PELLERITI PRIORE | Selected Parcel | 1853 Old Vine Estate | Malbec | 2021
malbec

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The Pelleriti Priore winery is recognized for its winemaking excellence in Argentina, founded by Marcelo Pelleriti and Miguel Priore, who are at the forefront of the wine world, infusing the industry with their distinctive expertise and a unified vision for the future, including perfect scores from Robert Parker. Since its inception in 2023, the Pelleriti Priore wines reflects a distinct new-world style – a signature blend of quality and character that stands the test of time. Looking ahead, the estate embrace an ambitious objective: to craft the Grand Cru of the New World with a devout respect for its unique terroir and biodiversity.
Today we are going to review a true classic – a single-varietal and single-vineyard, high-altitude malbec wine from the famous Mendoza region of Argentina – Selected Parcel 1853 Old Vine Estate Malbec 2021 by Pelleriti Priore. Known for its plump, dark fruit flavors and smoky finish, malbec wines have been adored for centuries, especially by the royal houses of England and Russia. With elegant notes of blueberry, plum, tobacco and hints of violets, modern malbec offers a great alternative to its higher priced siblings: merlot, cabernet sauvignon or syrah. Although the malbec variety originated in the famous Cahors region of France, Argentina proved that there’s more to malbec than just value, as it can offer an unmatched complexity and elegance, if produced in an expressive new-world style, with a nuanced and juicy, fruit-forward character.

The 2021 harvest faced major natural challenges such as heavy rains and spring frost, leading to a cooler year that influenced the wine’s freshness and well structured character. The grapes for this wine were sourced from the slopes of La Consulta vineyards (which has some of the oldest malbec vines in the world, planted around the year 1910), planted at 1000 meters altitude on a mix of sand loam and rocky bottom, with gravel and rounded rocks in the subsoil, irrigated by pure snowmelt from the Andes. In order to preserve the varietal characteristics of the malbec grapes and those much desired terroir-driven hints, the wine has been aged for 12 months in second filled french oak barriques, with additional 12 months of bottle ageing time before it was released on the market.

The unique geographical conditions of the Uco Valley contribute significantly to the distinctiveness of most of the malbec wines produced here. The arid climate coupled with the high-altitudes is ideal for viticulture, promoting the production of high-quality grapes. The vineyards  planted at high-altitudes benefit from abundant sunlight during the day and cool temperatures at night, thus creating a high diurnal range, which preserves natural acidity and develops aromatic complexity in the healthy grapes. The soil is predominantly alluvial, rich in sand and loam, with good drainage that supports deep root growth. Compared to the malbec wines from the lower regions, those from Uco Valley typically exhibit greater freshness, vibrancy, and complexity.

La Consulta, located in the southern part of Mendoza‘s Uco Valley, is a historic micro-region renowned for its viticultural heritage. Vineyards here are situated at approximately 1000 meters above sea level, benefiting from a cool climate with significant diurnal temperature variations. This thermal amplitude allows for an extended grape maturation period, resulting in complex and harmonious wines. La Consulta receives minimal rainfall, averaging around 250mm annually, thus requiring controlled irrigation (mostly the pure snowmelt irrigation from the Andes). Soils here are rich in stones of various sizes, which provides excellent drainage, fostering deep root systems that contribute to the complexity of the wines. The combination of high altitude, rocky soil composition, and high diurnal range, the resulting wines are famous for their richness, elegance and depth of flavor.

color: deep purple color
clarity: hazy indigo shades

In the glass, the wine presents a deep purple color with hazy indigo shades at the rim, indicating intensity and depth.

intensity: pronounced & flamboyant
fruit character: ripe

The aromatic profile is rich and flamboyant, layered with ripe black and blue fruits – think blue plum, blueberry, black plum, and dark cherry – complemented by savory undertones of new leather, iron, brown olive, and cured meat, and nuanced violet hints. Earthy notes of crushed granite, pencil lead, and slate together with subtle notes of tobacco and clove hints provide depth and further aromatic complexity.

sweetness: dry | acidity: high | alcohol: high | tannin: high | balance: good
finish: long | aftertaste: velvety-crisp

On the palate, the wine reveals a ripe character dominated by dark fruit notes that are complemented by rich layers of spice and oak. The wine feels dry, rich and elegant, with bright acidity, a touch of alcoholic warmth, and ripe, fine-grained tannins. The palate is ample, luscious and velvety, exemplifying the epitome of a modern malbec wine, with its distinctive blueberry-violets accent. The wine’s velvety-crisp aftertaste and appealingly-seedy texture add further allure to its already complex palate.

maturity: developing | drink now or in the next 2 to 3 years
verdict: great | a benchmark wine | a wine that has all the traits to become legendary

Overall, this is a complex, elegant and velvety wine that delivers a well-structured palate with a terroir-driven accent that radiates that genuine rustic delicacy that only the best Malbec wines are capable to deliver. It feels round, voluptuous, and well-structured, with a harmonious blend of vibrant fruits and rustic elegance. The wine is still developing, ready to be enjoyed today with promises of further evolution over the next 2 to 3 years. All in all, this is an outstanding wine that reflects the essence of the place of its origin – the epitome of a high altitude malbec wine that is mixing richness with elegance – a true gem for those who are looking for a top-quality malbec.

For an exquisite wine tasting experience, consider pairing this wine with hearty dishes like grilled ribeye steak or a mushroom risotto. The wine’s rich fruit and savory undertones would complement the umami flavours in these dishes, creating a truly harmonious dining experience. In the same key, the bright acidity and crisp aftertaste of the wine, will provide a refreshing contrast to the silky texture of the meat. Enjoy!
PELLERITI PRIORE | Selected Parcel | 1853 Old Vine Estate | Malbec | 2021
variety: malbec
country: Argentina
region: Mendoza | Valle de Uco
rating: 95.1

The ‘1853 Old Vine Estate’ wine’s label name pays tribute to the year when Malbec grape variety was originally introduced to Argentina from France by Michel Pouget. It takes about two of these ancient, gnarled Malbec vines to produce a single bottle of ‘Pelleriti Priore Selected Parcel Malbec’ wine.

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