Palate
Elegant, mineral, slightly spicy Malbec with a deep texture and flavors born of the combination of intense sunlight and cool nights.
Growing Conditions
Altamira Vineyard: (1,095m/3,593ft elevation) alluvial origin. Loamy soil, with rounded rocks on the bottom. 80% Sand-10% Clay-10% Silt.
Harvest
Dry weather (precipitations 20-60% lower than usual), small berries and slightly lower yields; cooler temperatures overall. The 2019 harvest happened about 1-3 weeks earlier than usual, and the grapes were in pristine condition with not a drop of botrytis or downy mildew.
We were concerned that there would be problems with frost, because of the dry spring, but a constant evening breeze made frosts rare this year. And outside of Agrelo, there were no significant hail storms. We expected the harvest to be larger than usual, but the combination of dry weather and cool climate resulted in yields slightly lower than the norm.
Winemaking
This wine goes through cold maceration for 5 days under 50°F (10°C). The juice is then fermented for 16 days with a post-fermentation maceration of 10 days.
Aging
12 months in barrel (35% new). Barrel selection varies depending on vineyard and vintage. French oak.
