"Throughout my life, I have walked on the path of uncertainty. For the past 30 years, I’ve been on a plane 4-5 times a week. I need the constant change of structures, environments, languages and people. These inspire me; they are my breath,” says Francis Mallmann in a now-cult documentary about him, as pulsating images flash by – roaring flames and the peaks of the Andes. He is Latin America’s most famous chef.

In April, we gathered around one of his tables at the invitation of Kaiken, just beside the vineyard, under the pergola. This bottle was passed around as we enjoyed fried empanadas. Strangely enough, it was the 2020 quarantine that gave birth to a collaborative blend, a rare pause in Francis’ relentless lifestyle, as he found himself stuck at the Kaiken estate for weeks. Out of boredom, he explored the cellar, tasted wines and searched for new flavours. After a few days, he had every wine cataloged in his mind and proposed a blend.

This is how Disobedience was born – in freedom. Fermented with wild yeast in concrete vats, it was aged for 15 months in French barrels. The blend consists of 60% Malbec, complemented by Merlot and the two Cabernet varieties. While Kaiken has made more complex and intricate wines, they’ve never created one so bold and exuberant.

New in our selection.