Altepe
The vintage
2020 vintage was historical in many ways. It has been the earliest vintage in the last 50 years !
Following a dry and prolonged mild winter at the foothills of the Andes, the sunny days of spring allowed for an early bud burst and flowering. The good weather prevailed over the rest of the season, with low rainfall. The abnormally warm vintage, especially in March, led to our earliest vintage ever. All the grapes reached phenolic ripeness in a very short time span this year. The absence of rain during the harvest allowed the grapes to reach the winery in excellent conditions.
The harvest started on the 10th of March in Altamira and finished on the 26th of March with grapes from San Pablo.
Location
Nestled at the foothills of the snowcapped Andes mountains, Mendoza is known as the best wine producing region in Argentina. With vines planted on high plateaux between 800 and 1500m above sea level, Mendoza's vineyards are known as the highest in the world.
Terroir
The Mendoza region is located in a particularly arid, seismic zone. The vegetation has adapted, as evidenced by the Altepe shrub, a robust plant that grows on the banks of dry rivers in the foothills of the Andes from the north to the south of the province. Thanks to the irrigation canals that channel water from the rivers fed by melting snow from the Andes Cordillera, the inhabitants have been able to transform the valley into a veritable oasis that is home to one of the world's most beautiful vineyards. Malbec has adapted perfectly to these conditions, producing tannic, spicy, richly-coloured wines.
Winemaking
Grapes are harvested by hand, carefully selected, destemmed and crushed before being placed in stainless steel tanks for fermentation. A traditional winemaking process ensues with pump-over and delestage. Total maceration time lasts from 12 to 15 days.
Altepe is aged in tanks in order to preserve its fruit-driven style and allow the varietal characteristic of the Malbec to come through.
Tasting
The robe is Intense, deep red in colour.
The nose is pure and expressive with notes of violets, black fruit and a touch of mint. On the palate, the wine is round and delicate with soft tannins, displaying generous aromas of blueberry, blackberry and cassis. Well-balanced, with a good persistence on the finish.
Alcohol content
14.5
Grapes
Malbec
: 100 %