Tacana Malbec 2021

Calchaquí Valley, Argentina

Biodynamic farming
No oak
Unfiltered
Low sugar / High antioxidant
Extreme altitude (8,421 ft)
100% malbec

Tacana Malbec 2021: Straight from our own extreme altitude vineyard, located on the Bonner family ranch Gualfín in the Argentine frontier land of the Calchaquí Valley… 8,421 feet above the world. Tacana is unique, powerful, and smooth. A dark purple-colored wine, Tacana contains aromas of dark fruits and opens up with the intensity and fleshy character typical of the malbec varietal.

We didn’t buy Gualfín to grow grapes. We bought it as a cattle ranch before discovering it was too remote, too high, and too dry to sustain the kind of herd we wanted. When we finally had a decent harvest – back in 2012 – we took the grapes to our closest neighbor (a mere hour’s drive away), winemaker Raúl Dávalos. The resulting wine was so inky red it almost looked black. I had never had wine like that before. Even among extreme altitude malbecs, I’ve never had another like it since. Raúl proclaimed it “almost as good as mine.” A high compliment. Although almost impossible to find in the US, his wine gets 90+ points from Robert Parker.

Tacana is a wine that brings people together. It’s unique, powerful and smooth… but its depth and complexity make it perfect for moments spent alone, too.