Adentro Malbec – 2020

8,809 ft.
12 months in 3rd and 4th use barrels
Malbec

At the northern end of Argentina’s Calchaquí Valley sits a 20,000 foot monster, the permanently snowcapped Cachi. At its feet (still 8,809 ft. high) sits a smaller valley, and a sleepy farm of just 19 acres fed by a stream of snowmelt. This is Finca Rio Las Arcas. Planted among the old “arca” trees (note the leaf on the bottle) are rows of malbec, and often a Swiss gentleman, winemaker Christian Götz, fussing and musing over each bunch. 

Christian produces less than 5,000 bottles a year, and does much of the work by hand, including hand-selecting bunches and a twice daily “remontage”. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in French oak before aging 12 months in neutralized barrels.

Deep red color, aromas of ripe blackberries, tobacco and vanilla. Fruity, elegant and complex, with velvety tannins. Very expressive, with refreshing and balanced acidity and a long finish.