2011 Aluvión Malbec Reserva Cooper's Pick

 Variety:  95% Malbec  5% Cabernet Franc

Region of Origin: Uca Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

 Tasting Notes

 The nose has a captivating bouquet of freshly crushed black cherries and plums, which elegantly evolve into a complex combination of plums, wildflowers, and notes of graphite. On the palate, the wine delivers a profound texture and ample polished tannins, building to a fruit-packed structure laced with violet flowers, tobacco and coffee beans.  As with most aged big red wines, we recommend decanting for up to 30 minutes and serving at a temperature of 16-18 degrees Celsius. 

Wine Making

 Through an arrangement with the Vines of Mendoza, Aluvión benefits from the resources and management of some of the most qualified and respected vintners in Argentina, including consulting wine maker Santiago Achával of Achaval- Ferrer, one of the highest regarded winemakers in the world. The grapes were harvested in April 2011. Cold Maceration was for 4 days followed by 17 days of fermentation. Aging was for 16 months in a combination of new and second-use French oak barrels from Boutes and Saury cooperages. The 2011 growing season was notably dry with lower-than-average maximum temperatures, allowing for an extended ripening period. This resulted in grapes with excellent acidity and intense fruit expression.

The Vineyards

 Aluvión Vineyards in Argentina’s Uco Valley is nestled at 1,036 metres  in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Covering 10 acres, it was founded in 2007 as a premium boutique wine producer by couples Robert Kramer and Joanna Stevens with Ed Lang and Catherine Balsam-Schwaber.  They shared a dream to produce small quantities of super-premium, full-bodied, elegant wines. The first Malbec vintage was released in 2010 and was awarded a Silver Medal in the San Francisco International Wine Competition.