PELLERITI PRIORE | Hostage | Altamira | 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, single-vineyard, high-altitude malbec wine from the famous Mendoza region of Argentina – Hostage Altamira 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 Paraje Altamira vineyards, planted at high altitude (between 1050 and 1150 meters above sea level), around the San Carlos village in Valle de Uco, on loam-rich soils of alluvial origin, with gravel and sand 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 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.
Located on the plain south of the source of the Tunuyán River, Paraje Altamira occupies the highest part of its alluvial fan and is one of the best sites in Uco Valley, distinguished by its high-altitude, with vineyards planted between 1050 and 1150 meters above sea level, which lends an exceptional freshness to the malbec grapes. The soil composition includes conglomerates of stones and gravel with a calcareous upper layer, ensuring excellent drainage and a mineral-rich environment that enhances wine complexity. The cool climate with significant temperature variations allows the grapes to achieve a perfect balance between ripeness and acidity, boldly expressing the characteristics of the region and providing a clear contrast to wines produced in lower elevations, where conditions are warmer and less varied.

color: deep & opaque crimson color
clarity: hazy ruby shades at the rim

In the glass, the wine showcases a deep and opaque crimson color, hinting at its concentration and depth, with hazy ruby shades at the rim, adding to its visual intensity.

intensity: pronounced & dusty
fruit character: overripe

The aromatic profile is pronounced and dusty, with an overripe fruit character layered with a nuanced earthy accent. The foreground reveals notes of pencil lead, crushed granite, charcoal, and gravel dust, beautifully intertwined with dark black fruits like aronia, cassis, and dark cherry. Subtle dusty hints adds an extra dimension. As the wine breathes, the background reveals delicate oak-derived notes of tobacco and toasted oakwood, complemented by spicy touches of peppercorn and subtle savory undertones hinting at iron and old leather. This creates a complex and intriguing olfactory experience that speaks of both fruit intensity and mineral-earthy origins.

sweetness: bone dry | acidity: medium+ | alcohol: high | tannin: high | balance: good
finish: medium+ | aftertaste: astringent

On the palate, the wine feels astringent and austere, characterized by pronounced seediness and an extracted and grippy sensation. It comes across as bold and smoky, with a well-structured framework. Bone dry, with underwhelming acidity and an overwhelming alcoholic warmth, alongside a nuanced seedy tannic accent, this is a wine that provides a significant muscular grip. The finish is astringent and austere, with a lingering seedy aftertaste that echoes the wine’s structural power and earthy notes observed on the nose.

maturity: developing | needs more time | age for another 3 to 5 years
verdict: fine | an excellent wine | a wine of premium quality with good potential

All in all, this is a firm and muscular wine with a pronounced dusty accent. Made in a clear-cut, new-world style, it lacks the delicacy and finesse often expected from top-tier malbec wines. While currently exhibiting an off-balanced mouthfeel, the wine hints at future complexity and sophistication. This is a wine that is still developing and therefore needs more time to round up and settle down, at least 3 to 5 more years (or potentially longer) to allow its components to integrate further, in order to gain more balance and maybe even some elegance. Patience is required to see this wine reach its true potential.

Given the wine’s firm and slightly austere profile, it suggests hearty and rich food pairings that can stand up to its structure. Consider pairing it with slow-braised beef cheeks in a rich, savory sauce with mushrooms, where the richness and fat of the beef will coat the palate, helping to soften the wine’s grippy tannins and balance the overwhelming alcoholic warmth, while the earthy notes in the dish will complement the wine’s mineral and earthy character. Cheers!
PELLERITI PRIORE | Hostage | Altamira | Malbec | 2021
variety: malbec
country: Argentina
region: Mendoza | Valle de Uco | Paraje Altamira
rating: 93.7

This wine has received impressive critical acclaim, evaluated at 96 points by James Suckling and 94 points by Tim Atkin, highlighting its high quality and promising ageing potential. The name ‘Hostage’ is a symbolic representation of how deeply the unique and captivating terroir of Paraje Altamira impacted winemakers Marcelo Pelleriti and Miguel Priore, holding them ‘captive’ with its promise for refinement.

© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation. Cheers!