2023 was a vintage of extremes. The beginning of spring was cool, with low rainfall, but at the end of October, a heavy frost affected the entire region. Towards the end of spring, a series of heat waves began and they lasted until the end of the harvest. The situation was different in Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley. In Lujan, the heat wave remained until we picked up the grapes. In the Valley, it rained for a few days and this dampened the advance of grape ripening. The early harvest was decisive in maintaining the winery’s style. Despite the challenges of the harvest, these conditions favored wines with great concentration in the mouth, verticality, and texture.
The grapes come from our Finca El Hormiguero estate in Lujan de Cuyo. This estate is very special because it is located on the side of a mountain, so it is normal to find colluvial plots. We have selected two plots to make this wine, due to their soils with silt and granite covered with calcium carbonate. The whole estate is certified organic.
100% Malbec grapes, hand-picked and selected before entering the winery. Fermented in stainless steel tanks at 22°C (72°F), to preserve the freshness in the face of a warm vintage, with natural acidity and native yeasts. The wine was made with 10% of whole bunch in the middle and upper part of the tank. It was aged in concrete for 12 months and in bottle for another 12 months.
It has a lively ruby red color. The nose is complex and multilayered. On first approach, the aromatic profile is slightly reductive, with a clear reminiscence of gunpowder. It then opens up to reveal cherry, jarilla, menthol and aniseed. After some time in the glass, the full aromatic palette emerges, with notes of pepperwort flower, carob and raspberry. In the mouth, it is chalky in texture, very fine-grained, with a mineral sensation. The tannins are juicy and velvety. The finish is long and leaves a savory note of red fruits on the back of the palate. It is an ideal wine to pair with a flame-grilled goat with Andean potatoes and fine herbs, an eggplant lasagna with Bolognese sauce and basil pesto, or grilled girolles with wild rice.
Variety: 100% Malbec
Closure: DIAM cork
Volume: 750mL
Alcohol: 13.9%
Total Acidity: 5.7 g/l
pH: 3.68
Residual Sugar: 2.5 g/l
