In Cafayate, the Calchaquí’s Sebastopol (for Sonoma fans) or Saint-Émilion (for Bordeaux fans), the nascent winery of Sierra Lima Alfa has everyone’s attention. We’ve been fans since we sourced their malbec blend for last year’s collection.
The winemaker, Francisco “Pancho” Morelli Rubio, is a cousin of Raul Dávalos (see the 33 de Dávalos in this collection if you don’t know the name). The two collaborated on the first vintage of Ascensión (imported for the Partnership in 2022).
Pancho has been careful to preserve the character of both grape and terroir by choosing stainless steel for 90% of the juice. The other 10% spent 14 months in French oak – just long enough to give it a lift without muting the cab. You can drink now but expect some fun developments as it ages into 2030. (Only 1600 bottles made.)
