Palate
Angélica Zapata Malbec Alta is a blend of Malbec grapes sourced from different vineyards. The result is a wine of great concentration and elegance. The Angélica Vineyard offers ripe plum jammy flavors with a soft, supple mouthfeel. La Pirámide Vineyard lends intense black berry fruit with spicy black pepper and clove. Altamira provides elegance and freshness on the palate with a flavor profile of red berry fruit. Lot 3 from Adrianna Vineyard is intensely floral, with hints of violets and lavender, while lot 9 provides a long persistent finish of cassis flavors and mineral notes. These five elements contribute to wonderful complexity in the final blend.
Growing Conditions
Angélica Vineyard, Lunlunta 3116 ft (920 m)
alluvial origin. Loamy clay in the topsoil with
rounded rocks on the bottom.
La Pirámide Vineyard, Agrelo, 3116 ft (950 m)
Alluvial origin. Clay topsoil with rounded rocks on
the bottom.
Nicasia vineyard, Altamira, San Carlos: 3592 ft
(1095m) alluvial origin. Loamy soil, with rounded
rocks on the bottom.
Adrianna Vineyard, Gualtallary, Tupungato, 4757
ft (1450 m) alluvial origin. Gravel and limestone.
Rounded rocks in the bottom.
Angélica Sur Vineyard, Gualtallary, Tupungato, 3608 ft (1100 m) sandy loam with presence of gravel and limestone.
Harvest
Dry Farming, Cool Climate and Eternal Snow. The coolest vintage in the last thirty years, 2016 was marked by "El Niño", low yields and a fully snow-covered view of the Andes through the summer. The rains came together with cooler than usual days which saved us from any rot by lowering yields and shortening the harvest season. Our vineyards were mostly dry farmed; natural acidities are extremely high and alcohols low, in the 12-13 range. The 2016 wines might take longer than usual to be ready for drinking.
Bottling
Unfined and unfiltered
Winemaking
This wine goes through an extensive cold
maceration at less than 50ºF (10ºC) to extract
aromas. The juice is then fermented for 18 days
with a post-fermentation maceration of 28-30
days. Wild Yeasts.
Aging
24 months in French oak barrels (50% new).
Appearance
A deeply violet color.
