described by Tim Atkin MW as “the real deal”, it tastes of black fruits with liquorice, smoky balsamic notes, black tea and more.

Pyros Special Blend 2014 is a complex & elegant, high-end Argentinian red wine. It took my breath away when I first tasted it. A mix of 70% Malbec, 22% Syrah or Shiraz & 8% Cabernet Sauvignon this deep-coloured red wine is bursting with aromas and flavours. It displays concentrated black fruits with liquorice, smoky balsamic and spicy notes with a floral touch to the nose and a hint of flinty minerality on the palate. The lovely fruit flavours and the natural acidity in this wine make the mouth water and give the wine its longevity though it is definitely drinkable now. If you think Malbec can never be a premium wine, try this one and see how refined and elegant it can be when produced in optimal conditions. This is a wine of great character.

Pyros was part of a bigger winery but now operates on a smaller scale and independently in the Pedernal Valley in the province of San Juan, Argentina. The Pedernal Valley, only relatively recently recognised as an official wine region, contains vineyards at high altitude (up to 1500 metres) with granite, flint and slate soils (pedernal is Spanish for flint). It is widely recognised that the best Argentinian Malbecs are grown at altitude and this Special Blend is produced 70% from Malbec grapes grown at 1400m and in Pyros’ best vineyard at their Firestone estate with more limestone, flint and granite than other plots. The altitude and soils are two reasons why Pyros Special Blend 2014 is so complex and intense.

Recommended to drink with steak (Argentinean of course!), other beef dishes including chilli con carne & other spicy dishes, lamb including tagines, venison, game casserole, strong flavoured offal, strong cheeses & chocolate.

97 points – Tim Atkins MW – Special Report 2018
“I find it hard to contain my enthusiasm for this remarkable, terroir-driven cuvée of mostly Malbec with 22% Syrah and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s still quite youthful at the moment but give it time. Mint, liquorice and black tea flavours, lots of perfume, wild herb aromas and a frisson of chalky minerality. This is the real deal. 2021-30.”

90 points – RobertParker.com
“The aromas of the 2014 Special Blend are dominated by toast and spice aromas from the élevage. In this vintage, the final blend is 70% Malbec, 22% Syrah and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon that matured in 50/50 French and American oak for 22 months. It has a ripe, slightly anonymous / international profile with the mix of varieties and high impact from the oak. It has notes of black fruit and a full-bodied palate and is ripe, showy, heady and intense. A powerful, commercial Malbec blend with plenty of dusty tannins and a dry finish.”