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Alta Vista Single Vineyard Malbec "Alizarine" 2015
$52.00 USD
Description
How To Say It
Vino Joe Says...
Description
The concept of single-vineyard wines in Argentina began with the 2001 vintage of Alizarine. Today this limited-production wine is one of the most sought-after by collectors, arguably one of the few “cult” wines coming from Argentina. Less than 200 bottles were imported into the US, and the highly acclaimed 2015 vintage is nearly impossible to find anywhere else. It is just now beginning to open up, and can be enjoyed over the next 5-10 years.
Trivia: Alta Vista owner Patrick d’Aulan trademarked the term “single vineyard” and then transferred the registration to the state of Argentina under the condition that any wines designated as “single vineyard” must have certified origin of their designated terroirs.
How To Say It
Pronounced AHL-tah VEE-stah SING-gull VIN-yard ah-LEEZ-ah-REEN
Vino Joe Says...
Vino Joe: “Argentina’s answer to Bordeaux and Super Tuscan, this is an iconic wine quickly gaining cult status. If it came from an Old World winegrowing country such as France or Italy, it would cost ten times the price. It would be a great value at $100, it’s an absolute steal at $50. Get a six-pack and stash it in your cellar.”
About the wine
This terroir –located in Lujan de Cuyo– has silty clay soil with a layer of pebbles between 1 and 2 meters deep. Soil here is very poor and
permeable. Traditional irrigation system with water coming from The Andes Mountain. The climate is warm and dry, and thanks to the surrounding hills, frost risk is lower in spring, when cold air currents come from Mendoza
river. The oldest grapevines of the vineyard date back to 1923 and are pruned using the Single Guyot system. A massal selection provides small and compact clusters.
A manual harvest is carried out in small 17-kilo boxes. Then, grapes are carefully set on a double selection table. After destemming, grapes are placed in 52-hectoliter cement tanks by gravity. Vinification starts with a cold maceration process, and continues with an alcoholic fermentation with regular pigeages to enhance extraction. Vinification finishes with a long maceration process for 30 days.
REGION: Argentina | Mendoza| Luján de Cuyo | Las Compuertas
BOTTLES PRODUCED: 6913
GRAPES: 100% Malbec
YIELD: 5 kg/ha (4.5 lbs/acre)
PH: 3.59
ACIDITY: 6.45 g/L
ABV: 14.5%
AGING:
100% of the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months (2/3 new barrels, 1/3 second use barrels). From Winemaker Didier Debono:
A deep ruby-colored wine with aromas reminiscent of spices, chocolate, ripe fruit and some animal scents. In the mouth, it has great
structure with soft tannins and long finish. It is recommended to decant it and then drink it cool, between 16ºC and 18ºC. (60-64ºF)
Pairs well with pizza, vegetarian or meat lasagna, chicken, pork and grilled or roasted red meats. Try it with dishes featuring roasted pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, or Italian sausage.
What The Critics Say...
As was the case with the other single-vineyard wine from Luján de Cuyo, I also found more freshness and balance in the 2015 Malbec Alizarine than in the 2014. There is less alcohol and more balanced acidity. As the vinification and aging was the same (concrete and 66% new barrels), the differences are due to the vintage, but I think this is more about the vineyard, Las Compuertas, a traditional zone that is being eaten by the city, the cost of land for real estate is too much of a temptation that is hard to resist. The year was cooler, and the wine is fresher and had less alcohol than the 2014 I tasted next to it. Concentration with harmony. This should age nicely in bottle. 6,913 bottles were filled in March 2018. The Wine Advocate
Alizarine Vineyard
The first single-vineyard wine in Argentina
Less than 7000 bottles produced; less than 200 imported to the US
100-year-old vines