Malbec ‘1300’, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Andeluna

Andeluna’1300′, Uco Valley, Malbec 2018

Dense aroma of fresh black fruits with spicy minerality through to a warm finish. Classic Argentinian Malbec.

Producer Note:

Founded in 2003, Andeluna produces premium mountain wines from their 70 hectare vineyard situated at an elevation of 1,300 metres in the rocky terroir of Gualtallary, Tupungato in the Uco Valley, Mendoza. By night, the moon can be seen illuminating the magnificent Andes Mountains nearby and the winery has been named after this stunning scene. The vineyard is managed using sustainable practices and in 2015 the entire vineyard was soil mapped with cultivation methods adapted accordingly. Winemaker, Manuel Gonzalez (previously Head Winemaker at Pulenta Estate and Chief Oenologist at Trivento) works alongside Andeluna’s wine consultant Hans Vinding Diers, together they use minimal intervention to create outstanding wines which have propelled this producer into the global spotlight in a very short space of time.

Vintage:

2018 saw an absence of high temperatures, so the grapes ripened slowly and gradually. The dry summer weather and cooler temperatures resulted in grapes of excellent health and good quality at harvest time. The volume harvested was below average of the past decade, but the resulting wines are of excellent quality, with intense colour, varietal aromatics and good levels of fine tannins. The reds display wonderful elegant texture.

Vineyard:

The grapes were grown in vineyards located in Tupungato, at over 1,300 metres above sea level. The area is characterised by its wide diurnal temperature range, which produces grapes with a great intensity of colour and a distinctive aromatic expression. The vineyards are adequately irrigated through a drip management system, which provides exactly the right amount of water needed by the plant. Canopy management in the vineyard controls yields and produces small, concentrated berries with the perfect amount of sun exposure. The vines are grown in alluvial, sandy soils and are manually harvested.

Winemaking:

After hand selecting the very best bunches, the grapes were destemmed and underwent a pre-fermentation maceration at low temperatures. Fermentation took place with natural and selected yeasts, in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at approximately 26°C. The wine was matured in previously used French oak barrels for three months and then cellared for a further three months prior to release.

Tasting Note:

Floral violet notes are followed by an intense fruity expression of red plum, strawberry and blackberry. Full bodied but smooth and balanced, with subtle minerality this is a classic expression of Argentinian Malbec.

Grape:

Malbec 100%